Tag Archive for: natural air fresheners

DIY: Create Natural Air Fresheners From the Garden

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A Breath of Fresh Air: Creating Natural Air Fresheners

Have you ever sprayed air freshener in your home? Does it ever smell like the fragrance described on the can? I must confess that I have used air-fresheners in the past, but I’ve never happy with how my house smelled afterward. To me, the fragrance is so ‘artificial,’ and I also wonder if there are some ingredients in them that maybe aren’t good to inhale.

Create Natural Air Fresheners From the Garden

Discover the Beauty of Natural Fragrances

So, I was intrigued when I heard about ‘natural’ air fresheners made from plants – many of which I have in my garden.

Imagine your home filled with the natural fragrance of citrus paired with your favorite herbs drifting throughout – no overpowering, artificial fragrance, just subtle, refreshing scents.  

How to Make Your Own Natural Air Fresheners

The combinations are endless, and the fragrance is released into the air by adding the contents and enough water to fill a small pot at least 1/2 – 3/4 full. Heat to boiling and then turn the heat down to low and allow it to simmer for a couple of hours. That’s it!

So are you as excited about creating your own ‘natural’ air fresheners as I am? 

citrus of all kinds are great in a freshener

Natural Ingredients for Your Unique Fragrance

Let’s get started with some ingredients that you can use for your unique fragrant combination(s):

Citrus Delights

All types of citrus are refreshing and can serve as the base of your air freshener.  I chose lemons, oranges and limes.  But, if you have a grapefruit tree that is overly generous with its fruit, they would work well too!

Create Natural Air Fresheners from basil

A Touch of Herbs

Now let’s grab some herbs for your natural air fresheners from the garden or the grocery store).

  1. Basil
Create Natural Air Fresheners from Thyme

2. Thyme

Create Natural Air Fresheners from mint

3. Mint

Rosemary and lavender would also work great. I also use vanilla extract and peppercorns in my mixtures.

Ingredients for air fresheners

Crafting Your Natural Air Freshener

Here are a few that I made.

Cooking (and eating) Italian food is some of my favorite – even though I have no Italian ancestry that I know of.  

I used 1 sprig of basil, 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns and a few slices of lemon – it makes my home smell fresh as I imagine an Italian kitchen would smell like.

Add these ingredients to jars and fill them with water to the top. For this project, I used Ball mason jars.

Lemon and basil scented Italian freshener

I think it looks pretty, don’t you? Of course, if you are going to use use them right away, skip the jar and add directly to a small pot. Pour more water until it reaches 3/4 full, heat to boiling, lower the heat to low and enjoy for a few hours – KEEP an eye on the water level and add more as needed – DON’T let it dry out.

Lime, thyme, and mint in a ball jar

More Natural Fragrance Combinations

Here is another combination that I like.

A few slices of lime, 4 – 5 sprigs of thyme, a sprig of mint and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

You can make one air freshener at a time, or create a few and store them in the refrigerator for a week. You can freeze them for longer until ready to use – just make sure to freeze them in a freezer-safe container such as a wide-mouth jar.

Lastly, this is my favorite combination, and only has two ingredients.

Oranges and vanilla extract

Oranges and vanilla extract.

I sliced half an orange and added 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

The fragrance reminds me of orange cream – YUM!

You can also add cinnamon sticks or a few whole cloves to this mixture for a spicier fragrance.

Oranges and vanilla extract

Exploring Natural Fragrance Variations

If you have ever stepped into a Williams & Sonoma store, they have their own natural air freshener recipe:

  • Lemon slices
  • Rosemary sprigs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

In addition to the ingredients I’ve used, here are some others that you can experiment with to create your own unique natural air freshener.

Citrus or apple peels, almond, coconut, or peppermint extract along with herbs like ginger, nutmeg, ground cinnamon, whole cloves, bay leaves, basil, sage, lavender, oregano, and rosemary.

Create Natural Air Fresheners From the Garden

Freshen Your Home Naturally

So if you want to add a little freshness to your home, don’t waste your time spraying artificial fragrance through your home. You can create wonderful combinations of scents using items from your garden, refrigerator, and pantry.

