Zooey Deschanel Just Revealed a Brilliant Trick to Quickly Make Your Home Smell Amazing That's Perfect for a Last-Minute Save when Christmas Hosting

And the one thing you need is probably sitting in your spice pantry right now...

Amiya Baratan's avatar
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Zooey Deschanel in a polka dot dress and a white cardigan on a beige armchair on a Christmassy set
This clever trick will come in clutch when you need to fragrance your home on a whim.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

I was simply going about my day, catching up on the latest episode of Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast featuring Zooey Deschanel. Little did I expect to learn of a brilliant Christmas perfuming trick from the 'Elf' star herself.

Turns out, a couple of years ago, Zooey and her fiancé, and one half of the Property Brothers, Jonathan Scott, were hosting a Christmas party before which the garden needed freshening. So, they had landscapers treat the space with fresh mulch, which was unfortunately treated with fertilizer, thereby leading to less than pleasant odors wafting around. To make the home smell good, Zooey resorted to burning cinnamon sticks throughout her hosting spaces.

I think this is pretty genius, especially when you're in a pinch and needing to refresh your indoor scentscape. But there are some tricks to burning cinnamon safely while getting the most out of each stick. So, let's talk about it.

How to Burn Cinnamon at Home

Firstly, you'll need high-quality cinnamon sticks to craft these natural home deodorizers. These Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks from Hatton Hill are highly rated on Amazon at 4.4 stars.

Next, you'll need a heat-resistant vessel, such as one used for a DIY incense bowl burner. This Lava Stone Incense Burner from Etsy looks cool and is a great choice for burning cinnamon sticks.

Next, all you have to do is light the end of your cinnamon stick and let it smolder in the bowl. Be sure to keep your windows open to softly ventilate your home as the cinnamon burns. And like with candles, don't leave your burning cinnamon sticks unattended when burning.

You can then leave the cinnamon to gently burn and perfume the space with its classic spiced olfactory notes. And thank Zooey later!

Cinnamon Infused Home Fragrance to Shop

What Are the Spiritual Benefits of Burning Cinnamon?

Turns out burning cinnamon can do more than just fragrance a space. If you do so with intention, the spiritual benefits include attracting prosperous energy. Plus, it can help cleans the energy in your living space while enhancing intuition and grounding the ambiance of your home.

Besides burning cinnamon, there are plenty of other ways to make your home smell like Christmas. And if you're keen to mix in your spiced scents with more mature notes, winter woods is the fragrance trend you don't want to miss out on.

Amiya Baratan
Amiya Baratan
Home Wellness Writer

Amiya is a Home Wellness Writer at Livingetc. She recently graduated with a Masters Degree in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London, and has lent her words to beauty, fashion, and health sections of lifestyle publications including Harper’s Bazaar and Women’s Health. Her experience as a research analyst has equipped her with an eye for emerging trends. When she’s off the clock, she can be found reading, listening to music, or overanalyzing her latest Co-Star update.