Easy homemade Cranberry Holiday Simmer Pot Recipe. Learn how to make this cozy home fragrance to fill your home with the scent of the holidays, plus get a simple DIY Christmas gift idea complete with free printable gift tags!
Cranberry Holiday Simmer Pot Recipe & DIY Holiday Gift Idea
I love the smell of the holiday season! It’s so comforting and makes your house truly feel like a home. While holiday candles are wonderful, simmering a pot of fresh fruit, spices, and herbs on the stove fills your entire home with a warm, natural fragrance that store-bought candles simply can’t match.
This Cranberry Holiday Simmer Pot combines tart cranberries, bright citrus, earthy rosemary, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. It is the ultimate sensory experience for chilly winter days, family gatherings, or cozy nights by the Christmas tree.
Why You’ll Love This Holiday Simmer Pot Recipe
- 100% Natural: No artificial fragrances or synthetic chemicals—just pure, wholesome ingredients from nature.
- Incredible Aroma: The blend of citrus, spice, and pine-like rosemary creates an instantly welcoming holiday atmosphere.
- Customizable & Reusable: You can top off the water throughout the day to keep it simmering for hours, and even reuse the ingredients for a second round!
- Thoughtful DIY Gift: Beautifully packaged in a cellophane bag with a cute gift tag, it’s a wonderful handmade gift for neighbors, teachers, and friends.
Easy DIY Gift Idea
This simple recipe makes an incredible, budget-friendly homemade gift! Each year, I make several bags to give to friends for Christmas, and they are always an absolute hit. I love making homemade Christmas gifts and have written many articles with great ideas. Excited to add this one to my list along with my favorite free printable gift tags.
How to Make an Easy Holiday Simmer Pot
Here’s everything you need to know to make your own stove simmering pot and package it up as a thoughtful DIY holiday gift.
The Ingredients
Each ingredient plays a special role in creating that classic “Christmas morning” scent.
- Fresh Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. I love to stock up on fresh cranberries and freeze them so I have some to make a simmer pot at anytime.
- Fresh Orange: Citrus brings a bright, uplifting freshness that balances out the heavy warm spices.
- Cinnamon Sticks: Provides a cozy baking spice warmth.
- Whole Cloves: For a rich, sweet, and aromatic punch.
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs: Gives you that earthy, pine aroma for a winter wonderland.
For Your Home:
- Slice the Orange: Slice a fresh orange into rounds or wedges.
- Combine: Add the sliced orange, fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and fresh rosemary sprigs into a medium pot filled with water.
- Simmer: Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer uncovered.
- Maintain: Keep an eye on the water level as it evaporates, and add more water every hour or so to keep it going. Enjoy the wonderful holiday aroma filling your home!
For a DIY Holiday Gift:
Want to share the cozy magic with your friends and loved ones? Package it up as a gorgeous handmade gift.
- Assemble the Dry Goods: Place the cranberries, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and rosemary sprigs into a clear cellophane bag.
- Add the Fresh Fruit: Tuck a whole, fresh orange right alongside the ingredients so it stays fresh and ready to slice later.
- Tie It Up: Secure the bag with rustic twine or a festive holiday ribbon.
- Attach the Tag: Finish it off by attaching one of my Free Printable Gift Tags (links are below).
If you make these gift bags for your loved ones, snap a photo and tag me at @LivingLocurto on any social media. I’d love to see!
Cranberry Holiday Simmer Pot Recipe & DIY Gift Idea
Supplies
- ½ cup Fresh Cranberries
- 1 Orange sliced
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 Teaspoon Whole Cloves
- 2-3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
Instructions
For Your Home:
- Slice the orange into rounds or wedges.
- Combine all ingredients in a medium pot filled with water.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered.
- Maintain: Add more water periodically as it evaporates.
For a DIY Gift:
- Assemble: Place the dry ingredients into a clear cellophane bag.
- Add Fruit: Tuck a whole fresh orange alongside them.
- Tie It Up: Secure the bag with twine or ribbon.
- Tag It: Attach a free printable gift tag
Notes
Can You Freeze Simmer Pot Ingredients?
Wondering if you can freeze any of these ingredients to save for future simmer pots? Yes, you can freeze several of these ingredients and they are perfect to have on hand when you want that amazing holiday aroma in your home. Here’s what you need to know:
- Fresh Cranberries: You can toss a bag of fresh cranberries straight into the freezer as is, or rinse and dry them first. You don’t even need to thaw them before throwing them into a simmer pot.
- Fresh Rosemary: Rosemary freezes very well. Just place fresh sprigs into a freezer-safe bag or container. They will retain their pine-like aroma for months.
- Oranges: You can freeze orange slices! Slice them up, flash-freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet for an hour so they don’t stick together, then transfer them to a freezer bag. Since texture doesn’t matter for a simmer pot, they work great straight from the freezer.
- Cinnamon Sticks & Whole Cloves: These are dry spices and do not need to be frozen. They will stay potent for a long time stored in an airtight jar or container in your pantry.
You’ll also love these easy recipes:
- 5 Fragrant Spring Simmer Pot Recipes
- Easy Cranberry Holiday Punch
- Hot Honey Whipped Goat Cheese Dip with Cranberry & Walnuts
- Easy Holiday Mulled Wine
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3 Beautiful Free Printable Gift Tags
Here are some fun free printable gift tags I’ve designed in the past. Hope you enjoy them!
These simple Snowman Gift Tags are cute free printable tags for gifts!
I love these simple gift tags that I designed for my Brown Sugar Body Scrub for Holiday gifts.
Everyone loves these simple Colorful Holiday Gift Tags.
