When you think of fragrance oils, the first things that come to mind are probably candles and soap. However, fragrances can be used for a huge variety of other projects too! Looking for fragrance oil inspiration? Check out this giant list of 27 projects you can make with fragrance oils!
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1. Candles
Making your own candles is one of the best ways to use fragrances. By making candles yourself, you have complete control over the ingredients and container you use. If you haven’t made candles before, we have you covered! This easy candle making tutorial will get you started.
2. Wax Melts
If you haven’t tried making wax melts before, you really should! It’s easier than you might think to make wax melts at home. All you need is wax, fragrance oils, a melting pot, containers, and a few simple tools. In no time, you’ll be whipping up wax melts that look and smell even more beautiful than the ones you can buy in the store! Check out our wax melt tutorials for inspiration and recipes!
3. Soap
Making scented soap is a wonderful way to use fragrance oils. Any of our skin-safe fragrance oils can be used for soapmaking. Fragrance oils can be used for cold process, hot process soap making, and of course melt & pour soap. Check out our huge library of soap tutorials for inspiration.
4. Reed Diffusers
A reed diffuser is one of the easiest things you can make. All you need to do is combine fragrance oils with some of our reed diffuser base, pour it into a diffuser bottle, and add reeds. We have all the supplies you need to make reed diffusers and easy tutorials in our blog!
5. Perfume & Cologne
With our Perfume & Cologne Base, you can make your own perfume that smells like high-end brands at a fraction of the cost! Simply choose your favorite perfume or cologne oil, then combine it with the base in a spray bottle. That’s it! Follow our easy perfume recipe for tips and inspiration.
6. Sugar Scrubs
If you enjoy working with melt & pour soap, you might like experimenting with DIY sugar scrubs. To make a sugar scrub, you simply mix soap base with plain sugar and pour the mixture into a mold. With skin-safe fragrance oils, you can make your sugar scrubs any scent you want. Try our Cranberry Sugar Scrub Cubes to get started!
7. Bath Bombs
Making your own amazing-smelling bath bombs is another fun project! With a huge variety of bath bomb molds available, you can let your imagination run wild. Pair your mold with a skin-safe fragrance oil and have fun with it! Looking for inspiration? Try our Floral Bath Bombs or Christmas Cookie Bath Bombs.
8. Shower Steamers
Whereas bath bombs are popped in the tub, shower steamers are designed to fizz and release their scent while you shower. Scented shower steamers are great for boosting your mood with minty or energetic fragrances, or for helping you relax with scents like lavender. Shower steamers are usually made with a flat mold so they can stay in place without rolling around.
9. Bath Salts
Bath salts are even easier to make than DIY Bath bombs! Simply combine Epsom salts or European spa salts with fragrance and any colorants you want to add. You can make your bath salts even more luxurious by adding baking soda or coconut milk powder. Check out our Floral Bath Salt recipe for an easy intro to this project.
10. Bath Oil
Another indulgent bath project is DIY bath oil. All you need to do is combine a liquid carrier oil with a small amount of skin-safe fragrance oil. To help your bath oil mix with the water, you’ll want to include an emulsifying ingredient such as Polysorbate 80. To use, add about 1 tablespoon of oil to your bath and enjoy!
11. Bubble Bath
Did you know you can make your own bubble bath by combining unscented castile soap with coconut oil and a small amount of skin-safe fragrance oil? It’s also possible to make your own bubble bath from scratch by combining 1 part Bubble Up (coco betaine) with 1 part demineralized water and 1 part decyl glucoside. Add a small amount of skin-safe fragrance oil and you have your own scented bubble bath mix! You can also make solid bubble bath bars that are similar to bath bombs following this recipe!
12. Lotion
If you want to branch into making body products, lotion is a great way to start. There are pre-made lotion bases available, or you can make your own with ingredients like almond oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, and other similar ingredients. It’s also fun to make solid lotion bars, which are great for traveling!
13. Deodorant
Did you know you can make your own scented deodorant from scratch? By making your own deodorant, you have complete control over the ingredients and fragrances used. Most deodorant recipes are made from a blend of coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, baking soda, and arrowroot powder along with skin-safe fragrance oils for scent.
14. Massage Oil
DIY massage oil is incredibly easy to make! All you need to do is blend your choice of oils such as avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or other similar carrier oils. Any skin-safe fragrance oil can be added for scent.
