Good Scents: 50+ Things You Can Make Using Essential Oils

While essential oils have been used for aromatherapy for hundreds of years, these all-natural scents are seeing a spike in popularity as more people are learning about their de-stressing and energizing abilities. Derived from plants or flowers, most often through steam distillation, essential oils can be used to make scented candles, oil diffusers, even pest repellants. To show you all the possibilities a little bottle of essential oil holds, we rounded up some of our favorite things to make with essential oils—along with our guides to picking the right scent.

Make these if your home could use a scent boost:

• Craft your own homemade reed diffusers
• Mix up a DIY room spray
• DIY a scent diffuser (using paper straws!)
• Try this easy 3-ingredient air freshener
• Make a custom-scented candle or craft a candle using your microwave
• Mix up a homemade linen spray (that will help you fall asleep faster)
• Make a calming spray for a baby nursery

If you want to refresh your beauty routine:

• Try essential oils as a perfume replacement (like this fun-loving Seattle homeowner does)
• Craft a custom-scented solid perfume
• DIY your own bubble bath
• Use lavender essential oils to make scented bath salts

If you want to get your home ready for the holidays:

• Make better-than-store-bought scented pinecones

If you want to invest in a super star essential oil:

• 6 ways to use rosemary essential oil to disinfect, breathe easier and moisturize

Mix up these recipes to keep bugs and pests at bay:

• Make this natural garden pesticide
• Use essential oils to get rid of fabric-chomping moths
• Try peppermint oil to keep mice out of your kitchen

Make these if your home needs some natural cleaning:

• 10 natural cleaning recipes everyone should know by heart
• How to make your own bathroom cleaner
• How to make homemade cleaner antibacterial (hint: add lemon or tea tree oil)
• 7 smart ways to clean, disinfect and degrease using essential oils
• 10 ways to disinfect your whole home with tea tree oil
• Make your own lavender laundry detergent (this sounds divine)
• DIY your own yoga mat disinfecting spray

How to pick the right scent for your project:

• These 5 scents will help you survive the work week (a peppermint oil candle is about to improve your Tuesday)
• Choose one of these 5 essential oils if you want to boost productivity
• This scent could help you fall asleep faster

Be careful with essential oils if you’re a cat owner:

• An important essential oil warning for cat owners

Where to Buy Essential Oils:

• Whole Foods stores generally have a decent selection of essential oils, particularly in locations with a separate Whole Body department.
• Bulk Apothecary is my go-to source for essential oils. They offer both certified organic oils, as well as blends.
• Mountain Rose Herbs sells only 100% pure, organic certified essential oils, so you can be sure you’re getting a high-quality product, even if you can’t sniff-test it through your computer screen.