How to Make Vanilla Cinnamon Room Scent

Co-authored by Julie Brow-Polanco

Vanilla and cinnamon are a classic combination. The resulting fragrance is warm, welcoming, and reminiscent of freshly-baked cookies. In fact, many real estate agents will recommend that homeowners put a pot of vanilla and cinnamon on the stove before inviting prospective buyers into their houses. Unfortunately, they do not always say how to create a vanilla cinnamon room scent. Luckily, there are lots of simple and easy ways to create one.

Ingredients

Stovetop Room Scent^{[1]
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2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 whole cloves (optional)
Water

Sprayable Room Scent^{[2]
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Distilled water
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 drops vanilla essential oil
6 drops cinnamon essential oil

Diffuser Room Scent^{[3]
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¼ cup (60 milliliters) water
3 tablespoons vodka
6 drops vanilla essential oil
6 drops cinnamon essential oil

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Stovetop Room Scent

1
Fill a small saucepan three-fourths of the way with water and bring it to a boil.^{[4]
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Research source} This room scent only works as long as the stove is on. It's a great option if you'd like to freshen up your house before guests come.
- The smaller the saucepan, the better. Your fragrance will be more concentrated this way.
2
Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract. If you are using a larger saucepan, you may want to double or even triple the amount of vanilla and cinnamon. For another layer of fragrance, add 6 whole cloves.^{[5]
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3
Allow to boil for one minute, turn down the heat to low and let it simmer. The boiling allows the spices to release their fragrance, while the simmering will keep the mixture hot and fragrant. The mixture will lose its fragrance if it gets cold.
4
Top off the saucepan with more water every 30 minutes.^{[6]
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Research source} Remember to keep an eye out on the pot. If the water evaporates, your pot will scorch! You do not need to add any additional herbs to the saucepan.
5
Consider putting the fragrance on display. This fragrance is only temporary, but you can still make it look prettier by putting it into another (heated) container. Boil the mixture first, then try one of the following:^{[7]
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- Pour the mixture into a 2 cup (475 milliliter) mason jar, and keep it (uncovered) on top of a candle warmer.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl of a fondue pot or a tea pot warmer. Light the candle beneath the bowl, and enjoy the fragrance.
- Keep the mixture heated in a slow-cooker if you don't wish to use your stove. Keep the lid off and the heat set to low.
6
Use the room scent for as long as you want, then store it in a jar. You can reuse it 2 to 3 more times. After that, the scent will be too weak, and you will have to make a new one.^{[8]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Sprayable Room Scent

1
Use a funnel to pour the baking soda into a small spray bottle. If you don't have a funnel, you can make a simple one by rolling up a sheet of paper into a cone. Baking soda has some wonderful deodorizing properties.
- Use a glass bottle if you can. Essential oils may degrade certain types of plastic.
2
Add the essential oils.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Julie Brow-Polanco
Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist
Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.} You can use equal parts of both vanilla and cinnamon essential oil, or you can use a little bit more/less of one of them. For example, if you really like the scent of vanilla, you could do 7 drops of vanilla essential oil and 5 drops of cinnamon essential oil. You will need 12 drops of oil total.^{[10]
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- Since these essential oils are hot oils, you need to dilute them carefully. ^{[11]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Julie Brow-Polanco
  Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist
  Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.}
- Nutmeg essential oil can be a replacement for the cinnamon essential oil, since it's easier to find in some places.^{[12]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Julie Brow-Polanco
  Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist
  Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.}
3
Close the bottle and shake it to mix. This will help distribute the essential oils throughout the baking soda. Keep shaking until you don't see any clumps in the baking soda.
4
Open the bottle and fill it the rest of the way with water. Try to use distilled water or filtered water if you can. Tap water has too many mineral and chemicals, which can affect the spray.
5
Close the bottle, shake it to mix, and spray your room or upholstery with it. The baking soda and oils may separate over time, so you will need to shake the bottle each time before you use it.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making a Diffuser Room Scent

1
Pour the water into a diffuser bottle.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Julie Brow-Polanco
Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist
Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.} Try to use distilled water if you can, as tap water has too many chemicals and minerals in it, which can affect the outcome of your diffuser. If you need to, use a funnel to help guide the water into the bottle.
- If you can't find a diffuser bottle, any small bottle with a short, narrow neck (such as a perfume bottle) will do. Make sure that the bottle is glass, as essential oils tend to degrade certain types of plastic.
2
Add about 3 tablespoons of vodka. If you can't find any vodka, you can also try witch hazel or rubbing alcohol instead.
3
Add the essential oils.^{[14]
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Expert Source

Julie Brow-Polanco
Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist
Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.} You can use equal parts vanilla and cinnamon essential oil, or you can play around with different proportions. For example, you could do 7 drops of cinnamon essential oil and 5 drops of vanilla essential oil. You need 12 drops of oil total.
4
Close the bottle and shake it to mix. Plug the bottle up with a cork or your finger. If the bottle came with a screw-on cap, use that instead. Shake it briskly to combine the ingredients, then open it back up again.
5
Place some reeds or bamboo skewers into the bottle and let them soak. You may not notice any fragrance right away. There is still one more step you have to do. Right now, you are just soaking the reeds.
6
Reverse the reeds so that the soaked ends are now sticking out of the bottle. Take the reeds out of the bottle, and turn them around. Stick the dry ends back into the bottle, and place the bottle down on a table. Your room will eventually get a soft, vanilla-cinnamon fragrance.
- Reverse the reeds once a week.^{[15]
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