Essential oils add fragrance to a room when placed in a diffuser.
The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy claims essential oils, or fragrant plant extracts, can "harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and spirit." The oils evaporate readily, to quickly spread their perfume through a room. A diffuser is a device that controls the release of the oils into the air, ensuring evaporation takes place gradually, so that the fragrance does not become overwhelming. There are many types of oil diffusers on the market, but a homemade one is easy to make from simple materials.
Instructions
1. Measure 3 tbsp. of jojoba oil into a jug. Add 250 drops of an essential oil of your choice. Mix the oils briskly with the spoon. Essential oils are too volatile to use undiluted, as they would evaporate very quickly, so they are normally combined with a less-volatile base oil such as jojoba. You can find both jojoba and essential oils in craft shops or health stores.
2. Pour the mixed oils carefully into a small glass bottle, using a funnel to avoid spills. A container with a narrow neck is best, as it will help to slow the evaporation of the essential oils. Choose a glass container, as the oil mixture may react with metal or plastic ones.
3. Stand the eight rattan reeds in the jar or bottle, so that one end of each reed is dipped in the oil. You can obtain rattan reeds from craft stores and basketry supply shops or from online suppliers.
4. Fan out the reeds that emerge from the bottle-neck, to make an attractive display. This also allows the air to circulate around them freely. Over the next day or two, the reeds will soak up the oil mixture. The oil will gradually creep up the reeds and diffuse into the air, gently scenting the room.
5. Wrap a string of colored glass beads around the bottle or jar to decorate the diffuser. Stand the bottle in a saucer. Take out the reeds and top up the bottle with more mixed oils when the fragrance begins to fade.
6. Pour a little hot water into the saucer when you wish to increase the strength of the perfume. The heat will penetrate the bottle and cause the essential oil to evaporate more rapidly.
Tags: essential oils, Essential oils, mixed oils, rattan reeds, reeds bottle