I love the fresh smell of a Christmas tree as much as Amanda, but I have to admit that her mention of dousing a fake Christmas tree with a spritz of artificial Christmas tree fragrance didn't appeal. Then I remembered a natural alternative that might be just right for any space, especially one too tiny to host a proper tree.
Distilled from wildcrafted plants and trees, Juniper Ridge fragrances capture the essence of real mountain air in a process that's every bit as precious as it sounds: scrambling along mountain passes, sniffing tree bark, and distilling the natural booty in converted bourbon stills. Follow their Instagram feed for a sense of the shenanigans and adventures involved in being "the world's only wild fragrance company."
True: Juniper Ridge isn't exactly marketing its cabin sprays as "Christmas tree-scented," but with ingredients that include "tree pitch, plant sap/juice and steam-distilled essential oils," I'm making the leap that it would be a good substitute for the artificial stuff that might otherwise tempt faux tree keepers.
Above: Bring a bit of the outdoors in with a room spray made without the use of synthetic fragrance. Big Sur Cabin Spray; $65 from Juniper Ridge and Makers Workshop. (Photograph from Maker's Workshop.)
Above: Siskiyou Cabin Spray has scent notes of "mountains and rivers without end, conifer country and spicy cedar, sparkly clear summer swimming holes and massive boulders down deep in the water." They had me at spicy cedar; $65 from Juniper Ridge.
Above: Cascade Glacier Cabin Spray captures the scent of "the Timberline Trail on Oregon's Mt. Hood, where fir and pine give way to summer wildflower meadows and ice glaciers." I pine for you, Cascade Glacier Cabin Spray; $65 from Juniper Ridge.
Above: In addition to cabin sprays, colognes, and soaps, Juniper Ridge captures fragrance in incense. Don't be surprised if you find me sitting in front of the Netflix Yule Log, stick of White Sage Campfire Incense burning ($10 from Makers Workshop).
Have a real fireplace to enjoy? See DIY: Eco-Friendly Fire Starters and The 411 on Firewood.