felt ball diffuser garland

I’ve been experimenting with essential oils lately, and it’s got me thinking about all the oily related crafts I can do. I’ve started making diffuser bracelets for friends. I’ve made a little pocket dolly for my daughter’s school dress pocket to diffuse her favourite oils. And on Saturday night, I made a pretty little felt ball garland for the children’s bedroom to add some subtle oil scents to the air.

And because if something is worth doing, it’s worth overengineering, while I was also running the #saturdaynightcraftalong on my main instagram account, over on my oil instagram, I had a go at running a virtual oil craft workshop. As you do. It was actually a load of fun, and lots of great conversations and questions were floating around. Definitely something I will be trying again…though possibly not while running a popular instagram party at the same time!!

To make your own garland, whether to use just as decoration, or to add you own favourite essential oils to, you’ll need approximately 2.5m of twine, 15-20 felt balls in your chosen colour scheme, and a large needle (I use a doll making needle for length and eye size). Thread one end through the needle, and at the other end, tie a knot around 25 cm from the end. Poke the needle through your first ball, aiming to go through roughly the centre line, then pull it all the way along the yarn to nest comfortably against the knot. I then tend to add my balls in bunches, and fiddle with the positioning, and stop when I have enough to spread my desired distance along the twine to leave another 25cm at the end that was threaded through the needle, and add a knot there as well. If it’s just for decoration and the children won’t be touching it, I just as often leave it unknotted, as there is enough friction to keep the balls in place regardless. I don’t knot each ball in place, though you certainly could if you wished.

Once the basic garland is made, I went through and dropped a couple of drops of oil in three or four balls - lavender (for calming and relaxing), wild orange (for soothing and uplifting), and grounding blend, for helping little brains turn off at night. As winter closes in, I will shift the combos a bit and start adding respiratory & protective blends to help ward off any school yard bugs coming home!

Are you an oil lover? What are your favourite oils & creative ways to use them?

Rachel @ The Barefoot Crafter (42 Posts)

I'm a wife and mama who loves to craft. I love creating, and have never met a hobby I didn't like, though my main vices of choice are quilting and sewing, photography & memory keeping, knitting and crochet, art, and creative writing. I blog my eclectic crafting journey at http://thebarefootcrafter.com, and you can find me on most social media at @barefootcrafter