Reed diffusers for adding scent to your home are trendy items right now at stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond.  You know, stores where you go in to buy just one thing, and then you see so many other wonderful things, so you quick hurry out before there’s too much damage to the checkbook. Yikes!

That’s why I loved this super economical idea for a homemade reed diffuser.  You can have the look of a much more expensive item without the high price tag.

My Inspiration

My inspiration for making my reed diffuser came after reading this article at the Natural Home and Garden website (click here to read Try This: Reed Diffuser)  The idea in this article was to convert any glass jar or bottle in the house by making a cork stopper for the top and drilling a hole in it for the reeds.  But the part I was most intrigued by was the natural solution to the reeds themselves.  It said  “Use thin peeled branches from a tree, woody cuttings from a bush, hollow or spongy stems from a weed, or dried stalks from a field of tall grasses. Stalks are engineered by nature to draw liquids upward.”   And here I was paying good money for reeds  when I had grass plants right in my own backyard!

So here’s my  version of a homemade reed diffuser.  I found a cute little reed diffuser bottle at the dollar store so I skipped the rather cumbersome step of trying to drill a hole in a cork stopper for a larger bottle.

Here’s what you will need

MAKE YOUR OWN REED DIFFUSER

1.  Decide what you will use for your bottle.  Interesting small glass bottles and vases can often be found in dollars stores or goodwill stores.

Put that dried grass to good use!

2.  Go in search of your dried plant material.  I have several tall grass plants in my backyard that did not have new growth yet for the summer so I used those.  I brought a bunch of clippings in the house and then picked some of the best looking ones.  I then trimmed them to an equal length
(I did 8″)

3.  Next you will need an essential oil in the scent of your choice (I decided on orange).  Pour hot tap water into your bottle to the level you desire and then add the drops of essential oil for the fragrance.
I used a 1/2 cup of water with 15 drops of essential oil.

4.  Arrange your dried stalks in the bottle and enjoy.

A Few More Notes

  • Create different looks by using long branches (as in the photo from the original article) or by using shorter stalks in a smaller bottle
  • Be sure that any plant material you use is dried out well so it can absorb the scented water
  • The water can be refreshed from time to time with a few more drops of oil
  • You can turn the stalks upside down once in a while to expose the saturated ends

**Update:  After a week or so the stems can get moldy.  If using your own natural reeds, be sure to change them often.

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