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    Home » Christmas Decorations And Crafts

    DIY Simmering Potpourri Gift And Printable Tag

    Published by Pam Kessler | 942 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article. - 22 Comments

    I'm always on the lookout for quick and easy homemade hostess and teacher gifts for the holiday season. And these DIY simmering potpourri jars definitely fall into that category.

    The recipe is a variation of my Homemade Stovetop Potpourri, but made to be easily gifted in a mason jar. Because who doesn't love a mason jar full of holiday goodness.

    I've included a printable tag you can attach so the recipient knows exactly what to do with it once they get it home.

    stovetop potpourri gift idea

    And spoiler alert, this post is part of a blogger holiday tour sponsored by Angie from Postcards From The Ridge and if you scroll down to the bottom you will see a whole lot of other blogger's ideas for Christmas gifts and home decor!

    Christmas ideas for homemade gifts and home decor

    (This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)

    Homemade simmering Christmas potpourri DIY gift

    DIY Simmering Potpourri Gift

    Ingredients Per Jar:

    3-4 Orange Slices

    3-4 Apple Slices

    1 Tablespoon Cloves

    2 Cinnamon Sticks

    ¼ Cup Cranberries - dried or fresh (fresh looks more festive, dried will last longer)

    Wide Mouth Mason jar - pint sized

    Baker's Twine

    Printable Gift Tags With Instructions (you can get them below)

    (Just a note about buying cinnamon sticks - if you buy the jar of cinnamon sticks in the spices aisle of your grocery store, there is normally only 4-5 cinnamon sticks in the jar. I found bags of cinnamon sticks in the fruit and veggie section that had roughly 12-15 sticks in the bags for the same price. Not that cinnamon sticks are expensive or anything, but I try to save a few bucks here and there when I can.)

    Instructions:

    Dry your fruit (instructions for drying your apples and oranges in the oven is included below). This is VERY simple to do, but will take a couple hours, so pop on a holiday movie and grab a cup of cocoa while the fruit is in the oven.

    Layer your oranges slices in the bottom of the mason jar.

    Homemade potpourri Christmas gift in a jar

    Followed by your apples slices and topped with your cinnamon sticks.

    Sprinkle your cloves and cranberries over the top.

    Christmas potpourri in a jar

    As mentioned in the ingredients, dried cranberries will last longer, but there's nothing like the pop of red from the fresh cranberries to liven up the jars. Your choice, but I used fresh cranberries in my photos.

    Print out your gift tags, attach to the top of the jar by cute baker's twine and you are a gifting goddess.

    How To Dry Fruit In the Oven For Christmas Potpourri And Crafts

    Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees

    Line baking sheet with parchment paper

    Cut your apples and oranges into ¼" thin slices, discarding the ends of the fruit.

    Drying fruit for holiday crafts

    Pat the slices with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and place fruit on the baking sheet.

    Drying oranges in the oven

    Bake for 3-4 hours until the slices are mostly dry to the touch, yet not shriveled up brown messes that you have to throw in the trash (been there, done that, I'll blame it on a rather enchanting Hallmark movie).

    Drying apples and oranges for Christmas crafts

    Your dried fruit can be used in potpourri, Christmas ornaments, strung as a garland for your tree or used in your holiday wreath.

    How To Dry Cranberries For Potpourri And Crafts

    Cranberries take a little longer to dry than apples and oranges. You will still use an oven set to 200 degrees though, so you can start both at the same time.

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Put your cranberries in a large bowl and add enough boiling water to cover them.

    Let them sit in the boiling water for 5-10 minutes. You will hear the skin pop open, which is normal.

    Drain the cranberries and pat them dry with a paper towel.

    Lay them in a single layer on the parchment-covered baking sheet and bake for 5-7 hours.

    FAQ Cranberry Question - Why do you put boiling water on them, puff them up and then dehydrate them? I know it sounds odd to add water and then take it right back, but the boiling water is to blanch the cranberries which cracks open their thick skin. Once their skin is cracked, the excess moisture inside has a way to easily escape in the oven.

    Free printable simmering potpourri gift tags

    Since some people prefer to work with PDFs and some prefer JPEGs (photos), I've attached two separate ways to get the tags.  So just pick your preference and print them out on white paper or cardstock.
    Free printable simmering potpourri gift tags

    Click HERE to get printable gift tags in PDF form

    Click HERE to get printable gift tags in JPEG form

    I hope you enjoy making this holiday gift as much as I did!

    DIY simmering potpourri hostess gift in a jar

    Christmas Ideas Tour

    Blogger's Christmas Ideas Tour for inspiration for holiday gift ideas and home decor!
    Are you ready for more ideas? Here are some great ones for your mantel, porch, table, plus handmade gift ideas and gift wrap ideas.

    Lots and lots of great Christmas inspiration here! Just click on the blog name to visit each one.

