How to Naturally Fill Your Home with Fall Scents

I think the best part of fall, besides everything, are the delicious scents that come along with the season. That mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg, cloves and ginger are so homey and comforting – it’s a shame we limit them to just a few months. Before the first leaf turns from green to red we are burning our fall candles and pulling the pumpkin pie spices to the front of the cabinets. Besides lighting up our some of our favorite candles (here & here) we also like to find natural ways to scent our home. This easy DIY shows you three ways to get that autumn, pumpkin pie, cozy thanksgiving dinner smell without turning on your oven (and using all natural ingredients)!

Simmer pot

First up is an autumn simmer pot and it’s one of the easiest ways to quickly fill your home with the scents and spices of fall. What you’ll need:

1 orange
1 apple
4 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
Handful of bay leaves

Before cutting up the orange I’ll first zest it a bit to bring out some of the natural oils, then I’ll slice the whole orange. Similarly with the apple, I’ll peel some of the skin then slice it up. Put all ingredients into a large saucepan, cover with water and simmer on low. Continue to add water as needed. This could also be done in a slow cooker.

This is my favorite thing to do. Erick even requests it from time to time during holiday season. I’ll be sure to update this recipe in a few months to show you how I capture the winter season.

Hanging Herbs

Hanging herbs in your kitchen not only look and smell great, but it will allow the herbs to dry. Your dried herbs can then be used to season future recipes. To capture the fall scent, gather a few sprigs of:

Sage
Thyme
Rosemary

Tie the herbs together with kitchen twine and hang from a drawer or cabinet. Other herbs can of course be added to this bundle, I think basil would have complimented this herb bouquet well.