DIY Reed Diffuser

Erick and I love candles so we always have one or two going throughout the apartment [current fave]. But with them burning all the time, we run through them pretty quickly. These DIY reed diffusers allow us to enjoy the fragrance without needing to pick up a new candle every other week (or remembering to blow them out before we leave). Once you have your materials together, you can whip up a diffuser in less than 5 minutes.

When picking out your vessel it’s best to go with a glass container, they’re non-porous so they won’t absorb your oil. You’ll also want a container that has a narrow opening on top, this will slow down the evaporation. The essential oil you choose will be your fragrance. For my first batch I mixed together lavender and eucalyptus. I think this is a serene, calming scent best for a bathroom or bedroom. For my kitchen diffuser I used only grapefruit oil. (Here’s my DIY Grapefruit Sugar Scrub where I also used the same essential oil). Experiment with different oils and combinations to find your favorite.

supplies

Vessel/Glass Container
1/4 cup Carrier Oil (safflower oil, sweet almond oil, or other light oil)
About 25-30 drops of Essential Oil (for this project I used lavender, eucalyptus, and grapefruit)
Diffusing Reeds (you can also use bamboo skewers)
About 1 teaspoon of alcohol (rubbing alcohol or vodka)

Preparations

In a large measuring cup pour in 1/4 cup of your carrier oil. Add 25 – 30 drops of your essential oils. For my first diffuser I mixed about 15 drops of lavender and 15 drops of eucalyptus. For my second diffuser I used about 30 drops of the grapefruit essential oil. Swirl the mixture together. At this point you have the option to add a splash of alcohol. The alcohol will help your fragrance travel up the reeds. Add the oil mixture to your glass container and insert the diffusing reeds or skewers. You can typically find inexpensive diffusing reeds at your local craft store but if you have bamboo skewers left over from your last BBQ those will work too! Just note that the oil will take a bit longer to travel up the bamboo skewers.