I hope you enjoy making these natural air fresheners as much as I do!

5 Surprising Ways to Use Citrus Fruit For Home and Kitchen

September in Review: Reunions, Sweets, On-Air, New Plants and DIY Projects

Have you ever paused to think about the events of the previous month?

ornamental trees

I seldom do, but the other day I was going through my recent photos and was surprised at how busy the past month of September was.

Here are a few snapshots from September…

My daughter, Rachele, graduated from her Navy Seabee School and was able to come home for 2 weeks after being gone for 5 months.

My daughter, Rachele, graduated from her Navy Seabee School and was able to come home for 2 weeks after being gone for 5 months.

The newest addition to our family, Penny is continuing to learn what is okay to chew and what is NOT okay to chew on

The newest addition to our family, Penny is continuing to learn what is okay to chew and what is NOT okay to chew on.

I did quite a few different gardening projects for my contributions to the Birds & Blooms blog…

Freezing mint into ice cubes

Freezing mint into ice cubes.

Making natural air fresheners

Making natural air fresheners.

ornamental trees

Starting lettuce seeds indoors using recycled plastic containers.

Many of the events this month, were celebrations…

My friend and I gave a baby shower to the youth pastor and his wife at our church.  I made the cupcakes and she made the cookies

My friend and I gave a baby shower to the youth pastor and his wife at our church.  I made the cupcakes and she made the cookies.

My nephews, Dean & Danny, turned 3-years-old and the party was held at our house.

My nephews, Dean & Danny, turned 3-years-old and the party was held at our house.

I made some new discoveries while doing landscape consults…

I love this Adenium that a client of mine had.  This plant is native to Africa, but she obtained this plant from a nursery in Tucson.  I think I may have to get one for my patio

I love this Adenium that a client of mine had.  This plant is native to Africa, but she obtained this plant from a nursery in Tucson.  I think I may have to get one for my patio.

ornamental trees

I was asked to consult on the landscape of a fellow blogger, Diana Elizabeth, who is a fabulous photographer by the way.  I loved this unusual combination of Mexican Honeysuckle, Pink ‘Katie’ Ruellia and Liriope along her front walk.

After spending some quality time at home with her dad, fixing her 1970 VW Bug, my daughter left for combat school in Mississippi.  Soon she will be permanently stationed in Southern California

After spending some quality time at home with her dad, fixing her 1970 VW Bug, my daughter left for combat school in Mississippi.  Soon she will be permanently stationed in Southern California.

ornamental trees

While my son, Kai, playing football in the backyard isn’t an unusual event – it was extra special this month because he has finally recovered from his hip surgery in early June and has ditched his wheelchair and walker.

I made my first television appearance, showcasing fuss-free plants for fall.  I was nervous, but in the end, I enjoyed it

I made my first television appearance, showcasing fuss-free plants for fall.  I was nervous, but in the end, I enjoyed it.

Last Saturday, I was asked by Wendy, the 'Cupcake Queen' if 'AZ Plant Lady' would make an appearance at our local cupcake shop.  So, I showed up with my husband and granddaughter in tow and we all enjoyed the delicious sampling of Gigi's delicious cupcakes.

Last Saturday, I was asked by Wendy, the ‘Cupcake Queen’ if ‘AZ Plant Lady’ would make an appearance at our local cupcake shop.  So, I showed up with my husband and granddaughter in tow and we all enjoyed the delicious sampling of Gigi’s delicious cupcakes.

ornamental trees

The month of September ended with a visit to our local nursery to buy some vegetable transplants for my edible gardens.  My granddaughter, Lily wasn’t too excited about the vegetables.  Instead, she wanted to stop and smell every flower she saw 🙂

Well, that is September in a nutshell.  This month promises to be a busy month in the garden.  Did you know that October is the best time of year to add most ornamental trees and shrubs to your garden?

So, get up and go outside where the weather is finally cooling down and start planting.

How to Plant a Tree – Part 1