Homemade Reed Diffuser
Homemade reed diffusers are easy, inexpensive, unique and make any room smell amazing!
Equipment
Instructions
- Gather enough reeds or twigs to fill as much of the bottle opening as possible (this will reduce evaporation). If you are using bamboo skewers cut off the pointy ends. If you are using twigs bake them in a 200 degree oven for 45 minutes (this kills any little bugs that may be lurking). Trim the lengths if needed.
- Pour the carrier oil into the bottle, followed by the essential oils. Start with 20 drops (either of a single oil or combination) but feel free to add more (or use less) if you like. Insert the reeds and give the mixture a swirl. After a few hours, flip the reeds.
- Every few days or so, flip the reeds to disperse more of the fragrance. As the mixture evaporates, you can top it off with more oils.
- When the reeds become completely saturated simply toss and replace.
Notes
- I've read that bamboo skewers won't work - that you have to buy actual reeds. Personally I have found them to work just fine; if you have them lying around you can try them for yourself.
- Homemade reed diffusers make a lovely gift! Place the mixture in a sealed container and pack it up with the bottle and reeds (and instructions!).
- There are literally thousands of oil combinations you can use in your diffuser. And since everyone is different only you know what you'll like best. Since my diffusers are in public spaces like my kitchen and powder room, I stick with more universally appealing oils like lavender, citrus and eucalyptus.
- I have tried every "hack" under the sun to get those labels off my repurposed bottles - this is what works best for me: I stick the bottle - label up - under hot running water, and scratch it vigorously with a steak knife. If you are still left with a layer of adhesive, Lemon essential oil gets it off in a snap.
- A reader wrote in and suggested using a vegetable peeler to peel the outer bark from the twigs, to allow for greater absorption of the oil. I plan to do this next time!
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