Essential oils are rapidly gaining in popularity, and with good reason. These powerful plant extracts uplift your spirits, calm your nerves, and are used in many other applications as well. I love to put a few drops of my favorite oil or blend in my GreenAir diffuser and enjoy all the benefits of aromatherapy.
Recently, I encountered the concept of diffuser jewelry. They can be made from several different materials, including terra cotta clay, clay beads, open-work locket pendants, and small bottles that hang from a chain. As the jewelry rests against your skin and is warmed by your body heat, the oils heat up a bit and the scent is released.
After looking at some of the diffuser jewelry available online from different companies and Etsy shops, I realized it would be rather easy to make something myself with jewelry purchased from Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, and/or local craft and beading stores.
I’ve already made quite a few pieces of jewelry, but even if you’re a beginner, a diffuser necklace is so easy to make! I’ll also show you how to make a diffuser bracelet using a small open-work bead near the clasp.
Gather Your Supplies
Both the necklace and the bracelet can be made using basic jewelry-making tools. For both pieces, you will need a pair of pliers and wire cutters. Needle nose pliers will work, but it’s best to purchase a pair of pliers with a rounded tip specifically for jewelry making. I purchased a jewelry-making set that included 4 sets of pliers, a bead reamer, and a pair of tweezers with a bead scoop for $15 at Walmart, and it’s been nice to have all those tools at my disposal. I’ve also seen a pair of 3-in-1 pliers there, which would be great for the occasional beading project if jewelry-making isn’t something you plan on spending a lot of time doing. I purchased all of my other supplies at Michael’s.
For the necklace, you will also need an open-work locket pendant, (I used this one), a necklace chain or leather cord, and a jump ring. If you choose to add any other decorations to the necklace, you’ll need a flat head pin, and some beads.
For the bracelet, you’ll need something to string the beads on (I used this Transite string), a small openwork bead (I used a spacer bead similar to this but with a larger hole. I purchased them at Michael’s and they came in a multi-pack of round and tube-shaped beads), other beads to fill in the rest of the bracelet, a small piece of 22-gauge wire, crimp tubes, jump rings, and a lobster clasp.
Diffuser Necklace
If you’re an absolute beginner to jewelry making, you can start with making the diffuser necklace using just the pendant (1) and chain — all you need to do is add a jump ring in the loop at the top of the pendant, using the pliers to spread the jump ring far enough apart to put it through the loop at the top of the pendant, then clamp it back together with the pliers. Put it on the chain, and you’re done!
If you feel like making your pendant even prettier, you can make another small pendant to add on to the chain. For this, you’ll need a flat head pin and a few beads to put on it (2). Then, you can bend the top of the pin around the tip of your pliers, and twist the pin around itself to create a loop (3). Thread the necklace chain or cord (I find it best to keep it on the sorter side so the necklace isn’t blocked by the neckline of your shirt) through the pendants and — finished (4).
To make the necklace into a diffuser, you can use either a small piece of cotton ball or cut a small round of felt to fit inside the locket. Put a few drops of your favorite oil or blend, or whichever you would find most helpful, depending on if you simply want to smell pleasant or use the oil in an aromatherapeutic way. When you want to change oils, take out the cotton or felt and replace with a new one, with the new oil.
Diffuser Bracelet
I’ve never seen a diffuser bracelet using a bead like this, so unless proved differently, I’m calling this an original!
Cut a 12-inch piece of string, wire, or cord. Thread the cord through a crimp bead, then through a jump ring, and back through the crimp tube (1). Pull the crimp tube taut against the jump ring and use the pliers to crimp it flat (2). Cut off the excess cord on the shorter end (2).
String your pretty beads (3)! I find it helpful to play with the design a bit before I start to string — so I can make any desirable changes before it’s a hassle to take all the beads off. I chose to go with an alternating pattern of blue, clear, and silver beads. Once you have enough beads on the string, which will depend on your wrist size, finish it off with a crimp tube and squeeze it shut. This will keep the beads in place while you’re working on adding the diffuser bead and lobster clasp.
Now comes the part that’s just a bit tricky. Using your 22-gauge wire, bend a small hook in the end and thread the wire through two of the small open holes in the open work bead (4). Then, using the pliers, pull the end through and twist the wire together into a small loop, cutting off the excess (5,6,7). Essentially, you’ll be using this bead the opposite of how it’s supposed to be used, with the larger hole exposed.
You’re almost finished! Now it’s time to attach the diffuser bead and lobster clasp. First, attach the diffuser bead to the bracelet by threading on a crimp tube, then threading the string through the diffuser bead the same way as you did the wire, but on the other side. Take the string back through the crimp tube, pull it taut, and flatten it. Now, spread a jump ring apart and put it through the wire loop you made on the diffuser bead, and the small loop at the base of the lobster clasp. Clamp the jump ring back together, and there you have it — a pretty diffuser bracelet! (8)
I chose to put the diffuser bead near the clasp to make it easier to design the rest of the bracelet. That way, you don’t have to worry about working it into the rest of the design, as it will be hidden on the inside of your wrist. Also, I felt that, since the inside of the wrist is a pulse point, which is where perfume is traditionally applied, it made sense to have it there, and it’s easy to lift your wrist and take a sniff whenever you need to. However, feel free to place the diffuser bead anywhere you wish!
To make the bracelet into a diffuser, take a small piece of cotton, put a few drops of oil on it, and use a toothpick or tweezers to poke it inside the hole of the diffuser bead. Like the necklace, when you want to change oils, simply poke out the old cotton and put a new piece in with a few drops of the new oil.
I think these would make a great gift — made with the recipient’s favorite colors and an accompanying bottle or two of their favorite essential oils. If they’re new to essential oils, lavender and any citrus (lemon, lime, or orange) are great choices. They smell lovely, and the lavender is calming while the citrus is uplifting, so they can use one to be relaxed or energized.
What do you think? Would you wear these? Care to share your favorite oil or blend with us? Leave a comment!