Homemade Reed Diffuser DIY – How To Make Your Own

To support the running costs of Moral Fibres, this post contains affiliate links. This means Moral Fibres may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to readers, on items purchased through these links.

Want to learn how to make a homemade reed diffuser? It sounds tricky, but I promise it’s so easy! The hardest part is picking what scents you want to use!

Now, I’m not really a crafty person, but this homemade reed diffuser tutorial is so simple it’s basically foolproof! If you can add some liquid to a bottle then this is the DIY for you! Much like most of my natural cleaning products to DIY to be honest!

reed diffuser DIY

My inspiration for this project came from my old bottle collection. Rather than just have them sitting gathering dust on a shelf, I wanted to use some of them in a practical way.

At the same time, I was also looking for a way to freshen my bathroom without going down the chemical air freshener route. Artificially scented products may not be the best for your health, so it’s something I try to avoid.

The smell of standard air fresheners and synthetic fragrances (especially the plugin ones) also makes me feel sick. And I don’t like using essential oil burners because of having a small child in the house. Therefore, a homemade reed diffuser put high out of reach of my little one felt like a good option. 

I came up with this idea for a homemade reed diffuser because it had the dual purpose of practically using my bottles. At the same time, it scents my bathroom in an environmentally friendly and natural way without the use of harsh chemicals or synthetic fragrances. Win!

homemade reed diffuser

Homemade Reed Diffuser DIY

It worked so well that I thought I’d share my technique because I’m good like that! Here’s how you can make your own homemade reed diffuser for pennies, in minutes, and with only a few ingredients:

Ingredients

A clean glass jar preferably with a narrow mouth.
60 ml of sweet almond oil
30 drops of essential oil of your choice.
A handful of reed sticks

I bought my sweet almond oil, essential oils (rosemary and grapefruit in this instance) and reed sticks from Etsy. I’ve got plenty left of each to make heaps of reed diffusers!

It’s really important to use a bottle or jar with a narrow opening as the oil will evaporate at a slower rate than a jar with a wide opening. This means the scent will be stronger when using a bottle or jar with a narrow opening.

Instructions

To make your homemade reed diffuser, pour 60ml of sweet almond oil into your glass jar.

Add your essential oil(s). I used 10 drops of rosemary oil and 20 drops of grapefruit oil as I wanted a clean citrus smell for my bathroom.

Wipe down your jar with a cloth to remove any oils that might have dripped down the sides.

Add your reed sticks.

Then, after a few hours remove your reed sticks and place them back in the jar upside down. This helps the oils travel up the sticks.

Place in a spot away from children and pets and enjoy the lovely aroma!

Some Points to Note When Using A Homemade Reed Diffuser

make your own reed diffuser

It’s really important to bear in mind that the scent in this homemade reed diffuser isn’t anywhere near as strong as its shop-bought counterparts. Therefore, don’t expect a particularly strong fragrance.

For that reason, I find it best to place the diffuser in a small area, such as a small bathroom or WC, rather than trying to scent your whole living room. It’s a different experience to using a synthetic reed diffuser.

If you are struggling to smell anything from your diffuser, then some people also swear by adding vodka to their diffuser. Apparently, this helps the oils travel up the reeds. I didn’t have any vodka in the house so wasn’t able to try this. Do let me know if you do, and what effect it has!

Finally, if you find the essential oil smell starts to go a bit flat after a few days then don’t worry. Try taking the reed sticks out and placing them back in the liquid upside down.

I hope you enjoy making it! The essential oil diffuser would make such a lovely homemade gift, so it’s definitely one to keep in mind if you’re ever in need of any eco-friendly gift idea! Alternatively, if you need something stronger-scented, do check out my guide to eco-friendly air fresheners.

ps: if you like this try my homemade beeswax candle DIY!

Found this post useful? Please consider buying me a virtual coffee to help support the site’s running costs.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Join The Mailing List

Be part of the community and get all the latest articles, news and tips on green living from Moral Fibres straight to your inbox, once a month, free of charge.