How to Make a DIY Reed Diffuser with Essential Oils

Learn how to make a reed diffuser, and lots of tips and tricks for making the most of your shop-bought and homemade reed diffusers.

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I used to love a candle and would light a handful every evening, but now I much prefer having room diffusers placed around the house. I love the way they secretly scent a room all day long without any effort.

In our house I have a different (but complementary) reed diffuser in each room, so each has its own signature scent and personality.

The downside is that the most beautiful reed diffusers can be pricey. So, in the spirit of my upcycled home, I set about finding a way to make reed diffusers that smelt unique and beautiful, without the price tag.

Learn how to make your own reed diffuser, and some tips and tricks for getting the best scent out of your reed diffusers.

How to Make a Reed Diffuser Smell Stronger

If you’ve had your reed diffuser out for a while and you just want to boost the scent, the easiest way to make it smell stronger is just to take the sticks out and turn them over. However, if you’re repeatedly finding you can’t smell your diffuser, you might like to try some of these tips

1. Add some unique essential oils

The most beautiful scents are complex and unusual. While tea tree, lavender and lemon essential oils are all lovely, they’re easy to get hold of, and on their own are not particularly special.

To develop unique fragrances, you need to use unique oils. Oils like patchouli, grapefruit, petitgrain (bitter orange) and geranium are all reasonably affordable, but can add depth and variety to the scent you already have.

You can also try using ready-made essential oil blends, which have a selection of oils mixed together.

2. Add flower waters

Some oils are extremely expensive. I absolutely love the scent of neroli, but it can cost up to £30 for 2ml! Instead, I add a little neroli water to my reed diffusers for a more affordable touch of the scent.

You can also get all sort of other flower waters, also known as hydrosols, including lavender, rose and geranium.

3. Spend time developing your blend

If you want to create a really special blend, it’s worth spending some time on it. And why not, since this is the fun part! Try lots of different combinations by taking the lids off and wafting several bottles under your nose. If one smells too strong, hold it lower down in your hand to weaken the scent, and use fewer drops when you come to create your blend.

Don’t be afraid to use more than 3 different oils – sometimes even one drop of an oil can completely change the way a blend smells. Try to challenge yourself too. I find myself automatically going for ‘standard’ combinations, and am surprised when something I hadn’t thought of works so well.

4. Use a body or bath oil

Your base oil can be any light oil (sweet almond, safflower, jojoba and the like) and you’ll find that many standard bath and body products are actually one of these base oils with a couple of essential oils added.

Recently, I used an old body oil which was a blend of sweet almond and safflower oil with camelina and orchid essential oils. If I’d wanted to use those from scratch, I wouldn’t even have known where to start with finding them! Together with my own additions, they help to create a scent that smells like I spent a lot more on it than I did.

5. Use a perfume

Since having children I’ve often struggled to brush my hair let alone wear perfume. So my collection of lovely perfumes (including the fragrance I wore on our wedding day!) have sat mostly unused on my dresser.

Perfumes can make a perfect addition to a homemade reed diffuser. Just add them to your reed diffuser bottle along with a little carrier oil.

What is a good carrier oil for a reed diffuser?

A carrier oil is the base oil that makes up the majority of your reed diffuser and allows the different essential oils to mix together. The best carrier oils for a reed diffuser are sweet almond, safflower and jojoba oils.  If you don’t have any of these on hand, then olive oil can also work, though it has a strong scent, so bear that in mind.

Can you use bamboo skewers instead of rattan diffuser reeds?

Yes, but they won’t work quite as well as proper diffuser reeds. Best to go for the real deal if you can!

How to Make a Reed Diffuser

Here’s my recipe for how to make a reed diffuser, though I highly recommend experimenting to see what you prefer in terms of strength of scent. Remember that you will want your diffuser oil to almost smell too strong in the bottle, so that it carries through the room.

You will need:

• A 200ml glass bottle, ideally amber, blue or green and with a narrow opening
• A small funnel
• Reed diffuser sticks
• 100ml (1/2 cup) carrier oil 
• 30 drops of essential oils of your choice
• 1 teaspoon of vodka or rubbing alcohol
• Optional – 1 teaspoon of flower water

Place the funnel into your bottle and pour in the oils, alcohol and flower water. Swirl to combine.

Drop your reeds into the oil and then turn them 10 minutes later.

Turn your reeds once a week for a scent boost.

If you try this DIY reed diffuser, I’d love to hear how you get on! DM or tag me on Instagram @aboderie.