Recently I gave my office a bit of makeover. Finally I have a bit of space for all of the books and supplies I’ve been collecting (apparently a blog is a good excuse for library-building). But the best thing about book shelves? Getting to display pretty things! And naturally, a few of them involve scents that make me smile each time I walk into the room. In honor of #EarthDay, try one of these 3 simple DIY air fresheners for a natural way to scent your home with recycled materials. Think of these as Green Works of Art.
1. Recycled DIY diffuser
A recycled spice bottle makes the perfect base for a pretty diffuser. Combine 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup vodka and add 20 (or more) drops of your favorite essential oils. I used a combination of lemon, lemongrass and rosemary. Then give it a stir to mix it all together.
Clean your recycled bottle inside and out. Then add the liquid essential oil combination – with a drop of food coloring if you like a bit of color. You can use bamboo skewers (you might need to cut them down to the right size) or small dried branches if you don’t have reeds. All of those natural materials will draw the liquid up, releasing the scent into the air. Add more liquid and essential oils as needed.
2. Scented sea glass
Sea glass is so pretty in a small bowl so put it on display! Add a few drops of essential oil or a handful of dried lavender to give it a calming scent that makes you feel like you’re on vacation (almost!).
3. Orange Peel Air Freshener
Got a musty space? An orange filled with salt works wonders to soak up the moisture in the air while giving off a fresh scent. Just scoop out the insides of half of an orange and fill it with rock or sea salt. Add a few drops of orange essential oil to enhance the fresh scent.
More Earth Day Upcycling ideas
Looking for more great ways to up-cycle? Get in on the action by watching and sharing sculptor Rebecca Anders at work in an exclusive new video capturing her turning trash into treasure.
Green Works Earth Day Giveaway
The Green Works’s #GreenDIY Earth Day campaign wants to help you make the switch to more natural cleaning supplies. Green Works knows a balanced, natural lifestyle begins with a clean home, so to help facilitate your Spring cleaning, one lucky reader will receive the following:
- $100 Target gift card
- 1 Green Works All Purpose Cleaner – This versatile cleaner is 98% naturally derived, so no need to worry about inhaling harmful chemicals.
- 1 Green Works Glass & Surface Cleaner – An amazing cleaner that’s safe for use on glass, mirrors, and appliances, as well as stainless steel and even sealed granite.
- 1 Green Works Laundry Detergent – Destroys dirt, but still gentle on sensitive skin.
- 1 Green Works Green Baggu Bag – A versatile tote you can use at the gym, to work, or even the grocery store.
This Promotion is not administered or sponsored by Clorox or its affiliates, but solely by Hello Glow, and by entering this Promotion you agree that The Clorox Company and its affiliates are not in any way responsible or liable for any damages, injuries or other claims you may have as a result of your participation.
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Lee says
July 12, 2018 at 1:40 pmI’ve been quite I’ll for a long time and want my room to smell nice, thank you looking forward to making these di y products!
Idunloor says
March 28, 2018 at 7:39 amInteresting article. Personally, I believe that with old materials or things you can make unique designer furniture. Today such furniture and interior accessories decorate the most stylish and fashionable interiors. For example, you can create such things: 1. A beautiful wooden countertop on a leg, recruited from old books. 2. From the old auto details, you can create a unique techno table. 3. A children’s desk that can be made from an old baby crib and much more. Really unique furniture does not mean the most expensive, as many uninformed in the design people think! In addition, you will not pollute the environment.
Kimberly Haigh says
December 30, 2016 at 3:25 pmAwesome ideas!
Kimberly's Haigh says
December 30, 2016 at 3:20 pmAwesome ideas!
Sharon says
December 23, 2016 at 1:49 pmI’ll be trying the orange peel & salt freshener.
I hate the house smelling like dinner for hours. I don’t have an exterior venting exhaust fan so I’ll try the orange peels on the counter on either side of my stove!!!!
silvia says
May 29, 2016 at 6:59 amWhat if i have no vodka is there a substitute for it?
karen says
December 21, 2016 at 11:11 pmI use rubbing alcohol.
Mary says
April 16, 2016 at 7:07 pmI am so trying these! ALL of them! I want something I can make myself.
