Essential Oil Ornaments: DIY Scented Christmas Ornaments for the Holidays

Learn how to make these DIY essential oil ornaments in about 30-minutes to add a natural fragrance to your tree this holiday season. These quick & easy ornaments can be scented with your favorite holiday essential oil blend and make lovely DIY holiday gifts too! Keep reading to learn how to make your own easy essential oil ornaments. Plus discover my favorite holiday essential oils blends and recipes!

Making Handmade Christmas Ornaments

Handmade ornaments were a family tradition when I was growing up. Every year my brother and I would would make a new Christmas ornament to put on the tree. And every year my mother would safely tuck the new additions away to go onto the tree yet again the following year. So by the time we were both married and out of the house, she had a full box and was already collecting new handmade Christmas ornaments from my son, and then later, my niece.

Every year, even if it’s on Christmas Eve, she puts up her artificial Christmas tree and trims it with those same ornaments. These days, there’s also a Christmas pickle hiding somewhere in the mix – I still haven’t figured out what the “prize” is if you find it first – but my brother always seems to win. Still, all the handmade Christmas ornaments, from two generations, are always on display. Even with that crazy Christmas pickle hidden among them.

This year was the first year in a quite a while I made a handmade Christmas ornament for my mother’s tree. I’m in my mid-forties now and she in her seventies. So if it was going to happen again, now was as good a time as any! She actually came home from volunteering the day I made these DIY essential oil ornaments and exclaimed how beautiful they were. Then she asked if she could have them for her tree. “Of course!” I exclaimed. “Who else would they be for?”

DIY Essential Oil Ornaments

My DIY essential oil ornaments will not only look amazing on your Christmas tree this year, they also make beautiful handmade gifts. What’s most surprising however, is how incredibly easy these Christmas ornaments are to make. Plus they’re ready to use in about a half an hour from start to finish!

So just what makes my essential oil ornaments so quick and easy to make? Unlike other craft tutorials for essential oil ornaments, I use plaster rather than clay. Plaster is not only cheaper, it also dries a lot faster! And, because plaster starts out fluid, you can not only customize the colors of your essential oil ornaments, you can also use molds, instead of cookie cutters, to get detailed shapes. So in reality, the possibilities are endless. Even if you have zero artistic talent. (But come on. EVERYONE has some creativity hiding inside. You just have to find it!)

Following is my tutorial for crafting your own homemade plaster essential oil ornaments. Learn where to get everything you need to make these delightful Christmas ornaments. You’ll also discover some tips and tricks that I learned along the way while making my own! (Plus don’t forget to check out my favorite holiday essential oil blends to make for your holiday ornaments after the project.)

Materials & Tools Needed:

Plaster of Paris
Christmas Ornament Silicone Molds, two sets
Mixing Bowl
Utensils for Stirring
Mica Powder or Other Powder Colorant
Craft Glitter, optional
Bakers Twine or Ribbon
Essential Oils

Tips & Tricks for Making Your Essential Oil Ornaments:

• Plaster starts to harden in 3-4 minutes, so you’ll want to mix your colorant and glitter in with the plaster before adding the water.
• If you want to save money, you can use unwanted eyeshadow colors from your eyeshadow palettes instead of using mica powders or other colorants such as oxides or ultramarines.
• Unlike soap making, less is not more. As plaster is white, you’ll want to add more colorant for a darker colored ornament as the plaster makes the colors pastel.
• While you can use glitter inside your Christmas ornaments, they don’t show through all that well. To save glitter and get more sparkle, dust the inside of your silicone molds before pouring the plaster. Or dust glitter on the backs of your ornaments as soon as they’re poured.
• Be sure to scrape off any excess plaster from the molds after pouring. Your ornaments will come out of the mold more easily, and there’s less “excess” to remove once unmolded.
• Try other ornament silicone molds for your Christmas ornaments for more designs. But be sure to avoid molds with thin sections as they’ll break coming out of the mold. If there’s no hole for the ribbon on your other molds, simply use a pencil or chopstick to make one once the plaster starts to harden.
• You can easily resize your recipe for these essential oil ornaments to make the exact amount you need. Simply mix four parts plaster with three parts water.

Instructions on How to Make Holiday Ornaments:

In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine four Tablespoons of plaster with a teaspoon or more of mica or pigment powder and glitter, to suit, if desired. Mix with a fork to fully incorporate the dry ingredients together.

I used a small amount of indigo powder to color this plaster essential oil Christmas ornament. It made the ornament look about the same color as concrete, but with tiny blue flecks of color inside.

Then add three Tablespoons of water. Mix well.

Working quickly, pour the plaster mixture into three of the silicone molds. You’ll want to use the Christmas tree shape mold and the ornament shape mold. Use a fork or a chopstick to make sure the plaster is evenly distributed throughout the mold and there are no air bubbles. 

Side note: The snowflake mold that comes with this set is too delicate to get the plaster out in one piece. I tried twice. The second time, the snowflake Christmas ornament broke worse than the first. However, you can use it for other holiday projects to make resin Christmas ornaments.

If desired, you can dust the back of your DIY essential oil ornaments with glitter or decorative confetti.

After 30-minutes have passed, carefully unmold your essential oil ornaments from the silicone molds.

Then tie thin ribbon or baker’s twine through the hole in the top. 

You’re now ready to gift your handmade Christmas essential oil ornaments. Simply pair the ornaments with a bottle of essential oil or a holiday essential oil blend.

Or add your own favorite holiday essential oil blend to your ornament and hang on your tree. You can also use this ornament in your car or another room in your home as an air freshener. They look great in a sunny window! (You can discover my favorite recipes for holiday essential oil blends below.)

