How to Turn Perfume Bottles
Too gorgeous to throw away even when their precious content has run dry, empty perfume bottles with their unique stylized beauty are easily converted to many uses. Here are some instructions for recycling empty perfume bottles into aromatherapy mists, room sprays, linen sprays and even diffusers. You need only the simplest of tools and a few spare minutes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Empty perfume bottle(s)
- Mixing bowl
- Eyedropper
- Funnel
- Pure distilled water
- Precious oils (scents of your choice or according to recipes)
- Emulsifier
Instructions
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The Mood
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Perfume captures the imagination and lifts the spirit. The bottle is part of the magic. When you have an empty container, it is important to capture the bottle's mood. Its shape, color and size all give hints as to its next incarnation. Feel its message, then imagine the possibilities before determining its fate.
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To begin, always remove the lid and nozzle. Flood the bottle with clear hot water and a touch of baking soda to eliminate all traces of the former scent. Then, using your funnel, fill the bottle with clear water and spray through the nozzle until the bottle is once again empty. This will clear the passageway and nozzle of any remaining scent.
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To create homemade room fresheners, mix clear distilled water, scented oils and emulsifier. Scents such as lilac, lavender, rose, orange and lemon are most popular. Decide if you want a floral, citrus, or spicy combination and choose the scents accordingly. Once they are mixed, always shake before each use by turning the bottle up and down until the contents are blended. After shaking, spray your room. Pay special attention to silk flower arrangements (which will hold the scent nicely) and cool light bulbs (while they are turned off). When the light bulbs are turned back on, the heat from the bulbs will vaporize the scent and send it drifting into the room. Here is a recipe from Birchhillhappenings.com:
15 drops lavender
10 drops orange
10 drops lemon
10 drops grapefruit
6 drops lime
3 drops nutmeg
2 ounces distilled water
Emulsifier, 4 to 5 mlBlend the oils in a spray bottle, add the emulsifier and the distilled water, and then shake well and spray.
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A room diffuser can be made by adding aromatherapy oils to almond oil, about 20 drops of essential oil to half an ounce of the almond oil. Mix well in a bowl and funnel into the bottle. The neck of bottle must be opened up by removing the nozzle. Then place bamboo reeds into the neck of the bottle. Place in a favorite spot in your home. When you want to revive the scent, remove the reeds, turn them upside down, and place them back in bottle. You can increase the number of scented oil drops if you wish. Tip: Your oils will last longer in a shaded perfume bottle. Think Ralph Lauren's wine-colored "Lauren" bottle.
Linen sprays can also be stored in empty perfume bottles. You create them with aromatherapy oils and clear distilled water. Spritz your linens in the morning as you make the bed. At night when you roll down the sheets, you will have a divine scent awaiting you when you tuck yourself in. Here is a simple recipe from earthyfamily.com:
Add 10 to 15 drops to a half cup of water in an empty perfume bottle. For a relaxing mood, spray sheets and especially pillowcases with a light mist before sleep. Tip: Lavender is very relaxing and a good sleep inducer.
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Homemade rose water is my favorite. Use a ratio of 2/3 water to 1/3 essential oil drops. Use as a freshener throughout the day or as the second step in your skin care regimen (after cleansing and before moisturizing). This combination makes a divine freshener. Oily skin? You can mix witch hazel with the rose drops and use as a toner. Tip: I love to spritz my dog each morning. He loves it too. Everything that he sleeps on throughout the day smells like a flower garden.
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Tips & Warnings
Caution: Do no spray room freshener on heated bulbs. The temperature difference can cause the glass bulb to explode. It is important that the bulb heats up to diffuse the scent properly.
