THESE DIFFUSER ORNAMENTS MADE WITH CORNSTARCH ARE AS VERSATILE AS THEY ARE SIMPLE. JUST 3 INGREDIENTS, PLUS YOUR FAVORITE ESSENTIAL OILS!
After digging through a box of old Christmas decorations, I came across a cinnamon gingerbread person ornament I had made as a kid. Yes, it was still intact surprisingly!
So I went upstairs and started researching recipes to make my own cinnamon ornaments with my sons. Some of those recipes call for up to two (2) whole containers of cinnamon! While cinnamon isn’t expensive, it’s definitely something we cook with often enough. I felt like it was a bit wasteful to dump two bottles of it out to make some ornaments.
Then I began researching cornstarch ornaments, and how versatile they were!
ADDING ESSENTIAL OILS TO DIFFUSER ORNAMENTS MADE WITH CORNSTARCH
Cornstarch is extremely porous, and I put essential oils on just about anything so I figured I would give these a try too! You can either add a drop or two of your favorite oils to these ornaments, or you can use a spray, such as a room spray (more on that below).
Now keep in mind, these don’t have to be Christmas ornaments. This recipe can be used with your favorite cookie cutters to make any type of ornaments you would like. This would make the perfect car diffuser too, the possibilities are endless!
For this post, I used an essential oil called Northern Lights Black Spruce. This oil smells exactly like a fresh Christmas tree, so I thought it was the perfect addition to these little ornaments!
HOW TO MAKE ESSENTIAL OIL SPRAY
If you’re looking to get the most out of your favorite essential oils, try putting them into a spray to make them last a little longer. For these diffuser ornaments made with cornstarch, I decided that one whole drop of essential oil was a bit too much for each small ornament, so I opted to make a quick spray first.
Add 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil (or blend of essential oils) to a small glass (2 oz) bottle.
Then fill the bottle about half way with witch hazel, and top off with water.
Give the mixture a good shake before spraying!
Witch hazel helps allow your essential oils to combine with the water and also can increase the amount of time the oil will retain it’s scent. We have made poo-pourri, linen sprays, car spray and so much more using this method. This is a great way to extend the life of your essential oils.
Here are the tools I use to make an essential oil spray:
MAKE IT PERSONAL
We wanted these ornaments to have a personal feel, so I used little stamps for quick personalization.
These would make for great, eco-friendly replacements to traditional gift tags! For more tips on how to have a more eco-friendly Christmas, check out this post HERE.
TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE PERSONALIZED DIFFUSER ORNAMENTS WITH CORNSTARCH
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- Medium sized saucepan
- Whisk
- Measuring cups
- Rolling pin
- Cookie Cutters
- Stamps
- Pencil (or something to poke a hole)
- Baker’s Twine
- Essential Oils
- Cooling rack
- 1/2 C Cornstarch
- 1 C Baking Soda
- 3/4 C Water
HOW TO MAKE THEM!
In a medium saucepan (not over any heat), whisk cornstarch and baking soda together until well incorporated.
Then mix in the water and stir until a milky consistency is made.
Place the saucepan with mixture over LOW heat and stir constantly. The mixture will begin to bubble, and then turn into more of a paste. I tried to speed up this process by mixing over medium heat, and it became lumpy – so just stick to low heat and wait the extra minute.
As soon as the liquid starts to dry up from the pan, remove from heat and mix until a “dough” is formed.
Allow the dough to cool for several minutes before handling (be careful, as it will be quite hot).
Use a small amount of cornstarch to “flour” your surface, and roll out the dough. Be careful not to add too much cornstarch, as it will dry out the dough and make it more crumbly. Roll the dough out to about 1/4″ thick and use your favorite cookie cutter to make the desired shapes.
The small cookie cutter that I used made about 20 shapes per batch.
After the shapes are all cut out, poke a small hole near the top for the thread to go through. I used a pencil, but a straw would work nicely too.
Now is the time to personalize the ornaments, if you wish!
Once done, set them to dry on the cooling rack for about 24-48 hours or until fully dry and hard. Our house is quite dry from the wood stove, so after 24 hours they were ready.
Spray (or drop) your favorite essential oils onto the ornaments when they are dry, string them up and enjoy!
PERSONALIZED DIFFUSER ORNAMENTS WITH CORNSTARCH PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD
PERSONALIZED DIFFUSER ORNAMENTS WITH CORNSTARCH
INGREDIENTS
- 1 C Baking Soda
- 1/2 C Cornstarch
- 3/4 C Water
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium saucepan (not over any heat), whisk cornstarch and baking soda together until well incorporated.
Then mix in the water and stir until a milky consistency is made.
Place the saucepan with mixture over LOW heat and stir constantly. The mixture will begin to bubble, and then turn into more of a paste. I tried to speed up this process by mixing over medium heat, and it became lumpy – so just stick to low heat and wait the extra minute.
As soon as the liquid starts to dry up from the pan, remove from heat and mix until a “dough” is formed.
Allow the dough to cool for several minutes before handling (be careful, as it will be quite hot).
Use a small amount of cornstarch to “flour” your surface, and roll out the dough. Be careful not to add too much cornstarch, as it will dry out the dough and make it more crumbly. Roll the dough out to about 1/4″ thick and use your favorite cookie cutter to make the desired shapes.
The small cookie cutter that I used made about 20 shapes per batch.
After the shapes are all cut out, poke a small hole near the top for the thread to go through. I used a pencil, but a straw would work nicely too.
Now is the time to personalize the ornaments, if you wish!
Once done, set them to dry on the cooling rack for about 24-48 hours or until fully dry and hard. Our house is quite dry from the wood stove, so after 24 hours they were ready.
Spray (or drop) your favorite essential oils onto the ornaments when they are dry, string them up and enjoy!
PIN IT FOR LATER
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE …
- How to Make a Natural Evergreen Wreath from Scratch
- 5 Simple Homemade Holiday Traditions to Share with Family
- Eco-Friendly Christmas Gift Wrapping Tips
This simple craft was a blast to make with the kids. I hope you enjoy this craft with your family too. These ornaments can also be painted when dried, or just leave them without personalization.
Until next time…
