Nothing smells quite as good as the holidays. Mulling spices, freshly baked cookies, hot cocoa and pine wreaths all meld to bring the holidays to life and give your house a fresh, festive scent (even in the middle of spring or summer). But thankfully you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen (or wait until it’s cold outside) to make your home smell like it’s straight out of a Christmas movie. With just a few ingredients you already have lying around, you can make these super easy citrus rind diffusers.
Citrus Rind Diffusers 3 Ways
I’m all for a festive and free holiday DIY, and these citrus rind diffusers are one of my faves. Not only do they cleanse the air and eliminate bad odors, but they also release the scent of whichever oils, spices and herbs you choose to put in them for an easy DIY diffuser.
If you want your home to smell like the holidays (and who doesn’t?), just reach for a few common kitchen staples like cloves, cinnamon and thyme and the oils of your choosing. Mix it all together and you’ll be singing Winter Wonderland in no time.
To make your diffusers for free (or next to nothin’), simply hollow out some citrus rinds, add coarse sea salt and a mix of your choice of warm scents like clove, ginger and thyme. The sea salt does double duty, absorbing bad odors from the environment and removing dust and impurities from the air while also diffusing the fresh citrus and herb scents.
To really bring out the scent of the oils, I like to put mine in the kitchen or on a sunny windowsill, where it’s naturally warm. Be sure to sprinkle your diffusers throughout different rooms of the house and replace every couple days to keep your home smelling merry and bright.
Here are three different citrus-y scents to make your home smell like the holidays.
Orange Spice
-1 whole orange
-12 drops cinnamon essential oil
-1 tablespoon whole cloves
-1 cup coarse sea salt
Slice the orange in half and hollow out both sides using a paring knife and spoon, being sure to remove as much of the fruit flesh as you can. In a small bowl, mix the sea salt, cinnamon essential oil and cloves.
Spoon the mixture into the orange rind and place one half in different rooms of the house. Replace every 3-4 days or sooner if you see signs of mold.
Grapefruit with Cedarwood and Sage
-1 whole grapefruit
-18 drops cedarwood essential oil
-3 fresh sage leaves
-1 1/2 cups coarse sea salt
Slice the grapefruit in half and hollow out both sides using a paring knife and spoon. In a small bowl, mix the sea salt, cedarwood essential oil and sage leaves.
Spoon the mixture into the grapefruit rind and place one half in different rooms of the house. Replace every 3-4 days or sooner if you see signs of mold.
Lemon with Rosemary and Vanilla
-1 whole lemon
-15 drops rosemary essential oil
-2 drops vanilla extract
-1 cup coarse sea salt
Hollow out the lemon using a paring knife and spoon. In a small bowl, mix the sea salt, rosemary essential oil and vanilla extract.
Spoon the mixture into the lemon rinds and place in different rooms of the house. Replace every 3-4 days or sooner if you see signs of mold.
Looking for other DIY projects that will make your house smell amazing? Check out these DIYs for Himalayan salt candle diffusers and candle ideas you can make at home.
Citrus Rind Diffusers FAQ
How long will these keep fresh?
I’ve found that they last 3-4 days, depending on the freshness of the citrus used. But you’ll want to keep an eye out for signs of mold and replace these diffusers accordingly.
Can I use a different kind of salt other than sea salt?
Yes! I think Himalayan pink salt would make for a colorful (and pretty!) addition. But, really, any sea salt will work.
Can I add scents to these diffusers using only essential oils?
If you don’t have any fresh herbs on hand, you can just use your favorite essential oils instead. I would suggest using a total of 20 drops of essential oil at most per diffuser, depending on the size of your room and your strength preference.
Some other essential oil blend ideas that would be fun to try: grapefruit + mint, lemon + lavender and lime + bergamot.
Where should I place these diffusers in my house?
I like to put mine on a sunny windowsill or in a room that’s naturally warmer, like a kitchen or sunroom, because the heat helps bring out the scent of the oils. I also like to whip up a few different scent mixes that complement each other and sprinkle the diffusers throughout the house.
3 Citrus Rind Diffusers to Freshen the Air Naturally
Equipment
- Small bowl
- Sharp knife
Materials
Orange Spice
- 1 whole orange
- 12 drops cinnamon essential oil
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves or clove essential oil
- 1 cup coarse sea salt
Grapefruit with Cedarwood and Sage
- 1 whole grapefruit
- 18 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 3 fresh sage leaves or sage essential oil
- 1.5 cups coarse sea salt
Lemon with Rosemary and Vanilla
- 1 whole lemon
- 15 drops rosemary essential oil
- 2 drops vanilla extract or vanilla essential oil
- 1 cup coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Slice fruit in half.
- Hollow out both sides using a knife and spoon, being sure to remove as much of the fruit flesh as you can.
- In a small bowl, mix the sea salt, essential oil and fresh or dried herbs.
- Spoon the salt into the fruit rind and place the diffuser anywhere you'd like a fresh scent.
Such an ingenious idea! Will use this and take it home in time for Christmas!
Oh my goodness, I had heard a million times to dry out the rinds and use those for the scent, but I’d never heard anything like this. And it’s total genius! Do you just put them anywhere, like on a table or something, or do you try to put them near a source of heat to make them give off more of a scent? Thanks so much! :) Lisa
So you make the diffuser by using fruit rinds. Ingenious.