Aromatic Room & Linen Spray: A Tutorial!

So, as promised yesterday, I have gathered you here today for a tutorial of awesomeness. However, when I finally went back to town for materials, I actually couldn't find what I was looking for anywhere in town. Thanks specialty stores for not carrying anything. You're awesome. So I'm instead doing a tutorial I was going to do next week. You're welcome.

{{Also, there are some links in this post that are direct links to finding products online. Some of them provide me affiliate rewards if you use them. I'd appreciate if you did!}}

Today, we're making aromatic room spray. It's like air freshener, but better. And homemade.
So, circle around and listen closely. I don't mean to sound like a creepy announcer. It's just how I'm rolling right now. Anyway, the materials you're going to need are as follows.

• Vodka, 80 proof, any brand. (You're only going to use about a teaspoon, so if you don't keep any in the house, a small bottle is just fine.)
• Essential Oils - I'm using lavender and chamomile because they're both known for having a calming effect. (Yes the chamomile link is to a different brand than my photo - it's the same oil in jojoba blend.)
• A dropper, for measuring more accurately.
• A 4oz spray bottle, glass, plastic*, stainless steel, up to you. Darker, or light preventing, is better.
• 4 oz distilled/filtered water.
• A shot-glass, teacup, any type of ceramic/glass small container will do. Also, a second one to keep the vodka in.

Making Stuff Time!!

• To make the spray, you're going to start by putting the 4 oz of water into the 4 oz spray bottle. Now you have water spray. You can stop here if you really just wanted water spray. That's cool.

• Instead of just using the vodka straight from the bottle, to avoid any possible contamination, I dumped about a tablespoon worth into a shot glass. I used a teacup for mixing.

• Next, using the dropper, suck up a bunch of vodka into it. Drop 300 drops into the glass/ceramic container. (My teacup.) You'll have to suck up more than the initial go, the dropper likely just won't hold enough. And 300 drops is easier/faster to do that you'll initially think.

• Then, using your dropper again, put 100 drops of oil into the vodka in the glass. If you're using more than one oil, you'll need to adjust accordingly. I used 60 drops lavender and 40 chamomile. Just don't use more than 100. Essential oils are a great remedy for many ailments, but if you go overboard you can become sick, rashy, or sensitized to them. The next photos explain how I used the dropper even though the bottle has one of those built in drop regulating things. 

• Stir up the oil cocktail. (Haha, you get it. I know you do.) You can use the dropper to do this.
• Pour the oil/vodka mix into the spray bottle.

Last Few Steps!

• Cap it tight, shake really REALLY well.
• You're good to go. I'd advise shaking it a bit before each use just for optimal scent and lasting.

*The reason we use the vodka with the oil is to "solubilize" the oil, or basically pre-dissolve it. If you don't do this step, the oil won't mix with the water properly and with therefore be less effective. Also, as mentioned above, I stated that you can use a plastic bottle for this. Many people warn against storing essential oils in plastic as the oil will eat away the plastic. Solubilizing will prevent that. 

As I said in a previous post about essential oils, I'm not a registered or certified aromatherapist. I leave it up to you to do appropriate research before using essential oils. I'm including a few links below to help you in educating yourself. 

Methods of Oil Application 

General Dilution Guidelines

Guide to Diluting Essential Oils (and info about sensitization)

Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals

How to Add [and sell!] a Pattern on Craftsy

How to Add & Sell a Pattern on Craftsy
(This post contains affiliate links which means I will be compensated if you purchase after clicking these links.)

In addition to tons of online courses and craft supplies, Craftsy also has an independent online pattern store that lets anyone upload and sell downloadable e-patterns with no fee!

Adding a pattern to Craftsy and starting your pattern store is easy! The pattern store can be found from the Craftsy main page just by clicking the "Patterns" tab after you logged in.

1. Make sure you have a Paypal account. All pattern transactions happen through Paypal, and Craftsy requires that you have a Student, Premier, or Business account in order to sell patterns. Your PayPal will charge a small transaction fee, but that's typical with all PayPal transactions.
2. Put your pattern in .pdf format. You can’t upload any patterns to the online pattern store unless they’re a .pdf file format, so if they’re currently saved as a Word doc, .jpg, or other file format, you must convert it to a .pdf before you upload it to Craftsy. To do this, most programs have a Save As option. There are also many online converters that can be use free of charge.
3. Include a photo. All patterns must have at least one photo to accompany them, but you can add up to five photos. Colorful, interesting photos tend to work the best for catching peoples' eyes!
4. Fill out the pattern description. They will ask you some basic questions about your pattern,  making it easier for Craftsy folk to find your pattern and know what your pattern is for. Make sure you have info about your pattern handy for this step.

For more information on how to sell a pattern through Craftsy, or to get started, visit Craftsy today!