1. Inhale Directly from an Essential Oil Bottle
This basic approach to getting the aromatic benefits of essential oils works great in a pinch. Simply uncap the essential oil bottle, hold it a few inches from your nose and move your hand back and forth over the top of the essential oil bottle, moving the essential oil vapors towards your nose.
2. Use Your Hands
Put a drop of essential oil in your hand, rub your hands together, then cup your hand over your nose and inhale deeply
Would you like an easy reference of all 25 ways to diffuse essential oils {without a diffuser}?
Click here for a FREE PRINTABLE that you can use for yourself, share with your team, or use as a class handout.
3. Use an Essential Oil Inhaler
These inhalers are extremely easy use to make and use. I love how convenient they are to carry in my purse so that I always have them when I need it.
Click here for a great tutorial on how to make an essential oil inhaler and recipes for essential oil inhaler blends from Stephanie Blue.
4. Make a Reed Diffuser
Reed diffusers are great for small spaces and rooms where you may not have easy access to a wall outlet. They’re perfect for bathrooms, foyers, and closets!
It only takes a few ingredients, and you probably have most (if not everything) you need already in your kitchen.
Click here to get recipes for 25 reed diffuser blends for winter and Christmas
5. Toilet Paper Roll
Put a few drops of essential oil on the cardboard tube inside a roll of toilet paper. Every time someone unrolls some toilet paper air will flow across the essential oil and diffuse it into the air. Use single oils like lavender, lemongrass, or orange. Or combine a couple different essential oils for great new blended scents. Here are a few to try for a fresh and clean scent your bathroom:Â
lavender + lemon
eucalyptus + spearmint
orange + grapefruit
lemon + rosemary + lavender
6. Furnace Filter
Put a few drops of essential oil on your furnace filter. When the furnace blows air over the filter the essential oils will be diffused throughout your home. The scent will fade after a couple of days.  You’ll need to add additional drops of essential oil to the furnace filter every couple of days.
7. Make room sprays
I love making room sprays! It’s an all-natural (chemical and toxin-free) way to freshen my home, bring in the scents of the season, and get the amazing therapeutic benefits of essential oils. They’re so easy to make and they save money over those commercial sprays.
These room sprays are, of course, great to use in your own home, but they also make FABULOUS GIFTS for teachers, friends, hairdressers, moms, neighbors, sisters, … makes a unique hostess gift, thank you gift, gift exchange item, teacher gift, …. They’re cute, functional, non-toxic, and smell AMAZING!!
the basic recipe is very simple:
16 oz glass bottle like this or like this
8Â oz distilled water
2 oz.  organic witch hazel (or substitute 2 tsp epsom salt)
30-40Â drops essential oil
click the links below for room spray recipes
8. Wear a Diffuser Necklace
Do you have an essential oil diffuser necklace yet? I love mine. It’s such an easy, convenient way for me to always have my favorite essential oils with me.
Here are a few of my favorite oil blends for my diffuser necklaces:
for energy:Â 2 drops wild orange and 2 drops peppermint
to relax: 2 drops grounding blend and 2 drops lavender
to brighten my mood:Â 2 drops joyful blend and 2 drops invigorating blend
summertime blend:Â 2 drops bergamot, 1 drop lime, 1 drop lemon, 1 drop wild orange, and 1 drop peppermint
click here for instructions from Mommypotamus on how to make a diffuser necklace out of air dry clay
click here for instructions on how to make this beautiful diffuser necklace for less than $1 each
9. Make a Diffuser Bracelet
Click here to learn how to make this diffuser bracelet from Mommypotamus
10. Make a DIY Diffuser for Your Car
Diffusing essential oils doesn’t have to stop when you leave your house.
11. Use a Cotton Ball
Just need a quick burst of essential oils? Try using a cotton ball. Put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and then place the cotton ball in your car vent, in your floor vent, or even on the blade of a fan (please be safe– unplug fan and then tape the cotton ball to the fan and completely remove hands from the fan before plugging it back in and turning it on).
12. Tissue Method
Don’t have a cotton ball? No Problem. You can use a tissue instead. Put a couple drops of essential oil on a tissue and put it near where you work or sleep.
