6 Season Saving Herb Room Fresheners - How To-sday

I posted a blog with these 6 ideas back in 2011.  I was recently reading old blogs and adding photos to those that did not have pictures originally.  When I found this one, my immediate thought was, I should have shared recipes with this list.

So here is a recycled post with some great recipes that probably shows how far I have come since 2011!

Six Season Saving Herb Room Freshners

1. Hang sachets of aromatic potpourri from door handles or sunny windows.

Floral Sachet

This will make you think of spring with this amazing mix of floral scents.

½ cup rose petals

½ cup lavender blossoms

½ cup sweet woodruff

¼ cup mint

2 teaspoons orange peel

2 drops each of lavender and rose essential oils (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar and allow to meld for a week, shaking every day.  Place in organza or muslin bags.

2. Push herb or spice sachets down the sides or back of couch cushions or inside cushion covers.

Sofa Sachet

This blend is part of my Make and Take portion of the Herbology 101 program.  Blend it up and place in a coffee filter closed with a rubber band and slip into the couch or chair and every time you sit down or get up you get a great burst of scent.

2 parts lavender
1 part rose petals
1 part mixed mint

Combine in a glass jar and shake.  Store tightly lidded until ready to use.
To Use: Place 1 to 2 Tbls in a sachet or coffee filter.  Place under or behind sofa coshions. Replace every 3 to 6 months.

3. Place a container of potpourri in the living room or bedroom.  Remove lid and stir potpourri and let scent fill the room.

Fragrant Potpourri

1 cup lemon verbena

¾ cup coneflowers

½ cup white sage

½ cup thyme leaf

½ cup lavender flowers

½ cup pink rose petals

Mix all herbs together in a bowl.  Scent with 5 drops each cedar, sage and lavender essential oils.  Toss until well combined.  Place in a bowl and stir or mist occasionally to keep fragrance alive.

4. Keep a small porous pottery bottle filled with a favorite essential oil near a sunny window so that the heat will cause the oil to evaporate.  

I used a terra cotta oil lamp.  It is an heirloom, so I never wanted to burn oil in it. Using sun to evaporate the oil works just as well.

This is in my bedroom window so the oils I use are uplifting and stimulating:

     peppermint (Mentha xpiperita)

     clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

     cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)

     ginger (Zingiber officinale)

     rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

5. Dab a little essential oil on a light bulb before turning it on. With the advent of LED lightbulbs this does not work as well, so you may want to try a stick diffuser instead.

To craft a stick diffuser, you need a small glass or porcelain vase and a package of bamboo skewers.

Carrier oils

Essential oil blend

Place at least 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil in the vase and add 4 to 7 drops of essential oil blend to the carrier oil.  Good carrier oils are almond or jojoba. Stir. Insert the sticks which will allow the scent to be carried into the room.

Recommended blends:

Relaxing Blend

12 drops lavender essential oil

6 drops marjoram essential oil

6 drops clary sage essential oil

3 drops bergamot essential oil

Keep combined oil in a small glass jar and use a couple drops at a time.

Romance Blend

6 drops jasmine essential oil

12 drops sandalwood essential oil

6 drops sweet orange essential oil

3 drops rose essential oil

3 drops vetiver essential oil

Keep combined oil in a small glass jar and use a couple drops at a time.

6. Put a couple drops of spicy essential oil on a cotton ball and wipe over your heater vent in wintertime for a comforting fragrance.

Use one of these antidepressant, yet relaxing aromas:

    bergamot (Citrus bergamia)

    scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

    neroli (Citrus reticulata)

    rose (Rosa spp.)

    sandalwood (Santalum album)

    tropical flower ylang ylang (Cananga odorata)

So enjoy your scents and make your home fell and smell spring like since it doesn't look like winter is ending anytime soon.