Simple Homemade Reed Diffusers

I love using reed diffusers to make my room smell like you just stepped into a really swanky hotel. However they can be really expensive and I'm not too keen on buying the cheap ones which either smell really weird, or have questionable chemical content in it. I started making my own a few weeks back and was super pleased with the result! I've been mixing and matching different essential oils to create my own scent and they barely cost anything to make!

The ingredients I use to make my diffusers are super easy to come by, and most if not all you might already have at home.

Most directions you find on the internet use either Mineral Oil, Sweet Almond Oil or Safflower Oil as the carrier oil. The reason I put off making these for so long is because I had absolutely no idea where to find any of these oils where I live. Then I discovered that Johnson's baby oil is actually pure mineral oil (yay!); it's super easy to come by and inexpensive as well. So for me, I use Johnson's baby oil as my base which works brilliantly but you can experiment with other different oils.

Simple Homemade Reed Diffuser

What you will need

• Carrier Oil as a base (I used Johnson's Baby Oil)
• Essential Oils (I used Crabtree and Evelyn's Nadira Environmental Oil for this one)
• Vodka (the cheapest ones)
• Reed Sticks or if you don't have them, you can use Bamboo Skewer Sticks
• Glass or Ceramic bottle with a small opening
• Craft Knife (if you need to cut off the ends of your skewer sticks)

Directions

Mix the Carrier Oil and Essential Oil(s) together, I used a 70% (Carrier Oil) 30% (Essential Oil) ratio. But you can experiment with the ratio's depending on how strong/light you want it.

Add a splash of vodka to the mix. The vodka acts as a flow agent helping the oils to flow up the reed and disperse out easier. 

If you have reed sticks just pop them in and you are good to go! If you are using Skewer sticks, cut off the pointy bit with your craft knife before popping it in your bottle.

And you are done!

This literally took me 10minutes to do and apart from the purchase of the essential oils is one of the most  budget friendly crafts, considering a good reed diffuser can cost up to RM100 here (about £20)

Have fun! You can use old fragrance bottles as well which is what I did with the one above, and even add dried flower stalks to beautify it as they diffuse the scent as well. I made a whole bunch in different bottle shapes and now have one in almost every room! 

My favourite essential oils are: Crabtree and Evelyn Nadira's Enviromental Oil, Jasmine, Lemongrass and Lavender (any brand)

DIY: Glitter Heels

The festive season is in full swing, and the parties have been coming in thick and fast. I was looking for a fun pair of shoes but couldn't really find one that was quite right/budget friendly. I'm a sucker for glittery goodies during the festive season and I was especially inspired by Kate Spade's New York Licorice Too Pumps in Multi Glitter. Super perfect to wear out for dinner or cocktails or even pair it down with a pair of jeans and a fun top for that everyday whimsy. 

But at USD $350 it was a little too steep to splash on out a pair of shoes I'll only be wearing for Christmas. 

I had an old pair of really comfy pumps lying about and it's outer layer was peeling so I thought instead of chucking it out why not cover it in glitter! 

Supplies
Old pair of heels
Masking Tape
Acrylic Paint (any colour)
Multicoloured Glitter (I bought individual packets so I could mix my own)
Any white glue or Mod Podge (I used a mix of Elmer's and Carpenter Glue)
Sponge

1. Masking tape the sides and peel off the outer layer 

2. Prime the surface with acrylic paint.

I had completely forgotten that I had bought these sponge applicator paints from Ikea a while back.  

3. Mix up the white glue and glitter together!

3. Apply glue and glitter mix in even strokes with a sponge. I did mine in sections and applied 3 layers, waiting approx 10-15 minutes for each layer to dry.

3. Leave overnight to dry and peel of masking tape after. 

4. Fill in the side bits with acrylic paint. 

And you are done!

I really love them, the best part about it is it's so comfortable! Because it's an old pair of shoes upcycled I don't have to go through the whole process of breaking into it and suffering painful feet all night long.  

I feel a little bit like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz when wearing them.

This was a super quick and fun DIY to do. I did it in one night, not counting drying time. The only problem is my room was covered in glitter for days! And I'm still discovering glitter in the oddest places!

FACT!

Have fun!