Seasonal DIY Gifts & Projects with Essential Oils
Easy, scent-sational creations for a warm, welcoming autumn & winter home!
Essential oils for creating inviting seasonal diffusing blends and all-natural, seasonally scented DIY body & home care products or giftables include:
Here are some simple recipes to try - for yourself or for sharing!
GINGERBREAD DIFFUSER RECIPE
Nothing smells more like the holidays than the warm aroma of fresh gingerbread cookies baking in the oven- drool! Fill your space with the warm, spicy aroma of gingerbread with these fun, cookie-classic inspired recipes.
INGREDIENTS
1 drop Aura Cacia Fresh Ginger Essential Oil
3 drops Aura Cacia Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil
3 drops Aura Cacia Clove Bud Essential Oil
5 drops Aura Cacia Cardamom Essential Oil
DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to your ultrasonic diffuser filled to the proper level with filtered water
(tap water or mineral water can leave sediments behind that can eventually clog your diffuser). Be sure to add essential oils AFTER you have added the water, since some oils placed directly onto a diffuser could cause harm to the material it is constructed of.
What's an ultrasonic diffuser? Can I burn essential oils in an oil burner, instead of using a diffuser?
Burning essential oils negates any therapeutic effect because burning changes the chemical composition of the oil and can even change the oil's aroma. Fragrance oils and incense oils are very different than essential oils and are typically composed of synthetic compounds.
An ultrasonic diffuser creates ultrasonic vibrations at a frequency undetectable by the human ear. using ultrasonic vibrations at a frequency the human ear cannot detect. These sound waves agitate the water causing the particles to separate and become negatively charged and lighter than air.The essential oils are then carried into the air with these negative ions.
ORANGE SPICE POMANDER
Medieval herbalists used pomanders—mixtures of fragrant, dried herbs in cloth bags or perforated boxes—to ward off illness or bring strength and good fortune. Learn more about the long history of their use here.
One modern style of pomander is made by studding an orange or other fruit with whole dried cloves and letting it cure dry, after which it may last many, many years. This modern pomander serves the functions of perfuming and freshening the air and also of keeping drawers of clothing and linens fresh, pleasant-smelling, and moth-free.
If you're giving a pomander as a gift, consider attaching a hand-decorated card with an explanation of the origins of the pomander. This is a great project for children, too!
INGREDIENTS
6 drops Aura Cacia Cassia (Cinnamon) Essential Oil 0.5 fl. oz.
1 orange
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup whole cloves
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
2. Add water and oil gradually, stirring continuously until liquid is completely absorbed.
3. Knead for a few minutes. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Roll dough flat on parchment paper so that it’s 1/4-inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter or make your own designed with a small knife.
5. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
6. Using straw, place a small hole in the top of each cut-out.
7. Place ornaments on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour.
8. Carefully remove baking sheet from oven, turn ornaments over and place back in oven.
9. Bake for 1 more hour, or until ornaments are very firm, then remove and set aside to cool.
10. Thread with ribbons and hang, use in a closet or drawer - or give as a gift!
ESSENTIAL OIL ORNAMENTS
Simple homemade cut-out ornaments are charmingly rustic and old-fashioned with a spicy cinnamon leaf aroma.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil
1/2 teaspoon Clove Bud Essential Oil
3 cups All-purpose Flour
2 cups Salt
1 cup Cinnamon
2 cups Water
1 plastic straw (or better yet, a reusable metal straw!)
Ribbon, raffia (if you're in the Detroit area, consider seeing what you can find at Arts & Scraps instead of purchasing from a big box store!)
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large mixing bowl, measure and mix dry ingredients. Add water and oil gradually, stirring continuously until liquid is completely absorbed. Knead for a few minutes. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
3. Roll dough flat on parchment paper to 1/4-inch thick. Cute with a cookie cutter or make your own designs with a small knife. Using straw, place a small hole in the top of each cut-out.
4. Place ornaments on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour.
5. Carefully remove baking sheet from oven, turn ornaments over and place back in oven. Bake for 1 more hour, or until ornaments are very firm, them remove and set aside to cool.
6. Thread with ribbons and hang on tree!
To renew the scent, just add a few drops of essential oil to the surface of the ornaments.
Cookie stamps can be used as well as cookie cutters - Nordicware has some great cookie stamp designs, pictured below, and they'll last forever so they're perfect for creating a new yearly holiday tradition of all-natural ornament making.
People have reported salt dough ornaments lasting for decades, as rodents generally leave them alone and they don't usually get moldy, but if you're worried about those issues, you can always clear-coat them once they've completely cooled and dried.
SNICKERDOODLE DIFFUSION SALTS
Ah, the warm, spicy smell of fresh baked cookies! This recipe packs all of the delightful aromas of snickerdoodles without the calories. Pair with a wooden bowl, a shallow glass bowl (pictured), or explore your local resale shops for options. You can use the salts with or without a candle - the salts will hold the candle in place, and the warmth of the candle will help disperse the delicious scent of snickerdoodle.
And once you're done with your diffusion salts, you can add them to a warm bath - no waste!
INGREDIENTS
1 drop Aura Cacia Nutmeg Essential Oil
2 drops Aura Cacia Cinammaon Essential Oil
2 drops Aura Cacia Vanilla in Jojoba
½ cup coarse sea salt or coarse pink Himalayan salt
Tea light, votive, pillar, or round candle (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Blend together oils and mix with salt.
If using a candle, add it to the center of the salts in whatever vessel you are using.
Enjoy!
SEASONAL ROOM FRESHENING SPRAYS
Evergreen Forest, Incense & Peppermints, or Citrus Spice
Three different blends to replace Glade, Airwick, Febreze et al for freshening up indoor air and upholstery!
EVERGREEN FOREST ROOM SPRAY
INGREDIENTS
4 drop Aura Cacia Sweet Orange Essential Oil
8 drops Aura Cacia Balsam Fir Essential Oil
8 drops Aura Cacia Pine Essential Oil
1 Tbsp Aura Cacia Skin Care Oil (e.g. Aura Cacia Fractionated Coconut Oil)
2 fl oz water
2 oz Fine Mist Spray Bottle (if using 4 ounce bottle, double this recipe)
DIRECTIONS
Mix together oils and water. Mist airspace for a woody, sweet aroma.
INCENSE & PEPPERMINTS ROOM SPRAY
8 drops Aura Cacia Sweet Peppermint Essential Oil 0.5 fl. oz.
8 drops Aura Cacia Organic Cajeput Essential Oil 0.25 fl. oz.
8 drops Aura Cacia Organic Rosemary Verbenone Essential Oil 0.25 fl. oz.
2 oz Fine Mist Spray Bottle (if using 4 ounce bottle, double this recipe)
2 fluid ounces distilled water
CITRUS SPICE ROOM SPRAY
INGREDIENTS
12 drops Aura Cacia Sweet Orange Essential Oil 2 fl. oz.
6 drops Aura Cacia Black Pepper Essential Oil 0.5 fl. oz.
6 drops Aura Cacia Clove Bud Essential Oil 0.5 fl. oz.
2 oz Fine Mist Spray Bottle (if using 4 ounce bottle, double this recipe)
2 fluid ounces water
DIRECTIONS
1. In bottle, combine essential oils. 2. Top off with water, replace lid and shake until well-blended. 3. To use, shake bottle mist airspace.
Try this blend of essential oils in your diffuser, too! Adjust number of drops according to instructions included with your diffuser. For a stronger clove aroma, substitute an additional 6 drops clove bud essential oil for the black pepper.