DIY Home Scents for Fall

The fall is a lovely time of year, from the crisp and colorful falling leaves to the mild temperatures that make it the perfect time for a stroll through a pumpkin patch. One fun way to take advantage of the season and to make the most of it within the walls of your home is to promote the festive scents that embody fall within your living space. Below, we explore how you can create these scents for yourself to enjoy as they leaves slowly fall.

Simmer Pots

Simmer pots are an easy and effective way to ensure that your home smells like all of the joys of the season! One fun recipe for a festive pot simmer involves collecting fruit peels—such as orange, lemon, lime, apple, and pear peels—and putting them to good use!

As for the rest of the ingredients, the recipes vary. For one, use a combination of cinnamon sticks, apple peels, orange rinds, and whole cloves. For a different scent, use a cup of dried lavender, a teaspoon of anise, a tablespoon of nutmeg, a teaspoon of whole cloves, and one cinnamon stick.

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Add everything in and boil the contents for a few minutes. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to add water to the pan as needed, allowing it to simmer as long as desired. Your home will soon be filled with an irresistible scent! (Just don't forget about it, or you can boil the water completely away and ruin your pot or create a fire hazard.)

DIY Potpourri

While store-bought potpourri often ends up smelling artificial and can sometimes be overwhelming within your space, homemade versions have a more natural scent. Plus, DIY potpourri a fun fall project to take part in!

To make your own, you’ll first create a pleasant aroma. Additionally, it’s important to create a pleasing visual aesthetic with the right balance of textures and colors. Potpourri is more than just a pretty smell—it’s a pretty face within your home, too!

One of the great things about DIY potpourri is that you're in charge of what goes into it, so make it your own! Combine items such as dried apple or orange slices, whole nuts including their shells, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, pine cones, and essential oils. Cedar wood and pine are fall oil favorites, so consider adding those to the mix!

This project may require some trial and error, as there aren’t specific measurements for each item. It’s all about your personal preference! Try to use larger amounts of the bigger items like pine cones and fruit slices and smaller quantities of the tinier items, as a rule of thumb. Then, add all of your items to a mason jar or container of your choice. This could range from a unique piece of pottery to a tightly woven basket. Sprinkle in the essential oils of your choice and toss the contents so that the oil is evenly distributed. Either distribute the contents between smaller containers or keep it all in one, depending on the size of the room you’re placing the potpourri in.

DIY Pumpkin Spice Room Spray

Creating your own fall-themed room spray has never been easier! Start with a 16-ounce glass bottle filled halfway with distilled water. Next, add two ounces of organic witch hazel, which is responsible for keeping the essential oils necessary for a room spray engulfed in the water.

In addition to the water and witch hazel, use essential oils in the following combination for a pumpkin spice scent: 15 drops of cinnamon, 10 drops of clove, 10 drops of ginger, 10 drops of wild orange, and five drops of cardamom. Mix it all together in the glass bottle with the water and witch hazel. Spritz away for your sniffing pleasure!

Why leave the fall touches to the great outdoors when you can easily enjoy a festive aroma in your home? Use these ideas to customize the scents to your tastes, even choosing something unique from room to room!