Are you looking for a new way to make your home feel festive and inviting? There are many things you can buy to help, but why not make something simple and inexpensive? The smell of winter will invigorate the holiday cheer in any home, so why not make a homemade potpourri that you can use anytime you want. When you live in Red Deer, this mix of spices and fruit is an excellent way to promote memory making moods that will live on for years.
Items needed for the potpourri
- 1/2 cup cinnamon sticks cut into small pieces
- 1 cup star anise
- Parchment paper
- Apple
- Orange
- Baking sheet
- 20 small pine cones of varying shapes
Directions for use
- Cut the orange and apple into thin slices on a horizontal angle
- Let the slices sit, and air dry for a day at least
- If you need the apples and oranges to dry quicker, then you can mix four cups of water with a half a cup of lemon juice and spray both sides of the fruit before baking at 200 for one to three hours depending on the firmness you want
- When not using the fast method of drying, put the slices on parchment paper and bake at 225 degrees for three to four hours
- On a large plate or platter, arrange the slices, cinnamon, star anise, and pine cones
- Place wherever you wish
You can also decorate your home or give the potpourri as a gift by placing it in a mason jar. Mix the potpourri as often as you wish to create a burst of fragrance.
Other holiday ideas to make your home welcoming
- Put a holiday blanket or set of pillows on the couch
- Use window clings from the dollar store to decorate the windows
- Place bowls of nuts and hard candies on the coffee table
- Put garland and a big red bow on your mailbox
- Decorate the fireplace
- Put a small decorative tree or candle trio in each bedroom
- Use pine scented candles and decorate the bathroom
- Make a festive centerpiece for your dinner table
- Create a seating area with a table tray full of coffee, teas, and hot cocoa
- Ask family members to come over for cookies and eggnog on Christmas movie night
- Gather your girlfriends and have a wine and Christmas card signing party
- Wrap empty boxes with holiday wrapping paper and place them in extra spaces around your home for decoration
Custom home builders like Alair Homes Red Deer often decorate their model houses in these ways to invite visitors in to see model homes during holidays. You can create your own traditions for years to come, or you can borrow a few ideas from home decorators to give your home that charming holiday feel that everyone is searching for every year. Make this season the reason everyone in your North Carolina neighborhood relaxes this holiday.