Recently I got so hooked on the essential oils magic. They smell delicious, purify the air and serve a purpose (calm/energize/clear your mind). And of course, I decided to try and make a homemade natural reed diffuser. I think it could be a great present under $5 for Christmas. It's natural, recycled, and purely delicious.
We have an essential oil diffuser that I turn on every morning as soon as I get up. I can say with 100% certainty that it's responsible for my elevated mood. This and probably coffee ๐
We get up at 5 am in this house and I need a boost of energy.
I love it so much that even debated to buy another one for a different room, but with my 2021 resolution to buy less and make more, I decided to make it myself. And oh, my! It's been such a fun project!
The hardest part of this project is to choose what essential oil blend to use. Since it's made from the recycled jar and other materials you have on hand, it comes down to cost you just a couple of $. You can literally make one for each room. You can experiment with different blends, different carriers and choose something that you like.
Let me share with you tips and my experience on how to make a homemade natural reed diffuser that is even better than from the store.
Materials
- Essential oils or a premade blend. I have this set from Amazon and love to combine sweet orange with rosemary.
- Empty jar. I'm using the apothecary-inspired amber glass bottles that are recycled Kombucha bottles from Trader Joe. (Am I the only one who buys products in good-looking bottles to repurpose them later?๐. ) Keep in mind that the bottle should be with a narrow opening at the top - to prevent the liquid inside from evaporating quickly.
- 5-6 reed diffuser sticks (these are the ones I bought) OR bamboo skewers
- ยผ cup light carrier oil (sweet almond oil, fractionated coconut oil, or avocado oil). I'm not an expert but you can read more to learn about carrier oils. OR you can use vodka for a carrier. I tried both of them and will let you know below which one I prefer.
Instructions on how to make a reed diffuser
Step 1 - clean your recycled bottles
The best mixture to remove stickers is to use baking soda with cooking oil and rub the glue off.
Step 2 - choose your carrier
There are 2 ways of doing it. First, you can use a light carrier oil. The second option is to use vodka.
PIN TO MAKE IT LATER
Step 3 - add essential oils
I usually add 30 drops per ยผ cup. You can experiment with a quantity and choose the intensity of the aroma. Personally, I feel that it can't hurt to add more.
Step 4 - put reed sticks inside
If you don't have it on hand, you can use bamboo skewers, but I find them not as useful since they don't have too many pores. Leave your sticks in for an hour to soak the oil and turn upside down.
Step 5 - experiment with different oil blends
This is such a fun part! You can try all the different kinds! I'm giving you suggestions below for the combinations to try.
Step 6 - put a label
Using sticker paper, print out a label. You can download my label from here.
A list of combinations to try
- lavender, lemon & peppermint
- lemon & orange
- bergamot, lavender & frankincense
- peppermint & orange
- clove, cinnamon & orange
NOTE: make sure to keep the diffuser far from kids and pets so they don't knock it over. That's one of the reasons I prefer vodka as a base instead of carrier oils.
To refresh the scent, flip the sticks every few days. You'll need to change the sticks as they become saturated with oils and stop being effective. Also, more sticks you have - more often you'd need to replace them.
That's it! Homemade natural reed diffusers could be a great DIY gift to your friend.
Check my Instagram @ifonlyapril where I post behind the scenes and everything that goes on in this crazy spectacular fun world of If Only April DIY ๐
Xoxo,
April
Leave a Reply