15. Beard Oil
Men are sometimes so hard to shop for, but there are actually a lot of DIY projects you can make for the men on your list! One of the easiest projects of all time is DIY Beard Oil. Beard oil is made by combining carrier oils with a small amount of fragrance oils. There are tons of different carrier oils to choose from, making it easy to customize your blend to get different properties.
16. Shampoo & Conditioner
Whether you make shampoo and conditioner from scratch or use a pre-made base, it’s beyond easy to add your own custom scent to these hair products. Any skin-safe fragrance oil can be used, but these Spa Fragrance Oils are great to start with if you’re not sure which fragrance to use. As with any project, we recommend testing a small batch first to see how the fragrance will perform with the base you are using.
17. Car Freshies
Aroma beads are plastic pellets that absorb fragrance. They’re versatile for a huge number of projects, but the most popular thing to do with aroma beads is make car freshies! A car freshie is made by baking aroma beads into shapes using cookie cutters. Once they’re done baking in the oven, you simply remove the shapes and attach a string so they can be hung in a car window. Car freshies keep their scent for up to 45 days or so.
18. Incense Sticks
To make your own incense, you will need fragrance oils, unscented incense sticks, and dipropylene glycol (DPG). The DPG keeps your incense from creating black soot when you burn the sicks. Mix one part fragrance oil with 2 parts DPG in a glass container. Submerge the sticks in the mixture and let them sit for 24 hours. Finally, let the sticks dry completely and they are ready to use!
19. Diffuser Blends
Did you know fragrance oils can be used in a diffuser similar to essential oils? Simply add a few drops of your favorite scent to a diffuser following the same instructions you would for essential oils. Read these tips for using fragrances in a diffuser for more information.
20. Potpourri
Potpourri is easy to make by combining dried botanicals with a little fragrance oil. Spread the botanicals on a paper towel and use a pipette to add a few drops of fragrance. Let the mixture dry, then transfer it to a decorative bowl or jar. You can also make more advanced blends by adding a fixative powder such as orris root powder. This helps the mixture retain the scent longer.
21. Room Spray
Making room spray with fragrance oils couldn’t be easier. Simply combine some of our Room Spray Base with your favorite fragrance and add it to a spray bottle. Check out our easy room spray tutorial or pick up a DIY kit!
22. Linen Spray
Linen spray is very similar to making room spray. The main difference is that linen spray is designed to be used on curtains, rugs, and other surfaces. When making linen spray, you typically want to use a lighter fragrance load to avoid the mixture being too oily. Likewise, you also want to hold your linen spray at least 12 inches away from surfaces when spraying to avoid staining.
23. DIY Cleaning Spray
Making your own scented cleaning spray couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is combine 2 tablespoons of castile soap with 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol in a 16 oz spray bottle. Add 15-20 drops of your favorite fragrance oil with a pipette. Finally, fill the remainder of the bottle with distilled water, put the lid on, and shake to combine.
24. Dryer Balls
Dryer balls are a great alternative to dryer sheets. They help your clothes dry faster and prevent static cling. When you use a little fragrance oil, they’re also great for making your laundry smell wonderful. You can purchase wool dryer balls or make your own. To add scent, simply put a few drops of fragrance oil on the dryer ball and let it soak in and dry before using them with your laundry. Please read these tips for using fragrance oils in the dryer before doing this project.
25. Scented Stationery and Gift Wrap
Perfumed stationery is a great way to make your cards, letters, and gifts stand out. Making scented paper is super easy. You will need to start by making a room spray blend or perfume blend (detailed above). Once blended, simply spritz a small amount onto your stationery. Be sure to use the perfume sparingly to prevent wrinkling the paper. Also keep in mind that the mixture may cause ink to run. For best results, let the paper dry before using it or writing on it.
26. Shoe & Closet Fresheners
To keep closets and shoes smelling fresh, put together some air freshening sachets! One method is to make scented aroma beads and place the beads into a muslin bag. Alternatively, you can follow our lavender sachet tutorial. These sachets are great for keeping musty odors at bay.
27. Scented Pinecones
One of the easiest holiday projects you can make is scented pinecones. Not only do these look cute as part of your decor, they also smell amazing. To make scented pinecones, all you need to do is add a few drops of fragrance oil to dried pinecones. Follow our easy scented pinecone project for tips and tricks!