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Just in time for Mother’s Day, here’s a cool and inexpensive way to create a unique gift for Mom (or for yourself). These atomizers provide a gentle mist of fragrance to add olfactory beauty to a room, without the harsh chemicals of commercially produced room deodorizers.
Materials:
- Essential oil (lavender, bergamot, chamomile, lemongrass, sandalwood); available at most health food stores
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- Fresh or dried flowers (lavender, roses, lilies, geraniums)
- Atomizer bottles; available at any dollar or variety store
- Funnel
- Strainer
- Filtered water
- Rubbing alcohol or vodka
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Step 1: Prepare the fragrance
If you are using essential oils you can skip this step. For fresh or dried flowers or herbs first emulsify the petals or buds in a medium sized bowl filled with room temperature filtered water for at least 12 hours. First fill the bowl 1/3 full with the petals or herbs, then cover with the water and let sit until the desired fragrance saturation is reached. Strain with a colander.
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Step 2: Add fragrance to vessel
If you’re using fresh or dried flowers, pour the strained fragrance water into your desired atomizing bottle using a funnel. If you’re using essential oils, first fill the bottle with filtered water to 3/4″ from the top. Then, add 1-2 drops of essential oil for every ounce of water in the vessel. Add the lid and gently shake the bottle to combine the fragrance, then try spraying it a few times to see if the scent is sufficiently saturated to your liking. Add more essential oil if necessary.
If you’re using fresh or dried flowers you can also add 1/2 tsp. of rubbing alcohol or high-proof vodka for every ounce of water to the mix. This will help to prevent the organic compounds in the flowers from deteriorating, and will help to accentuate the fragrance.
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Step 3: Add labels to the bottles
Create your own handmade labels using a calligraphy pen and self-adhesive stationery labels, or copy and past our image into the label-making program on your computer and print it off. It’s best to use labels with a shiny finish to avoid them them puckering or smearing if they get wet. Center the label to the desired location on the bottle, then press the middle first, gently smoothing out the sides to remove any bubbles or wrinkles.
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For more fun and easy DIY projects visit our TOOLS page!
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