DIY Natural Room Scents
We were delighted to find tips by Monica of The Yummy Life for adding natural fragrance to your home using simmering waters infused with spices, herbs, and fruit. These natural concoctions are ideal for personal aromatherapy in your home and office (provided you don’t have to worry about scent intolerances), or, for setting the stage of your home spa party or bridal shower. Consider scenting your home for romantic evenings, and of course, if it’s listed for sale and you’re having an open house.
Mason Jar Natural Room Scents
Create your own home scents. Monica of The Yummy Life shows us how!
Materials
- Citrus - sliced -- lemons, oranges, limes (may use peel only, if preferred)
- Herbs -- rosemary, thyme, bay leaves
- Spices-- whole cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, anise (consider using powdered, too!)
- Ginger (fresh or powdered)
- Extracts -- Vanilla, Almond and Mint (your choice)
- Pine and Fragrant Twigs
Instructions
- Use a pint (2 cup) jar, container, or pot to combine scent waters.
- Add ingredients to container, cover with water, and choose from these options: simmer on stove top, topping off with more water as it evaporates, or add heated mixture to a slow cooker, fondue pot, or something similar that will keep mixture heated.
- Preheat water to a boil (in microwave or on stove top).
- As water evaporates, always top it off with HOT water to keep the temperature as high as possible (higher heat = more fragrance).
- Scented waters may be refrigerated between uses.
- Reuse for 2-3 days, or as long as they still have a pleasant fragrance.
Spa Index Kitchen Notes
FRAGRANT COMBINATIONS:
Orange Cinnamon Spice:
1 orange, 2 cinnamon sticks (or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon), 1/2 tablespoon whole cloves (or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves), 1/2 tablespoon whole allspice (or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice), 1 anise star (optional) Lemon, Rosemary and Vanilla:
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 2 lemons, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Lime Thyme Mint Vanilla:
3 limes, 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon mint extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Orange Ginger Almond:
1 orange (or peel from 2 oranges), 1 4" finger of ginger, sliced (or 1 tsp ground ginger), 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Pine Bay Leaves and Nutmeg:
Nutmeg. Handful of pine twigs or needles, 4 bay leaves, 1 whole nutmeg, outer layer grated into mixture.
1 orange, 2 cinnamon sticks (or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon), 1/2 tablespoon whole cloves (or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves), 1/2 tablespoon whole allspice (or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice), 1 anise star (optional) Lemon, Rosemary and Vanilla:
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 2 lemons, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Lime Thyme Mint Vanilla:
3 limes, 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon mint extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Orange Ginger Almond:
1 orange (or peel from 2 oranges), 1 4" finger of ginger, sliced (or 1 tsp ground ginger), 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Pine Bay Leaves and Nutmeg:
Nutmeg. Handful of pine twigs or needles, 4 bay leaves, 1 whole nutmeg, outer layer grated into mixture.