Essential Oil–Infused Potpourri

Enjoy the wonderful autumn and winter scents with this essential oil–infused potpourri! All you need to do is find some cute containers and fill them with potpourri ingredients. Add a few drops of essential oil to spruce up the scent, then enjoy for a couple weeks before recharging it with more essential oil!

This essential oil–infused potpourri makes a fantastic and simple gift for neighbors, friends, and coworkers this holiday season! Just attach a cute gift tag with ribbon or twine, and it’s good to go! If you would like to introduce your friends to essential oils, you may want to consider adding a small sample bottle of essential oil that they can use to “recharge” their own potpourri.

Don’t give all of them away though—you’ll want to keep a few to use yourself! We love placing these in the bathroom, the closet, the entryway, and many other places around the house. Try keeping a small container of this potpourri in your car as an easy car diffuser. You will love being welcomed with these aromas every time you get in your car!

• Time: 5 minutes active
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• Potpourri ingredients (such as cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, dried apple slices, dried orange peels, bay leaves, candied ginger, whole nutmeg, whole cloves, whole allspice, cardamom seeds, and star anise)
• Essential oils (such as cinnamon, orange, ginger, vetiver, clove, cardamom, or holiday-scented blend)
• Salve Jars, Mason Jars, or PET Jars

Instructions:

1. Cut up bigger items such as cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, dried apple slices, bay leaves, candied ginger, etc. as needed to fit in your containers.
2. Add 3–5 drops of desired essential oil(s) on top of the potpourri.
3. To use, simply leave the lid off of the container to enjoy the delightful aromas! Add a few drops of essential oil every couple weeks or as needed. You can also put the ingredients in a pot full of simmering water to spread the smell throughout the house.

Note: To gift, make sure contents fit inside the container. Screw the lid on, and decorate with ribbon, twine, or a gift tag. You can even include a small sample bottle filled with essential oil so your gift recipients can recharge their potpourri.

We added a little bit of everything to our potpourri, along with some cinnamon, orange, and cardamom essential oil, and we loved the result. But feel free to get creative and use whatever you have on hand for this recipe! All of these ingredients complement each other, so you really can’t go wrong here.

Cinnamon Orange Water Bead Diffuser

Water beads absorb water and scent really well, so they are great for making a fun DIY diffuser. We tried it out with an autumn scent, but you can really use any essential oil or blend you desire!

• Time: 10 minutes active; 6+ hours inactive
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbsp. dry water beads
• 2 1/2–3 cups (600–720 ml) hot water
• 10–20 drops essential oil (We used 8 drops each of orange and cinnamon.)
• Mason Jar Mug with Straw Lid (Another glass vase or container will work, but you may need to make adjustments to the recipe in order to fill your container.)

Instructions:

1. Place desired water beads in a large glass dish. We used about a 1/2 Tbsp. to fill our mason jar.
2. Add hot water, and allow to sit for at least 6 hours until the beads are large.
3. Strain out any excess water. Stir in essential oils.
4. Pour water beads into the mason jar, and set your new diffuser anywhere you would like a refreshing scent!
5. If you notice the beads drying out a little, just add a little bit of water to refresh them. You can also recharge the scent as needed by adding a few more drops of essential oil.

Note: If you have young children or pets who may try to eat the water beads, you can screw the lid on the mason jar. Make sure your lid has a hole or something to allow the scent to escape. If you get your mason jar from Abundant Health, it will come with a straw lid that already has a hole in it to allow the scent to be released.

Odor-Blocking Toilet Spray

Leave the bathroom better than you found it with this odor-blocking formula! Just spray it on top of the water before you go, and you won’t leave behind any odorous evidence. The soap and essential oils create a film on the surface of the water and leave a fresh scent instead!

• Servings: Yield=35 ml
• Time: 5 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbsp. (7.5 ml) Castile Soap
• 1/2 Tbsp. (7.5 ml) Vegetable Glycerin
• 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) rubbing alcohol
• 10 drops bergamot essential oil
• 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
• 10 drops grapefruit essential oil
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) Homemade Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Combine castile soap, glycerin, rubbing alcohol, and essential oils in a small glass spray bottle.
2. Shake to mix thoroughly.
3. Spritz toilet water a few times before you “go” to trap the odors.
4. Shake well before each use.

This is great to carry along on trips or while visiting somebody else’s home!