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Wednesday 20 January 2016

Considering Crafting

Thanks for all the good feedback.  DH also likes the door curtain.  I have enough duvets to make the matching curtains (it was a very random purchase) but all the carefully chosen plans for decoration in the study and living room that I have would go flying out of the window.  On the other hand, they are really just thought experiments.  I am considering my options.

Back on 3rd January I made the diffusers.  There is some nice scent coming from them, but it has faded a great deal.  I still get occasional flashes of the bergamot drifting past, but I am not sure that they are worth it.

The big question comes down to this - do I want to waste the fifty diffuser reeds left over (60 for £2.49) or do I want to spend another £10 on cheap vodka which will probably make several more?  I have the essential oils in.  I was thinking that I could use small bottles that have held sauce instead of the Merlyn bottles.  Or I could try some of the flute type glasses, as a narrow opening is supposed to be important.  I have one or two in the back of the cupboard, and I have a trip to some charity shops planned.  I may be able to pick up a narrow necked bud vase, or a brandy glass.  I shall keep my eyes open.

I would put some of the tumbled chip gemstones in, top up with the scented mixture and insert the diffuers.  The chip type gemstones would be, in this thought experiment, from a necklace from a charity shop.  You can find them loose on eBay as well.

It comes down to, do I want to spend more money on something that isn't working brilliantly?  Once I have made the initial outlay of stones and clear glass containers, I think that the £10 of vodka and occasional £1.60 or so of essential oil will last a long time and I do like the scent, but it is a scent that you brush past, rather than scenting the whole room.  I could just throw out the reeds that I have left over, but that goes against the grain with me.

I think I shall see what I find in the charity shops next week.  If I can get what I want for less than £5 then I may consider it.  I will update if anything happens.

3 comments:

  1. Do you have to use vodka in the diffuser? Can't you use rubbing alcohol (isopropyl; you might call it surgical spirit in England), instead? Seems to me, I recall the recipe you posted mentioning something about rubbing alcohol. We can buy a bottle of the stuff here in our dollar stores (similar to your pound stores, I suppose), for, well, $1 for a 16 fl. oz (473mL) bottle. That might work out cheaper than the vodka.

    Otherwise, you have the makings for 5 diffuser kits to give as gifts to friends or family over the year! Each kit will contain 10 reeds, a bottle of essential oil, and an empty container to be used as the diffuser. Print out a label with the instructions, and all the person receiving will have to do is provide the alcohol of his/her choice to use in it!

    And, should you want to make additional diffusers after you have given away your purchased reeds, I read that one can use any type of twigs, etc. If you have any lavender stems from your garden, they might make great reeds since they come pre-scented, so to speak.

    But then, that's me - always looking to save a dollar! Bless is just one of my names; Frugal is another (although, some might just say cheap!) :D

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  2. Don't forget that your nose quickly becomes accustomed to the smell of any scent in your house, which is why you stop noticing the diffuser. (That's why Glade markets a plug in with several scents which go in turn).
    Maybe you could make another flavoured diffuser, and rotate them weekly? Just stopper-up the one that you aren't using.
    Just a thought

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  3. oh my, those diffusers are giving you too many headaches and causing you to spend more money. Just cut your losses, give them to charity shop and buy an air freshener !

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