    Mantels

    mantels decorated for Christmas
    Top Row : Worthing Court  // Hearth & Vine
    Bottom row: Virginia Sweet Pea // 2 Bees in a Pod // Nourish & Nestle

    Porches & Decks

    porch and deck Christmas decor
    Top row: Postcards from the Ridge // Petticoat Junktion
    Bottom row: Chatfield Court // Lora Bloomquist // Our Southern Home

    Tablescape Ideas

    ideas for decorating your table for Christmas
    The Chelsea Project // DIY Beautify  // Atta Girl Says

    Handmade Gift Ideas

    handmade Christmas gift ideas
    Top row: Exquisitely Unremarkable // Domestically Speaking
    Bottom Row: Our Crafty Mom // House of Hawthornes // Bliss Ranch

    Gift Wrap Ideas

    Christmas gift wrap ideas
    Vin'yet // Redhead Can Decorate

    Check out the web story version of this article HERE.

    Other Posts You may Enjoy:

    How To Make Cloved Oranges For The Holidays
    Lemon And Rosemary DIY Stovetop Fragrance
    Holiday Hot Chocolate Bar with Homemade Mix Recipe (great for gifts)

    « Upcycled Plaid Christmas Door Hanger
    Vintage Lodge Inspired Christmas Porch Decorations »
    5.1K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bliss

      December 02, 2019 at 8:43 am

      Pinned. I gotta make this and I gotta gift it!

      Reply
    2. Jen

      December 02, 2019 at 8:57 am

      These are really cute- the jars, and the labels! I try to buy canning jars from garage sales, and lids when they are on sale in the summer!

      Reply
    3. Patti

      December 02, 2019 at 9:02 am

      Pam, this is one of my favorite things to make and gift. I usually made my in a bag but I really like your idea of using a small mason jar. You can never have too many jars and really it's a gift within a gift.

      Reply
    4. Michelle Leslie

      December 02, 2019 at 9:44 am

      Oh my I bet these smell like heaven and I love making gifts for Christmas so this is perfect timing. Thank you Pam

      Reply
    5. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces

      December 02, 2019 at 10:46 am

      Love this, Pam! Pinned!

      Reply
    6. taryterre

      December 02, 2019 at 12:12 pm

      this is a great idea. love it.

      Reply
    7. Kim

      December 02, 2019 at 12:30 pm

      Love it, Pam! I can almost smell it from here....mmmm....

      Reply
    8. [email protected]

      December 02, 2019 at 2:08 pm

      What a wonderful gift idea! Who wouldn't want to simmer this on their stove to make their house smell good? I like how you packaged this in Mason jars and love the tags that you designed.

      Reply
    9. Lora Bloomquist

      December 02, 2019 at 4:22 pm

      My mom had some of this simmering last time I was at her home and it smelled so wonderful! She always used to do this when I was growing up, but I had totally forgotten. I love this idea of making it gift-able and love the presentation. Thanks for the idea! Pinned and totally doing myself:) Fun hopping with you!

      Reply
    10. Susie | Chelsea Project

      December 02, 2019 at 5:11 pm

      I am so inspired to actually make these!!! Not just bucket list them....but to get that sweet aroma wafting through my home and my friends homes, too. Looks fabulous, Pam.

      Reply
    11. Lynn Spencer

      December 02, 2019 at 8:28 pm

      Hi Pam,

      As much as I love a good simmering potpourri, I know it will be a great gift as well. It is so simple, yet something people don't typically make for themselves.

      Thanks for the inspiration.

      Hugs,

      Lynn

      Reply
    12. Linda Johnston

      December 03, 2019 at 10:13 am

      I love having the scents of Christmas all around our home. this is a wonderful idea for a simple gift! Thank you for the detailed instruction too. Merry Christmas!

      Reply
    13. Maryann

      December 03, 2019 at 2:42 pm

      I bet this smells amazing! I want to make these for gifts and for myself!

      Reply
    14. Cindy

      December 03, 2019 at 7:59 pm

      Pam, your jars are beautiful and I'll bet it smells amazing! What a great hostess gift idea! Pinned ❤

      Reply
    15. Angie @ Postcards from the Ridge

      December 04, 2019 at 9:22 am

      Pam, this is such a pretty and thoughtful gift idea. And I'm sure it smells amazing! Love the printable tags too.

      Reply
    16. Laurie @ Vinyet Etc

      December 04, 2019 at 12:27 pm

      This is such an amazing gift idea! The charm of handmade gifts make the receiver feel so special, just beautiful!

      Reply
    17. Christy @ Our Southern Home

      December 10, 2019 at 9:00 am

      I love this idea! So simple, will smell great and a fabulous presentation!

      Reply
    18. Liz

      December 22, 2020 at 2:00 pm

      On my stove right now and this smells SO good!! I packaged it up in treat bags and used dried cranberries. So cute

      Reply
      • Pam Kessler

        December 23, 2020 at 5:52 pm

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    19. Laura

      December 07, 2021 at 5:16 pm

      Thank you so much! Your gift tags are exactly what I was looking for.

      Reply
    20. Nicole Marlenee

      December 07, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      If you dry the cranberries, do you just stick them in the oven with the apples and oranges?

      Reply
      • Pam Kessler

        December 07, 2021 at 8:51 pm

        Sort of, but you have to soak them in water first and they take a bit longer to dry in the oven (5-7 hours). I'll link to this article that goes into a LOT of detail about drying cranberries. And thank you for asking, so I can add a section about drying cranberries to the article!

        Reply

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