Essential oils are one of my favorite ways to scent my home. On top of being an all-natural alternative to air fresheners, there are so many different types of oil available you could literally make thousands of different scent combinations! And while there are a variety of great ways to use essential oils to make your home smell fresh, I love using diffusers. This simple DIY flower reed diffuser transforms a plain reed diffuser into a beautiful piece of home décor that does double duty as an all-natural air freshener!
What is a Diffuser?
If you’re new to essential oils or have never used them to scent your home, you may be wondering what is a diffuser. Basically, an essential oil diffuser is away of breaking down the oils into smaller molecules that allow them to be transmitted into the air. There are two types of essential oil diffusers:
- Air diffusers (like nebulizing diffusers or humidifying diffusers), which combine the oils with water and turn them into a fine mist dispersed through the air
- Reed diffusers that use wooden reeds to soak up the oil and diffuse it into the air
Both are great ways to help add a natural scent to your home. And while the air diffusers offer a stronger scent, reed diffusers are much prettier to look at.
This Floral Diffuser from Anthropologie (no longer carried at their store) was the inspiration for this DIY project. So pretty, right?
How to Make a Flower Reed Diffuser for Essential Oils:
Making your own reed diffuser is simple! To make a reed diffuser at home, you’ll need the following supplies.
Supplies:
- A bottle or vase
- Reed diffuser sticks or bamboo skewers
- ¼ cup carrier oil like grapeseed oil or fractionated coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
- 20 to 30 drops of essential oil
- Floral picks
Instructions:
Start by combining the carrier oil and alcohol inside the bottle or vase. Swirl the ingredients around inside the bottle until they’re combined. Then add the essential oils and swirl the liquids one more time.
Place your reeds or skewers inside the bottle to finish creating your reed diffuser. You could leave the diffuser alone and only decorate it with the skewers or dress it up with some floral picks.
To add a little visual appeal to my reed diffuser, I used a couple of peony picks along with a few leave branches for added height.
Questions About Flower Reed Diffusers:
While this DIY is super easy, questions still come up as you’re putting it together. Here are a few common questions that come along with making your own reed diffuser.
Can I use real flowers in the floral diffuser?
While real flowers are a great way to decorate your home, they won’t work with this DIY. Since the bottle is filled with oil, real flowers are sure to die quickly. Instead, use faux flowers to decorate your floral diffuser.
Why does the bottle need to have a narrow opening?
Choosing a bottle with a narrow neck and opening will help keep the oils from evaporating inside the bottle. It’s best to fill the opening as much as you can with skewers and floral picks to keep the oils from escaping out the top.
How long does it take for the diffuser to emit scent?
You’ll have to wait until the oil begins to soak into the skewers for it to start scenting the room, which could take up to a day. To speed up the process, let the end soak into the carrier oil for a little while, then flip the stick over.
