DIY Fall Decor Using Essential Oils

Autumn is a wonderful time to stay inside and enjoy cozy activities with friends and family. The crisp air outside is made for walks under the color-changing leaves, and it inspires some creative seasonal decorating. Making our own scented fall decorations lets us customize them how we like and create our own aroma blends with essential oils. It is also a creative activity the whole family can be a part of.

Scented Pinecones

While we are out on our autumn walks we can collect some pinecones to create our own version of a very popular fall decoration: scented pinecones.

You’ll need:

• Pinecones
• Parchment Paper
• Misting Spray Bottle
• Witch Hazel
• Sealing Bag
• 1 mL of Essential Oil Blend

“Autumnal Welcome” blend

• 7 parts Cinnamon Bark essential oil
• 5 parts Ginger essential oil
• 5 parts Cedarwood essential oil
• 3 parts Sweet Orange essential oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200°F.
2. Gently wash the pinecones by submerging them in warm water and dish soap and agitating them with your hands. Rinse off the soap.
3. Spread the pinecones out on a baking pan over parchment paper and bake them for 45 minutes to dry them out.
4. Mix witch hazel with 1 mL of your favorite fall essential oils in a spray bottle. Shake well to combine the oils with the witch hazel.
5. Spray the pinecones generously once they have completely cooled off.
6. Place the pinecones in a sealed bag for 5 days so they can fully absorb the essential oils.
7. Put the pinecones in a decorative dish and enjoy the aroma through the season.

DIY Reed Diffuser

Reed diffusers are a popular way to diffuse essential oils, and making our own is a way to add a personal touch.

You’ll need:

• Jar or Glass Bottle
• 4-5 Bamboo Skewers or Diffuser Reeds
• ¼ to ½ cup of Diffuser Base
• Twine or Ribbon in fall colors
• 1 mL of Essential Oils per ¼ cup of diffuser base

“Mulled Cider” blend

• 2 parts Sweet Orange essential oil
• 1 part Cinnamon Cassia essential oil
• 1 part Clove Bud essential oil

Directions:

1. Wrap your twine or ribbon around the neck of your jar several times and finish by tying it in a bow. Reuse an old mason jar or jam jar for a rustic touch.
2. Fill the jar about halfway with diffuser base and add your essential oil blend. Stir them together until combined.
3. Snip the sharp ends off the bamboo skewers and place them in the jar. After they have absorbed the oils for an hour, flip them over.
4. Place the jar on a table or mantel and enjoy the cozy scent.
5. Flip the skewers or reeds over every 5 days to keep the aroma prominent.

Scented Burlap Wreath

Wreaths are fun, customizable, and the first thing our guests see when they arrive. Create a warm and inviting atmosphere from the moment they reach your door with this scented burlap wreath.

You’ll need:

• 3-5 Rolls of Craft Burlap (classic brown or a mix of colors)
• Wire Wreath
• Wired Burlap Bow
• ½ cup of Witch Hazel
• Misting Spray Bottle
• 1 mL of Essential Oil Blend

“Falling Leaves” blend

• 5 parts Frankincense essential oil
• 3 parts Myrrh essential oil
• 7 parts Sweet Orange essential oil
• 5 parts Cedarwood essential oil

Directions:

1. Mix ½ cup of witch hazel with your essential oil blend in a misting spray bottle and set aside.
2. To make the wreath, begin to feed the burlap through the 1st and 2nd space in the wreath, around the 2nd wire ring.
3. Continue to pull the burlap on either side of the 2nd wire and scrunch it together tightly as you go. The ruffles will hold tight to the ring if you pull and scrunch the burlap firmly.
4. Continue this method around the wreath form until full. The tightly packed burlap should stay in place on its own.
5. Repeat the same method, feeding the burlap through the 2nd and 3rd space of the wreath form. You may have to push the previous ruffle over a bit to pull the burlap through the same space.
6. Add a bow and spray thoroughly with your essential oil spray.
7. Place the wreath on your front door, above the mantelpiece or over the bed.
8. Store the essential oil spray in a cool, dark place and reapply it to the wreath as needed.

Apple Pie Melt and Pour Soap

Apple pie is a holiday meal staple for many people. This soap recipe pays homage to a slice of apple pie with its layered design and sweet, warm, spicy scent. Using an oatmeal melt and pour soap base adds a little exfoliation and a speckled look to the final bar. Keep a bar by the sink for family gatherings all season.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Oatmeal Melt and Pour Soap Base
• 5 milliliters Apple Fragrance Oil
• 5 milliliters Cinnamon Orange Clove Fragrance Oil
• 0.5 mL Vanilla Cream Fragrance Oil
• Brown Liquid Color
• Ground Cinnamon

Supplies:

• Heat Safe Bowls
• Pot or Double Boiler
• Spoon or Rubber Spatula
• Heat Safe Soap Mold
• 99% isopropyl alcohol in a misting spray bottle

Directions:

1. Cut 2 pounds of Oatmeal Melt and Pour Soap Base into smaller pieces and add them to a heat safe bowl. Place the bowl on top of a pot with a few inches of water in it. Bring the water to a boil and gently melt the soap, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the soap from the heat, add 5 milliliters each of the Apple and Cinnamon Orange Clove fragrance oils, and stir everything together thoroughly.
3. Separate about 8 ounces of the soap mixture and add 0.5 mL of Vanilla Cream Fragrance Oil. Add Brown Liquid Color a little at a time until a medium brown color is achieved.
4. Pour the brown mixture into your mold or molds and mist the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to dissipate any air bubbles. Allow to cool.
5. Color the remaining soap mixture with a little Brown Liquid Color to achieve a creamy beige tone.
6. Mist the brown soap with alcohol one more time and pour in the remaining soap mixture. Mist the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to dissipate any air bubbles before sprinkling ground cinnamon over the top.

Sugar Cookie Candle

A scented candle is a simple way to spread a seasonal scent around your home and add a touch to your decorating. Use these candles in a table centerpiece at a holiday meal and make it smell like you have been baking cookies all day.

You’ll need:

• 4 cups of soy wax flakes or pastilles
• 2 candle wicks with a metal base
• 2 8oz glass jars
• Wooden skewer or chopstick
• 2 clothespins
• 5 ml Vanilla Fragrance Oil
• 5 ml Lemon Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Mix the fragrance oil and essential oil in a small bowl and set it aside.
2. Add the soy wax to a double boiler and heat until fully melted, stirring throughout.
3. Turn off the heat and dip the metal end of each wick into the wax. Press the ends into the center of the bottom of each jar. Hold while the wax hardens to secure the wick.
4. Straighten the wicks and secure them at the mouth of the jars with a clothespin resting on the top of each jar.
5. Slowly pour the wax into each jar.
6. Add the fragrance blend to the wax in each jar. Using the skewer or chopstick, gently stir the fragrance blend into the wax.
7. Let the candles sit for 24 hours, until fully set. Once set, remove the clothespins and trim the wicks to 1 inch.
8. You can add liquid dyes to the wax and ribbons or labels to the outside of the jar for more of a fall look.