The Affordable Way To Make Your Home Smell Like A Fresh Christmas Tree All Season Long

After a long day of cleaning and preparing for holiday guests, lighting a scented candle and putting your feet up is one of the best feelings in the world. That said, there are several reasons why candles aren't the best option for making your home smell good. For starters, candles can release small amounts of VOCs and pose a potential burn/fire risk for small children and pets. Candles also require supervision and can be quite costly, depending on where you buy them. Using simmer pot recipes to give your house a refresh is an affordable candle alternative, but they also require supervision, especially if kids and pets are around. So what's the solution? For little to no money, you can use real tree clippings to give your house that fresh Christmas tree scent that's so comforting this time of year.

Tree clippings are a safe and affordable way to imbue your home with Christmas tree scent without buying a huge tree or relying on other methods like candles and simmer pots. If you're lucky enough to have some trees in your backyard, then this little project can be done free of charge. Sometimes, the little pop-up Christmas tree lots will let you take the trimmings for free as well — you just need to ask permission.

Once you've gathered your tree clippings, you can fashion them into any number of decorations. You can make an inexpensive holiday wreath for your door, place them in a large vase with other decor, or tie a bow around the clippings to create a simple garland for your mantel. If you're worried about your clippings drying out and creating a big mess, you can store smaller pieces in little sachets and hang them throughout your home like air fresheners instead. There are also tons of ideas for nature-themed DIY holiday centerpieces and tabletop displays that these cuttings would be perfect for.

To keep your tree clippings fresh for longer, consider cutting the branches at an angle and placing them in a jar of water. Eventually, though, your branches will dry out and start dropping needles in your home. When this happens, throw some of the branches in a simmer pot to soak every last scent you can out of them. Technically, any evergreen tree foliage will work here, but picking the most fragrant trees will help carry the fresh tree smell throughout your home. Some of the best options include balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Scotch pine, and Colorado blue spruce.