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DIY Fall Fragrances

The fact that coffeehouses and grocery stores are now touting pumpkin-flavored everything means fall has officially arrived. And in the often chilly and grey days of autumn, many people like to surround themselves with comforting fall fragrances that add a bit of warmth to the home.

Of course, the quickest way to make your home smell crisp and seasonal is by going out and buying candles. That tactic will definitely work. However, it might be more fun — and economical — to spend an overcast fall day inside making your own DIY scents while sipping a pumpkin-flavored latte.

DIY #1: Cinnamon Pinecones

Approximate time: 30 minutes of actual work and 24 hours until useable

Scented pinecones not only fill your home with fall fragrances, they look autumnal, too. Plus, they’re really easy to make.

What you’ll need:

• Open pinecones (These can be purchased from a local craft store or—depending on what region of the country you live in—can be gathered from your front yard.)
• Cinnamon essential oil
• Water
• A spray bottle
• Plastic grocery bags or bin liners

Directions:

Mix water and three to five drops of cinnamon essential oil in a spray bottle. After mixing the oil with water, sniff it to see if the fragrance is strong enough for your taste. If not, add more oil. Spray pinecones with the water and oil mixture. Seal the pinecones in a plastic bag for at least 24 hours to let the cinnamon oil soak into the cones. Take the cinnamon-scented pinecones out of the bag and arrange them in a decorative bowl.

DIY #2: Apple Simmer Pot

Approximate time: 30 minutes

If your favorite fall fragrances involve apples, you might enjoy this simmer pot so much that you forget fall candles even exist.

What you’ll need:

• Slow cooker or saucepan
• One apple
• Two tablespoons dried chamomile
• Two to four cinnamon sticks
• One tablespoon of vanilla
• One tablespoon of almond extract
• Two cups of warm water

Directions:

After slicing the apple, combine all the ingredients in a small slow cooker or saucepan. Set the cooker or burner to low, and wait for the smell of apples to waft through your home. Note: Make sure you keep an eye on this concoction because the liquid evaporates over time, and you don’t want to start a small kitchen fire. To keep your fragrance going, you may need to add water every 30 minutes or so.

DIY #3: Pumpkin-scented Candle Warmer

Approximate time: 5 minutes

Without a doubt, pumpkin is the star of autumn whether it comes to flavors or fragrances. The following recipe can have your house smelling like you’ve just pulled a pumpkin pie straight from the oven.

What you’ll need:

• A simple essential oil diffuser or wax burner
• Three tablespoons of coconut oil
• Three teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
• One-half teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:

Combine the coconut oil and the pumpkin pie spice. Add the cinnamon and blend the ingredients until they’re well mixed. Pour some of the solution in the dish of your wax burner or oil diffuser. Now sit back and enjoy your own little slice of pumpkin-scented heaven.

DIY #4: Pumpkin Spice Spray

Approximate time: 15 minutes

If you’re not a fan of the wax burners or oil diffusers suggested in the above recipe, perhaps a spray is more your style.

What you’ll need:

• A 12-oz. spray bottle
• 8 oz. of distilled water
• 20 drops of cinnamon essential oil
• 15 drops of nutmeg essential oil
• 15 drops of ginger essential oil
• 15 drop of clove essential oil
• 10 drops of orange essential oil
• 5 drops of cardamom essential oil

Directions:

To make your pumpkin spice spray, simply mix all the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake this very well to mix the oils thoroughly. Then walk through your home spraying and filling the house with autumn magic. Note: You’ll need to shake your mixture up each time you freshen up the scent.

DIY #5: Dried Orange Garland

Approximate time: Six to 12 hours of work and baking with several hours to let ingredients cool

Take fall fragrances to a new level with a garland hat floods your home with the smell of dried oranges, cinnamon and bay leaves. This DIY may take a bit more time, but the payoff is well worth it.

What you’ll need:

• 10 oranges
• 250 bay leaves (You can buy them in bulk online.)
• 20 or so cinnamon sticks (These can also be found online in bulk quantities.)
• Some twine
• A drill
• A bookmaking needle or large embroidery needle

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. While the oven is warming, slice all of your oranges. You want the slices to be about ¼-inch thick. Bake your oranges for four hours on a cookie sheet or directly on the rack, turning them over once an hour. You may have to cook more than one batch of oranges.

As the oranges bake, prepare your cinnamon and bay leaves. Here’s where the drill comes in. Using a small bit, drill a hole in the middle of each cinnamon stick. The hole should be large enough for the twine to easily pass through. You won’t need the drill for the bay leaves, though. Simply pour them in a bowl and sort out the leaves that are too small to use on your wreath.

The oranges will need to cool completely before you work with them. It’s fine for the oranges to sit out overnight if you don’t have any pets that will get into them. Once the oranges are cool, you can start making your wreath using the twine and needle. You can string the items on the twine in whichever order you like, though you may want to bunch bay leaves together to enhance both their visual effect and scent.

When fall weather drives you indoors, make the most of your time by getting crafty and coming up with ways to add some coziness to your home. These DIY fall fragrances can help you fight off the blustery weather blues on even the greyest of days.

You can find more DIY tips here

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