How to Make Homemade Water Based Perfume

This water-based perfume is easy to make and makes a lovely gift. Small, pretty bottles can be found at thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets. The fragrant flowers can come from your garden or be purchased.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a bowl with an airtight snap-on lid
• cheesecloth
• a small pot
• a stove top
• a small funnel
• a pretty bottle for your perfume, airtight is best
• 1 cup of fragrant fresh flower petals
• 2 cups water

1. 
    
   Cheesecloth over the bowl

   Place the cheesecloth over the bowl so that it completely covers the top of the bowl, and the edges of the cloth are hanging over the bowl.

2. 
    
   Petals of fragrant flowers

   Coarsely chop the petals of the fresh cut flowers that will give your perfume their fragrance. Popular choices are roses, lilacs and lavender. Place your chopped flower petals on the cheesecloth.

3. 
    
   Flower petals in cheesecloth with water in bowl

   Pour 2 cups of room temperature water over the flower petals while they are sitting on top of the cheesecloth. This will cause the cheesecloth and petals to sink into the bowl. Keep the edges of the cheesecloth on the outside of the bowl. Make sure that there is enough water in the bowl to completely submerge the petals.

4. Snap the lid on the bowl, sealing it tightly, and let it sit overnight.

5. 
    
   Remove the bundled cheesecloth with petals inside

   After 24 hours, bundle the cheesecloth, with all of the flowers inside it.
   Remove it from the bowl.

6. 
    
   Squeeze the cheesecloth bundle over a small pot

   Over a small pot, gently squeeze out all of the scented water that remains in the cheesecloth. Carefully pour the remainder of the water from the bowl into the small pot.

7. 
    
   Carefully pour the cooled flower water into a pretty bottle using a funnel

   Turn the stove top on low and slowly let the water simmer until most of it has evaporated. This will concentrate the fragrance of the perfume water. When there is about 1 or 2 teaspoons left, turn off the heat. Let it cool. Using a small funnel, carefully pour your concentrated flower water into a small bottle.

8. 
    
   Ready to use or give as a gift

   Label your bottle of perfume water with the name of the flower you used, and an expiration date of one month.

Tips & Warnings

• Makes a great gift
• Buy pretty bottles whenever you see them at garage sales, rummage sales or swap meets. Keep on hand until you make more perfume!
• Trade flowers with your friends and neighbors: a big bag of their fresh cut flower petals for a bottle of your homemade perfume!
• Herbs and fruit tree flowers can also be used to make fragrances
• Adding a few drops of liquid glycerin (found at health food stores) will help the fragrance last longer
• If you have hard water, using distilled water will give you better results
• Keep out of reach of children and pets
• If making as a gift, be aware of allergies and sensitivities

Resources

• DonnaBainton.USANA.com