Last-Minute Gift Idea: Holiday Scent Bag

Are you a little stressed because you are short a gift or two and you feel like you're running out of time? This quick, last-minute gift idea can come to your rescue. You can easily make several at the same time! 

The holidays are my favorite time of year, and I love the smells! When I lived in Temple, Texas I went to a girls' night out for our newlywed Sunday school class. I walked into the girl's house, and it smelled amazing. She taught us how to put together these scent bags that night, and I fell in love with them! I made them for everyone that Christmas, and I continually had one burning on my stove, letting the smell of oranges, cinnamon and cloves fill my little apartment. That was seven years ago, and I am still making these scent bags every year! I love tying them up with fall ribbon and giving them to my girls' teachers right before Thanksgiving, and then I tie them up with Christmas ribbon to give to friends as Christmas gifts! I always buy enough supplies to use for my home as well.

The smell always reminds me of the joyous season and also of my time in that tiny apartment as a newlywed in Temple, Texas. Enjoy!

• A handful of cloves (about 1 cup)
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 long cinnamon sticks
• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 large, clear party favor bag
• Raffia or ribbon
• Seasonal scrapbook paper of your choice
• Instructions to boil potpourri 

Directions:

Put a handful of cloves into the clear party bag. Carefully place the orange, lemon, and lime in the bag on top of the cloves. Add the 4 bay leaves, and then the cinnamon sticks.

Tie the bag with the twist ties that come with them, and then tie raffia or ribbon around that.

Cut 2 pieces of your fall or Christmas scrapbook paper and glue them together so that there is a print on the front and back. Print off the directions for boiling the potpourri and the verse below. Glue the directions to one side of the paper, and glue the verse to the other side.

Tie it onto your ribbon or raffia, and it is ready to give!

About the ingredients

It is best to buy these things in bulk and make a few bags at a time. If buying in bulk and you are in the Oklahoma City area, you can buy a bag of dried cloves at CAO NGUYEN Asian food market (2668 N. Military Ave.) in OKC. I buy a large container of bay leaves at Sam's along with a bag of oranges, a bag of lemons, and a bag of limes. One bag of each fruit makes approximately 8 to 10 scent bags. You can get cinnamon sticks at Hobby Lobby or Wal-Mart, and buy the clear party favor bags at any party store, Wal-Mart, or craft store.

Holiday Scent

Cut lemon, lime, and orange into quarters. Combine fruit, spices, and 2 quarts of water into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer as long as desired. Cover any leftover mixture, refrigerate several days, and reuse. Add more water as needed.

Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ 2 Corinthians 2: 14-15

As the instructions state, once this placed in the pan, this can be re-heated and used for several days, as long as you keep the fruit and spices covered with water when simmering. It is a great way to quickly add a little holiday scent to your home. Don't forget to attach the instructions and also a Scripture. We would love to have you comment below about what is your favorite scent/aroma!