I have wasted a lot of money on scented items in my life. I used to love having candles and air fresheners all over my house. I would have stashes of them that never even got used, but for some reason I kept buying them.
I still love having a fresh smelling house but I now try to avoid using synthetic fragrances. I also like more natural scents now as opposed to the super strong or sickly sweet smells of my youth (cucumber melon from Bath and Body Works anyone?).
This reed diffuser is a super easy DIY project that will make your house smell lovely. And it costs a fraction of the amount of store bought air fresheners…bonus! All you need is a small glass bottle, water, diffuser reeds, essential oils and vodka (helps the oils and water to bind). I used lavender and vanilla oils for mine because it is in our bedroom and I wanted a calming scent, but you can use any scents you like.
Supplies
- Glass Bottle
- Diffuser Reeds
- 1/4 c Vodka
- 3/4 c Water
- 15-20 drops Essential oils
Directions
- Combine vodka, water and essential oils in the glass bottle.
- Add several diffuser reeds (I used 5).
- Turn reeds over every several days to keep the scent fresh. Add more essential oils as needed.
Monique | WritingMonique
2/2/16 at 10:08 amOh my! Such a great DIY!
Jen
2/2/16 at 11:22 amThanks! It’s super easy, you should try it!
Linda Jo Martin
2/2/16 at 12:13 pmCool… I need some Vodka!
Jen
2/2/16 at 12:42 pmThat is something I always have on hand ;)
Colette
2/4/16 at 11:14 amLooks super simple! How long do you think the smell will stay fresh? Love a good DIY
Jen
2/4/16 at 11:40 amIt will last a few weeks (just keep turning the reeds around). And if the smell starts to dissipate, just add a few more drops of essential oil.
Maple Alps
2/4/16 at 3:58 pmI love reed diffusers and this looks really easy! Definitely will have to try this!
Jen
2/4/16 at 4:26 pmYou should! It is super easy.
Ariel
2/4/16 at 4:06 pmAll I could think of when I read cucumber melon was, “woah high school throw back!” Haha I love your DIY diffuser though! They’re so easy to make and I just recently got into essential oils! I’m addicted to rosemary and patchouli! :) Thanks for sharing this post!
Jen
2/4/16 at 4:28 pmRight? Throw in some body glitter and you got me in high school! lol. Rosemary and patchouli would both be great.
Brianna Hatcher
2/4/16 at 9:37 pmMy oils are in the mail! I’ll have to try this when I get them!
Jen
2/5/16 at 10:06 amYay! You totally should!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
2/5/16 at 11:00 amGreat blog! You have some great ideas and tips and I love your photos! :)
Jen
2/5/16 at 12:18 pmThank you so much!
Loren
2/5/16 at 12:05 pmLove this DIY! Definitely going to give it a try :)
Loren | http://www.minkys.co.za
Jen
2/5/16 at 12:18 pmThanks! I hope you do :)
Sam - Journo and the Joker
2/5/16 at 8:46 pmI love scents as well, but like you I used to buy candles and oils and never use them, then they would collect dust. I love the reed diffusers but when I researched it Iw as told it is hard to make them work with natural products. This looks great.
Jen
2/6/16 at 9:50 amA lot of the commercial diffusers use synthetic fragrances. This is a great substitute!
Diana Villa
2/6/16 at 8:52 amI love diffusers! You are very talented, so simple and elegant :)
Jen
2/6/16 at 9:50 amThank you so much Diana! I hope you try it.
Elisa
2/8/16 at 9:41 amThis is such an awesome idea, since I’m kinda disgusted by what my last diffuser oil did to the plastic surface it was standing on…it literally made the plastic looked like I put it on a hot stove. So I don’t want to know what was in it. I’m definitely going to make it myself now. Thanks for the diy :)
Elisa
Jen
2/8/16 at 11:58 amEww! It’s gross when you actually see how bad synthetic ingredients can be. I’m glad you want to try the natural version and I hope you like it!
Kim
3/1/16 at 6:17 pmI LOVE this…so easy and so useful…I’ve just started using EOs so I will add this to my other uses…and I love that you can choose your own bottle
Jen
3/1/16 at 9:01 pmYou will love EOs. I use them all the time!