A room diffuser is an easy and stylish way to add a luxurious scent to your home. Diffusers distribute your favourite scent by traveling up wooden rods in a small bottle or vessel. With a few items that you probably have lying around at home, you can easily make your own diffuser for a fraction of the price of a store-bought one, and in just a few minutes. We show you how!
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You will need:
- Small decorative bottle or mason jar
- 30-40 drops of your favourite essential oil
- ½ cup of base oil
- 3 tablespoons of vodka (optional)
- Bamboo skewers or diffuser reeds (cut to size)
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1. All About That Base
Diffuser oil is made up of two ingredients: base oil and essential oils. The base oil (or carrier oil) helps to water down your essential oils. Without it, your diffuser’s scent would be too overpowering. The base oil also helps to carry your essential oils up the reeds so they can diffuse into the air.
Choose your base oil for its thinness and colour. The thinner the oil, the more easily it will be drawn up by the wooden rods. Almond oil works particularly well because it is so thin. Secondly, the colour of your base oil could be important if you are using a transparent bottle. The colour won’t affect how well it works, but some oils have a yellow tint, which makes them less ideal for glass jars.
Common base oils include almond oil and grapeseed oil.
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2. Add Your Alcohol…
Alcohol is an optional ingredient for a room diffuser. Many recipes include alcohol because it thins the oil (helping your diffuser to draw it into the reeds). However, many diffusers work well without it, so see what works for you. Make one attempt without alcohol first and if the oil doesn’t seem to be getting drawn into the reeds, add a little vodka.
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3. …And Your Essentials
Once you’ve decided on a base oil, it’s time to choose your essential oils. This is the scent that will be permeating though the house, so make sure you pick your favourite scent. Combine 1/2 cup of base oil with 30 to 50 drops of your essential oil and mix. Some great options are peppermint, lavender, rose and spearmint.
When your batch of diffuser oil is complete, pour it into your jar of choice, add your reeds, and enjoy! It’s as simple as that.
Note: Check the amount of liquid in the vase every month and add more as necessary. You should also rotate the diffuser rods every month until they no longer diffuse the essential oil fragrance anymore. This means they need to be replaced (after about four to six months).
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Compiled by Food and Decor Editor, Claire Badenhorst
