How to Make a DIY Holiday Simmer Pot Gift in a Mason Jar -

Give the gift of cozy to friends and family this holiday season with a homemade simmer pot gift filled with the scents of Christmas.

DIY Holiday simmer pot in mason jars gift idea for friends & family at Christmastime. — *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains other affiliate links too for your convenience. You can read my privacy policy for more details.

Tis the season for…Christmas shopping and Christmas gifts!

With Thanksgiving behind us, we are in full on Christmas mode and that includes lots of shopping and gifting.

Christmas shopping can be a stressful time for almost everyone.

There’s so much pressure to find the perfect gift or to spend more money than your budget allows.

I hope this blog post will give you the freedom to (just maybe) take some of the stress off of buying a few presents for those on your list, and possibly making your own DIY gifts this year!

Why You’ll Love Giving a Homemade Gift at Christmastime

One of the things I enjoy most about the holidays is creating homemade gifts.

Almost every year, I come up with a present that I think my friends and family would love and make it myself.

Homemade gifts come from the heart and can mean so much to the ones you are gifting.

Some of my favorite homemade gifts I have given in the past include:

This year, I decided to gift homemade stovetop potpourri.

This would be the perfect hostess gift, or a great gift for a teacher, bus driver, hairdresser, coworker, etc.

Simmer pots were something new I discovered a couple of years ago, and I’m always amazed at how wonderful the house smells when I have one simmering on the stove.

I remember Mr. ERH walking into the house one day saying, “What is that amazing smell!”

So, when I was thinking of what I wanted to make for gifts this Christmas season, I knew my family and friends would love this potpourri as much as I do.

The great thing about this recipe is that it can be changed up a million different ways based on what you like and what smells you enjoy. We’ll talk more about this in a minute!

Download our Homemade Christmas Gifts ebook for free!

What is a simmer pot?

Before we dive into how to make a simmer pot in a jar for Christmas gifts, you might be wondering what exactly a simmer pot is.

Basically, a simmering pot (or stovetop potpourri) is a blend of dried fruits and spices that when added to water and gently simmered on the stove, fills a home with cozy, festive scents.

It’s like bringing the essence of the holidays into any space.

Dried orange slices, apple slices, cinnamon sticks, pine, and spices in a holiday stovetop potpourri.

What you’ll love about this diy:

PERSONAL – A simmer pot gift shows that you’ve put time, effort, and care into making something special. It feels more meaningful than store bought items.
PRACTICAL – Everyone loves a gift they can actually use! Your gift recipient can enjoy the cozy, festive scents of the holidays right in their own home.
CUSTOMIZABLE – This holiday DIY can be tailored to match your recipient’s favorite scents like cinnamon, citrus, or pine. You can create a blend that they’ll love.
INEXPENSIVE – It’s a thoughtful gift that doesn’t break the bank. With a few simple ingredients, you can create multiple gifts, perfect for everyone on your holiday list.

Materials You’ll Need to Make DIY Simmer Pot Gifts

These are the simple materials you’ll need to gather to create your DIY simmer pot Christmas gifts…

Holiday simmer pot gift ingredients to add coziness to your kitchen for the Christmas season.

8-ounce Mason Jars: Compact and reusable glass jars to hold the stove top potpourri mix.
Dried Orange Slices: Dried oranges add a warm citrus scent and festive color to the mix.
Dried Apple Slices: Brings a subtle sweetness and coziness. A toaster oven is a great way to make your own dried apples.
Cinnamon Sticks: A holiday classic that adds warmth and spice to the scent.
Bay Leaves: Earthy and herbaceous, they enhance the overall fragrance.
Whole Cloves: Small but mighty, they contribute a rich, spicy aroma.
Star Anise: Star shaped pods with a hint of licorice.
Pine Stems: Adds a fresh, evergreen scent reminiscent of Christmas trees.
Twine: It secures the kraft paper to the jar while adding charm.
Brown Kraft Paper: Creates a decorative, rustic lid cover for the jars.
Scissors: For cutting kraft paper and twine to the desired size.
Hot Glue & Glue Sticks: Secures the kraft paper to the jar lids quickly and neatly.

SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED

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How to Assemble the Simmer Pot Gifts

Follow these easy step-by-step instructions to create beautiful and fragrant Christmas gifts…

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Step One. Prepare Your Ingredients

Lay all the ingredients out on your workspace for easy access.

Make sure your dried fruits are fully dehydrated to prevent mold in the glass jars.

Mason jars will hold the dried ingredients and spices for the Christmas DIY simmer pot recipe.

pro Tip

Customize your simmer pot gifts with ingredients like pine cones, dried cranberries, rosemary sprigs, or dried lemons to create a unique blend.

Step Two. Fill the Mason Jars

Layer the ingredients in each jar, alternating fruits and spices for a visual appeal.

Fill in any gaps with smaller items like cloves or star anise.

Add simmer pot ingredients to a glass mason jar for Christmas gift giving.

Step Three. Seal the Jars

Secure the lids tightly to keep the simmer pot contents fresh.

Step Four. Decorate Simmer Pot Jars

Using the scissors, cut kraft paper into circles about 1″ larger than the jar lids.

Hot glue the paper to the lid, then wrap kitchen twine around the lid, securing it tightly with a knot.

Step Five. Add Finishing Touches

Add a tag with instructions on how to use the potpourri or add any other item for decoration.

I did not add any tags, but did secure a dried orange slice with the twine, and then tied a simple bow.

Simmering pot gift idea for the holiday season with dried fruits, spices, and evergreen.

Tips

Ensure the orange and apple slices are fully dried to prevent mold.
Customize the potpourri blend to include your recipient’s favorite scents.
Fill every nook and cranny to ensure the jars look full. Use smaller spices like cloves and star anise to fill gaps.
Use high quality glass jars and craft twine to make the gift look polished.
Assemble these gifts a week or two in advance to save time during the busy holiday season.
Until gifting, keep the jars in a cool and dry spot to maintain the quality of the ingredients.