There is something about the smell of fall that makes a house feel instantly more inviting. Maybe it is apples simmering on the stove, cinnamon tucked into a warm cup of something, or that earthy smell that comes through the windows when the leaves start changing. Whatever it is, you do not need a house full of candles to get it.
In fact, some of the best ways to bring those familiar fall scents into your home are simple things you can cook, simmer, bake, or tuck around the house. They make the whole place smell good without leaving you with six half-burned candles sitting on the kitchen counter.
Related: The Harvest Moon Is Here And Fall Is Finally Feeling Real
Simmer Something On The Stove
A stovetop simmer is probably one of the easiest ways to make your whole house smell like fall. It also gives you plenty of room to adjust the scent depending on what you already have in the kitchen.
Try a pot of water with sliced apples, orange peels, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and a little nutmeg. Cranberries work beautifully, too, especially if you like a slightly tart smell mixed in with the warmer spices. Keep it at a very gentle simmer and add more water whenever the pot starts getting low.
You can also switch things up with lemon, rosemary, vanilla, or a few pieces of fresh ginger. There really is no need to follow a strict recipe. This is one of those kitchen projects where you can rummage through the pantry and see what smells good together.
Just keep an eye on the pot. A simmering pot is wonderful until you forget about it and discover you have invented homemade potpourri cement.
Bake Something With Apples And Spices
Nothing fills a house with a cozy fall smell quite like something baking in the oven. You do not have to spend your Saturday making a complicated dessert, either.
A pan of baked apples is easy enough for an ordinary afternoon. Slice a few apples, toss them with cinnamon and a little brown sugar, and let them soften in the oven. Add butter if you want them richer, or sprinkle in some oats and chopped pecans for something closer to a quick apple crisp.
Even if you do not feel like making dessert, baking a loaf of cinnamon bread, a batch of muffins, or even a pan of cornbread will give the kitchen that warm, lived-in smell that room sprays never quite manage to pull off.
And there is a bonus: you get to eat it.
Warm Up Your Favorite Fall Spices
You probably already have most of what you need sitting in the spice cabinet.
Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, star anise, and cardamom can all bring those deeper fall scents into the house. You can put a few whole spices in a small dish near a warm area of the kitchen, add them to a simmering pot, or use them while baking.
Whole spices tend to give off a gentler scent than heavily processed fragrance products, which can be nice if you want your house to smell good without having the fragrance hit you the second you walk through the door.
Make A Batch Of Chai
Chai is practically fall in a saucepan.
Black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and a little vanilla create a warm fragrance while the tea is brewing. You can make a homemade version or simply heat milk with chai spices and let everything gently warm together.
The kitchen will smell fantastic, and you have a warm drink waiting when you are finished. That is what I call multitasking.
Dry Orange Peels Instead Of Tossing Them
Before you throw those orange peels into the trash, put them to work.
Fresh orange peel has a bright, clean scent that pairs especially well with cinnamon and cloves. You can leave the peels out to dry and use them later in simmer pots, or toss fresh peels directly into one.
Orange and spice also help keep fall fragrances from becoming too heavy. If cinnamon and cloves by themselves feel a little too strong, citrus gives everything a lighter edge.
Make Your Own Dried Potpourri
You can make a simple bowl of fall potpourri without buying one of those giant bags of scented filler from the store.
Dry apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, bay leaves, and pinecones can all be mixed together for a natural arrangement that looks good sitting on a table while giving off a subtle scent.
If you want a stronger fragrance, add a few drops of an essential oil that works well with the other ingredients. Orange, cinnamon, clove, cedarwood, and vanilla are all good choices for a fall-inspired blend.
Keep homemade potpourri somewhere dry, and give it a stir every so often to refresh the scent.
Let The Coffee Pot Do Some Work
Even if you are not a big coffee drinker, the smell of coffee brewing can make a house feel warmer and more welcoming.
For a fall twist, add cinnamon to your grounds before brewing. A little vanilla or nutmeg can work, too. You do not need much because those spices can get surprisingly strong once they hit the hot water.
If coffee is not your thing, warm apple cider can do the same job. Heat it gently on the stove with a cinnamon stick, a couple of cloves, and a few orange slices, and let the fragrance drift through the kitchen.
Bring In A Little Of The Outdoors
Fall has its own earthy smell, and sometimes the easiest way to capture it is to actually bring a little of the season indoors.
Pinecones, dried leaves, acorns, cedar branches, and other natural elements can add that woodsy quality that makes fall fragrances feel less sugary and more grounded. Arrange them in a basket, place a few pinecones around a centerpiece, or add dried branches to a vase.
If you collect things from outside, make sure they are clean, completely dry, and free of insects before bringing them indoors. Nobody needs a surprise family of tiny roommates moving into the centerpiece.
Make Your Entryway Smell Good
The entryway is one of the best places to focus because it is where you first notice the smell of your home.
A small bowl of dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks can give the area a subtle seasonal scent. You can also place a few pinecones or dried herbs nearby.
Keep the fragrance fairly light here. The goal is for someone walking through the door to notice that the house smells good, not wonder if they accidentally walked into the seasonal candle aisle at a department store.
Use Your Kitchen Towels And Linens
Fabric holds onto scent, which makes towels, blankets, curtains, and other washable items an easy way to make a home smell fresher.
Wash your kitchen towels and bedding with your regular detergent, then dry everything thoroughly. If you use scented laundry products, fall-friendly scents such as apple, cedar, vanilla, or cinnamon can add a little seasonal warmth without filling the entire room with fragrance.
For blankets and throws, simply washing them and letting them dry completely can make a surprisingly big difference. Sometimes the “fall smell” we are looking for is really just clean fabric mixed with the cooler air coming through an open window.
Open The Windows When The Weather Cooperates
After months of hot Texas weather, those first cooler days are worth celebrating.
When the temperature finally gives you permission, open the windows for a while and let some fresh air move through the house. It clears out stale indoor odors and gives your home that crisp feeling that comes with the changing season.
Then add one of the warmer scents from the kitchen. A simmer pot, something baking, or a pot of cider will smell even better after the house has had a chance to breathe.
Fall Does Not Have To Smell Like Pumpkin
There is absolutely nothing wrong with pumpkin spice, but fall has a whole lot more going on than pumpkin.
Think apples, oranges, cedar, toasted oats, pecans, ginger, cloves, chai, fresh bread, woodsmoke, and warm spices. Those scents can make a home feel seasonal without turning every room into a pumpkin patch.
The best part is that most of these ideas use things you may already have in the kitchen or around the house. No fancy fragrance collection is required. Sometimes all it takes is an apple, a couple of cinnamon sticks, and a pot on the stove to make the whole house feel ready for fall.
Lisa Crow contributed to this article. She is a true crime junkie and lifestyle blogger based in Waco, Texas. Lisa is the Head of Content at Gigi’s Ramblings and Southern Bred True Crime Junkie. She spends her free time traveling when she can and making memories with her large family which consists of six children and sixteen grandchildren.
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