13. Pillow Method
Don’t have a cotton ball or a tissue? No problem. Use a cloth or even your pillow case. Put a couple drops of essential oil on the corner (or even underside) of your pillow. Perfect way to drift off and have a great night’s sleep.
click here to check out my 12 favorite essential oils for getting a great night’s sleep
14. Stuffed Animal
Similar to the pillow method, you can also put a couple drops of a kid-safe essential oil (like lavender) on a favorite stuffed animal.
15. Shower Steamer
No time for baths, but love the aromatherapy benefits of bath bombs? Try shower melts!
The basic recipe is 1 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup distilled water, and 25 drops essential oil. Mix together. Add more baking soda and/or water to get the consistency to a thick paste. Spoon into silicone molds. Let air dry for 1-2 days, and then once completely dry store them in airtight containers.
To use place a shower steamer on the floor of your shower. Put it in a spot where it will get a little wet, but out of the main water stream. As the water hits it, it will dissolve and give off the aroma (and benefits) of the essential oils you used to make it. Be careful though to not get it too wet too quickly or it will just completely dissolve and run down the drain before you even get to enjoy the smell of the oils.
16. Washcloth Steamer
Don’t have the time to make a shower steam (#15 above)? There’s a simple alternative– just put a few drops of essential oil on a washcloth.
Put the washcloth in a spot on the shower floor where it will get a little wet, but out of the main water stream. As the water hits it, it will give off the aroma (and benefits) of the essential oils.
17. Facial Steamer
Pour hot water into a bowl and add a few drops of essential oil, cover your head and the bowl with a towel, and breathe deeply.
click here for instructions and tips from Stephanie Blue
17. Bath Salts
After a long day (or loooooonnnnnnng week), there’s nothing better than a nice hot bath with essential oils.
click here for 15 of my favorite essential oil bath salt recipes
18. Bath Bombs
I love the bubbling and fizzy of a good bath bomb! Such a fun and relaxing way to take a bath.
click here to learn how to make bath bombs with essential oil
19. Gel Diffuser
Have you tried making a gel air freshener? These are incredibly simple to make. It’s just polymer absorbent crystals (like these), water, and essential oils. Couldn’t be easier.
Here’s the recipe: 1 tsp water-storing crystal (like this), 1 cup hot water, and 20 drops essential oil. Stir together until well mixed. Keep gel freshener in glass jar without a lid (so that the gel/oil mixture can easily scent the air).
click here for full recipe and instructions (photo credit: shakentogetherlife.com)
20. Mason Jar Oil Candle
click here to get recipe and instructions (photo credit: MsDawn.com)
21. Baking Soda in a Jar
Want the perfect little air freshener for a closet or mud room? Try baking soda and essential oils in a mason jar. Easy and effective!
click here for the instructions on how to make your own from Tidy Mom
22. Scented Pinecones
If you have collected pinecones from your yard or nature, then first start with baking the bugs out of your pinecones. Bake in 200 degree oven for 1 hour and then let completely cool
If you bought your pinecones at a store or are reusing ones from your collection of decorations, then you can skip the baking step.
Place your pinecones in a large glass or stainless steel bowl.  Sprinkle  pinecones with 15-20 drops of cinnamon essential oil (or Christmas blend of your choice). Toss them to coat. Cover bowl tightly. Every couple of days shake pinecones to distribute essential oil and scent. After a few weeks the pinecones are ready to use.
23. Essential Oil Fire Starters
How cute are these?! Wouldn’t they make a great gift, too!
click here for recipe and instructions (photo credit: designsponge.com)
And here’s another super cute recipe for making essential oil fire starters!
click here for recipe and instructions (photo credit: hellonatural.co)
24. Diffusing Ornaments
How cute are these? Set of 10 wood slice tags (each is 2-2.5 inch diameter). Perfect for a gift tag or ornament. Add a few drops of white fir or douglas fir essential oil and even your artificial tree will smell like it was just cut fresh from the Christmas tree farm. Add a couple more drops of essential oil every few days as needed.
click here to get these wood slice Christmas tree ornaments
Or make your own essential oil diffusing ornaments with just cornstarch, baking powder, and water. click here to get recipe for making your own
25. Orange Pomander
click here to get recipe and instructions then use clove essential oil to refresh the scent throughout the season (photo credit: simplebites.net)
Would you like an easy reference of all 25 ways to diffuse essential oils {without a diffuser}?
Click here for a FREE PRINTABLE that you can use for yourself, share with your team, or use as a class handout.
Interested in more recipes, tips, and ideas for how to use essential oils?
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