Julie Wood says
April 25, 2015 at 9:27 amI would love to try the Orange Peel Air Freshener, it sounds amazing!!
morgan says
April 25, 2015 at 5:18 amWhat can you us instead of essential oils because they’re quite expensive?
Michelle Jackson says
December 16, 2016 at 9:15 amUse an unscented oil (canola works)
Snip fresh rosemary or a dried rosemary (other ideas: cinnamon sticks, cloves, mint, eucalyptus, zest of lemon or orange)
Submerge selected herbs in oil, stuck some bamboo skewers in your creation and you gave an inexpensive natural diffuser.
Amber says
April 24, 2015 at 2:07 pmLove the diffuser idea!
I strongly encourage you all to check out the ingredients in this cleaner. There is nothing natural or green about it. http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/5165-GreenWorksnaturallyderivedglassandsurfacecleaner
Melissa says
April 23, 2015 at 7:54 pmI have a bag of sea glass we collected on vacation so this will be a perfect use for it! Thanks!
Joan Kubes says
April 23, 2015 at 4:40 pmI want to try to make the scented sea glass. Thanks for the giveaway.
Kit says
April 23, 2015 at 11:15 am*hmm* That orange peel one sounds lovely… nothing says summer to me more than oodles of fresh citrus, and as I live in a major citrus-producing state, oranges (and grapefruit and key limes, etc) are easy to get a hold of… and enjoy!
Kim says
April 23, 2015 at 9:37 amI’d love to make my own diffuser but is there a substitute for vodka as I don’t drink spirits so don’t want to have to buy it just for this purpose………?
Hannah says
June 16, 2015 at 9:13 amPopov vodka is probably the cheapest vodka out there (like $3-$5 a bottle, I think) and can be used for all types of cleaners. It’s not a vodka I would recommend drinking though, so you’re not really wasting your money because you can’t drink it. My mom would buy a bottle every two or three months to make her household cleaner. It really is better then using grain alcohol.
Stephanie Gerber says
June 18, 2015 at 9:38 amTotally! I bought that vodka because it’s so darn cheap and use it for all my home DIY recipes. Definitely not for drinking!
Serena says
April 23, 2015 at 9:33 amI’ve been wondering how to make my own diffuser. Looks pretty simple! Great giveaway, too — is it too late to enter, and if not, how can I enter?
MelodyJ says
April 23, 2015 at 3:31 amI want to try the All- Purpose Cleaner. This a good giveaway foe spring cleaning.
Kristen says
April 23, 2015 at 12:27 ammmmm orange peel air freshener sounds good.
Kacey says
April 22, 2015 at 10:04 pmSuch an awesome giveaway!
ginette4 says
April 22, 2015 at 9:50 pmHow do I enter this giveaway?
Abigail says
April 23, 2015 at 5:56 pmI’m definitely going to try the sea glass diffuser!
I would also love to enter the giveaway… However it is that we do so.
Stephanie Gerber says
April 23, 2015 at 7:53 pmYikes, the form got left off – it’s back up now if you want to enter the giveaway. My apologies!!
Michelle A. says
April 22, 2015 at 8:21 pmAwesome ideas!
Claudia says
April 22, 2015 at 6:45 pmI would love to try the Orange Peel Air Freshener, Thank you!
Rebecca Kelsey Sampson says
April 22, 2015 at 5:03 pmI had no idea that it was so easy to make air freshener! I plan on trying the air diffuser as soon as possible. The orange one also seems so easy to replicate.
Kindness is the best accessory,
Rebecca Kelsey Sampson
RebeccaKelsey.com
Erica says
April 22, 2015 at 4:53 pmAwesome ideas. These DIY eco-friendly posts are why I love Hello Glow.
Chrisanthy says
April 22, 2015 at 4:32 pmGreat ideas!! Can’t wait to try them!
Kamiyah says
April 22, 2015 at 3:36 pmGoing home to try the diffuser tonight!
Ellie says
April 22, 2015 at 11:50 amI cannot wait to try some of these tips!
Sherry says
April 22, 2015 at 11:47 amI would love to try these cleaners too. What do we do to enter?
Cheryl says
April 22, 2015 at 11:18 amHow do we enter the giveaway?