Winter days often find us inside seeking comfort and warmth. To create the perfect indoor atmosphere in your home, try adding some winter-inspired scents to the mix. Whether you like the traditional glow of a scented candle or the rustic approach of stovetop potpourri, the right scent in your home this winter can make you feel calm and comforted.
Read on for four different woodsy, creamy, and spicy winter fragrances, as well as four different ways to disperse the scent throughout your home.
Stovetop Potpourri
For a rich, strong scent without any special tools or ingredients, try a simmering stovetop potpourri. By combining several raw ingredients with some water and simmering over low heat on your stove or a hot plate, this potpourri can fill your house with aroma all day. The best part? You can whip up a recipe that uses leftover natural materials and food you may have at home this time of year - think herbs, spices, evergreen stems, and citrus. Try this recipe that incorporates a lot of traditional winter scents and can stay on your stove for up to a week if you keep adding water. Your kids will also enjoy helping you put these pots together - send them off throughout the house to collect aromatics!
Plug-In Diffusers
A plug-in diffuser can be a great option for a strong scent that isn’t limited to the kitchen stovetop. These diffusers use electricity to warm the oils or scent pads inside, thus spreading fragrance throughout your home. Some versions don’t allow you much control over the strength of the scent, and you can’t easily “turn off” the smell from many varieties since the aroma continues to waft out of the openings, so choose wisely.
The latest in smart-home technology, the Pura diffuser, is the best option for electronic diffusers. Since you can control it from an app, choosing your home scent’s strength and duration has never been easier. All of Pura’s scents are safe for pets and children, too, so you don’t have to worry about what your most precious residents are inhaling. Try their NEST Cedar Leaf & Lavender scent for a woodsy and comforting winter aroma.
Soy Candles
Candles are perhaps the most traditional way to spread fragrance throughout your house. A great choice for smaller areas and those who want the ambience that a cozy flame adds, it’s easy to find a candle that’s just the right scent for your family. Because it’s burning the fragrance and wick, make sure to purchase soy candles made with non-toxic ingredients - some “fragrance” in household goods like candles can be harmful when inhaled over a long period. You can also practice some basic candle maintenance to ensure that you get the most out of each jar.
Trim your wick to ¼ inch before each burn and allow the wax to form a full melt pool on the top each time you burn (that will avoid those frustrating craters that sometimes form in the middle of a beloved candle). For a nice wintery scent, try the Fig Leaves & Cedar No. 12 from Scentsational; the warm-toned glass jar will complement your décor throughout these cold months. Just make sure to keep candles away from little hands and paws.
Reed Diffusers
Looking for something low maintenance and minimalist? Try a reed diffuser. By putting essential oils in a glass jar and then placing reed sticks in the liquid, the oil infuses the reeds and disperses into your home over time. Most reed diffusers offer about two months of scent potency before you’ll need to refill the bottle. Flipping the reeds over every few days will also help the fragrance stay strong throughout the room.
While not ideal for large spaces, reed diffusers offer a flame- and outlet-free way to infuse your home with comforting fragrance - the glass jars are also easy to match with your décor in any room, and finding the perfect vessel can sometimes be half the fun. Try the Rose Noir & Oud fragrance from NEST for the perfect mid-winter blend of sweet and sultry; this scent will perfectly fill a small bathroom and add a touch of class to your space.