Yield: 3 Christmas Ornaments

Essential Oil Ornaments

Print

Learn how to make these DIY essential oil ornaments in about 30-minutes to add a natural fragrance to your tree this holiday season. These quick & easy ornaments can be scented with your favorite holiday essential oil blend and make lovely DIY holiday gifts too!

Prep Time 2 minutes

Active Time 3 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

• Plaster of Paris
• Mica Powder or Other Powder Colorant
• Craft Glitter, optional
• Essential Oils

Tools

• Mixing Bowl
• Utensils for Stirring
• Bakers Twine or Ribbon
• Christmas Ornament Silicone Molds, two sets

Instructions

1. In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine four Tablespoons of plaster with a teaspoon or more of mica or pigment powder and glitter, to suit, if desired. Mix with a fork to fully incorporate the dry ingredients together.
2. Then add three Tablespoons of water. Mix well.
3. Working quickly, pour the plaster mixture into three of the silicone molds. You’ll want to use the Christmas tree shape mold and the ornament shape mold.
4. After 30-minutes have passed, carefully unmold your essential oil ornaments from the silicone molds.
5. Then tie thin ribbon or baker’s twine through the hole in the top. 

Holiday Essential Oil Blends

If you already have a collection of essential oils at your disposal, you may want to create your own custom holiday essential oil blends, rather than buying them ready made. Here are some of my favorite recipes for holiday essential oil blends you can use with your essential oil ornaments.

Spiced Chai Holiday Essential Oil Blend

3 drops cardamom essential oil
2 drops cinnamon leaf essential oil
2 drops clove bud essential oil
1 drop ginger essential oil

Gingerbread Holiday Essential Oil Blend

5 drops ginger essential oil
4 drops clove bud essential oil
2 drops nutmeg essential oil
2 drops cinnamon leaf essential oil

Holiday Christmas Tree Essential Oil Blend

6 drops fir needle essential oil
3 drops cypress essential oil
2 drops nutmeg essential oil
1 drop bitter orange essential oil

Holiday Spiced Cider Essential Oil Blend

5 drops ginger essential oil
4 drops sweet orange essential oil
1 drop cinnamon leaf essential oil

Pumpkin Spice Essential Oil Blend

4 drops cinnamon leaf essential oil
4 drops ginger essential oil
4 drops nutmeg essential oil
3 drops clove bud essential oil
1 drops cardamom essential oil

Holiday Eggnog Essential Oil Blend

8 drops nutmeg essential oil
2 drops vanilla absolute
1 drop cinnamon leaf essential oil
1 drop black pepper essential oil

Mulled Wine Essential Oil Blend

3 drops sweet orange essential oil
2 drops mandarin essential oil
3 drops clove bud essential oil
1 drop cinnamon leaf essential oil

Mint Hot Chocolate Essential Oil Blend

6 drops cocoa absolute
2 drops peppermint essential oil

If you love my project for making DIY essential oil ornaments, then don’t forget to pin this tutorial to Pinterest to save for later. You may also want to check out my tutorial for making DIY alcohol ink ornaments. It’s another fun and easy holiday project the kids can join in on. And I’ve even shared the video tutorial from the craft class I took when I learned how to make alcohol ink ornaments for the first time!

More Scented DIY Holiday Gifts

For more fragrant, scented holiday crafts and skin care recipes, be sure to check out these other amazing projects!

DIY Air Freshener with Essential Oils

Learn how to make DIY air fresheners with essential oils, beeswax and soy wax at Everything Pretty. These easy homemade essential oil air fresheners are perfect for closets, drawers, or anywhere that needs a little freshening up.

Honey and Goat Milk Soap Recipe

This honey and goat milk soap recipe from Life-n-Reflection is one of the simplest melt and pour soap recipes you’ll ever make! Not only does it make easy DIY holiday gifts for friends and family, but the rich lather and sweet scent make them irresistible not to keep one for yourself. The finished soaps have a classic bumblebee and honeycomb shape that makes each look expensive and elegant. Make these simple honey and goat milk soaps for DIY holiday gifts today!

DIY Christmas Ornament Bath Bombs

Handmade bath bombs always make for a fun gift, but turning them into DIY bath bomb ornaments make them the perfect holiday gift. Scented with the smells of the season and made festive with red and green sprinkles, these Christmas ornament bath bombs from Lydi Out Loud not only make a perfect holiday gift, but a full sensory experience.

8 Holiday Room Spray Recipes

Essential oil rooms sprays are so easy to make, smell amazing, and have aromatherapy benefits for you. During the holidays, it’s fun to switch the sprays out for a more festive scent. Check out these 8-holiday room spray recipes from Our Oily House to help you get into the Christmas spirit.

DIY Holiday Cupcake Bath Bombs

Get into the holiday spirit with this festive holiday bath bomb cupcake DIY from Tweak and Tinker. With two designs to choose from – one candy cane peppermint and one Christmas tree – this easy holiday skin care recipe contains nourishing oil, clay and essential oils and makes for a pretty DIY holiday gift.

Mocha Mint Cupcake Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

This mint chocolate cupcake soap recipe from Total Wellness Choice is easy to make with melt and pour soap. These soap cupcakes are adorable and are scented with a natural mocha mint fragrance oil. The unique soap mold makes the process easy. They make a great DIY holiday gift for friends, teachers or anyone who loves fun soaps.

Holiday Stovetop Potpourri Gift Ideas

See how to make a DIY stovetop potpourri gift with Country Hill Cottage! These simmering potpourri recipes make your house smell like Christmas and are wonderful DIY holiday gift ideas. The tutorial comes with free printable labels and gift tags for packaging and gifting.

You can also discover more DIY holiday gifts and crafts by following Soap Deli News on social media. You can find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.