7 DIY Ways to Make Your Home Smell like Fall

With the most festive season upon us, you’ll find your self scouring Diptique for the best fall scent. Rather then opt for your usual, why not try out your creative side. These 7 DIY air fresheners are a fun and organic way to give your home that perfect pumpkin or apple scent without the headaches for asthma that artificial candles and sprays can bring. Using essential oils, real fruits, and whole spices is the perfect way to achieve that classic smell you love while giving yourself a fun afternoon activity in the process. 

Pumpkin Spice Room Spray

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup distilled water
• 3 drops Cinnamon Bark essential oil
• 3 drops Ginger essential oil
• 3 drops Cardamom essential oil
• 5 drops Wild Orange essential oil
• 5 drops Clove essential oil

Directions

In a 4-ounce glass spray bottle, add water and essential oils. Shake well before each use and you’re ready to start spritzing your house!

Fall Simmer Pot

Ingredients

• 4 apple peels
• 2 orange peels
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2-3 star anise (optional)
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves (optional)

Stovetop Directions

Add ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer uncovered for as long as you like, adding water as needed so the pot doesn’t run dry.

DIY Reed Diffuser

Ingredients

• Carrier oil: 1-2 inches safflower oil – this is your carrier oil, almond oil or baby oil can be used as well
• Essential oil: 15-20 drops essential oil – for aromatherapy and fragrance
• Jars: any jar will work with a small opening at the top
• Sticks: Cinnamon Sticks or Rattan Reeds
• optional: 90% proof alcohol – helps the oil travel up the sticks faster

Directions

1. Pour your safflower oil into your jar, 1-2 inches high from the bottom. You don’t need too much oil, just enough for the oil to travel up your sticks. For the jars, you can use anything you have around the house – a vase, a recycled jam jar, even a plastic or metal container will work. I found these jars at the thrift store and they have small openings to help my sticks stand up tall.
2. Add in 15-20 drops of essential oils and stir them in or swirl them around. You can add more or less depending on your level of fragrance.
3. Add your sticks to the jar and space them out. You can use them to stir the oil again. TIP: flip your sticks after a day or so to help the oil distribute faster.

Cinnamon-Scented Pinecones

Tools

• an oven
• cookie sheet
• ziploc bag
• spray bottle (I love my glass spray bottle from Grove!)
• glue and a paintbrush, if you’re doing the ground cinnamon method

Materials

• pinecones
• tin foil
• cinnamon essential oil, or ground cinnamon (learn more about essential oils here)
• water

Directions

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with foil. Place the cleaned pinecones on the cookie sheet on their side. Bake the pinecones in the oven for about 45 minutes.

Use ground cinnamon to add that fall scent to your pinecones. Pour a little bit of all purpose glue into a small container and thin it just a little bit with water. You don’t want it completely liquid, but you need to be able to brush it on with a paint brush.

Add a bunch of ground cinnamon to a ziploc bag.

Take your pinecones and gently brush them with a very light coat of the watered-down glue so that all of the nooks and crannies are covered. Set the pinecone aside for a few minutes so that the glue can dry a little bit. You want the glue to be tacky, not totally dripping wet.

Then add the pinecones to the bag of cinnamon, close it up, and shake well to make sure cinnamon gets everywhere! Gently tap the pinecones over the bag to help shake off any loose cinnamon, then set them aside to dry for a few more minutes.

Autumn Scented Linen Spray

Use a fall-friendly DIY linen spray to freshen up folded towels and bedding. Just mix 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup inexpensive vodka (yes, vodka!) in a clean spray bottle and swirl with essential oils. Choose 3-4 oils and add 10 drops of each. Have fun experimenting with different combinations to find your favorite! Here are some ideas:

• Clove
• Sweet orange (or wild orange)
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon bark
• Cedarwood
• Ginger
• Sandalwood
• Rosemary
• Lemon
• Fir
• Bergamot

Fall Diffuser Recipes

If you own an aromatherapy diffuser, a fall-themed recipe is a must. We’re loving these blogger blends that incorporate classic autumnal scents. They’ll fill your home with the relaxing smells of the season for hours on end, no candles required.

• Pumpkin Pie: 5 drops Cinnamon + 1 drop Clove + 1 drop Nutmeg
• Chai Tea: 3 drops Cassia + 3 drops Clove + 2 drop Ginger
• Fall Forest: 4 drops Cypress + 2 drops White Fir + 2 drops Sandalwood
• Apple Cider: 4 drops Wild Orange + 3 drops Cinnamon + 3 drops Ginger

Homemade Fall Wax Scents

Make a batch of spicy fall wax melts for your warmer without unknown chemicals. These easy melts are made with coconut oil, beeswax, and spices from your pantry poured into an ice cube tray—you don’t even need to have essential oils on hand. We think these would look adorable poured into a leaf-shape mold!

Materials

• ½ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup beeswax granules
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. whole cloves
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• Peel of 1 orange, diced

Ice cube trays or small mold
Glass jar with lid

Directions

1. 1. Place coconut oil and beeswax granules in a small pan over low heat. Stir until completely melted.
   2. While mixture is melting, chop orange peel into very small pieces.
   3. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, and diced orange peel.
   4. Pour into ice cube trays or another small mold.
   5. Allow to sit until completely cooled and firm. I usually let mine sit overnight even though it only takes a couple hours to set up.
   6. Pop gently from tray/mold by flipping over and tapping firmly on the counter. Store scented wax melts in a glass jar with a fitted lid. If your home gets very warm you may want to consider storing your jar in the refrigerator as the coconut oil has a low melting point.

 

 

Courtesy of: Better Home and Garden