Antonio Mcgowan
Making a perfume locket is a fun and thoughtful DIY project that can be a unique gift for yourself or someone else. You can use a new or vintage locket, or even an old pocket watch, and fill it with a custom fragrance blend. The process involves melting beeswax and mixing in essential oils and carrier oils to create a solid perfume. You can personalise the scent to match the wearer's preferences, such as bright and lively citrus scents or classic floral fragrances. The locket can be worn as a necklace, providing both an elegant accessory and a convenient way to carry your favourite scent with you.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Locket | New or vintage, larger lockets are easier to fill |
| Wax | Beeswax, pastilles or granulated |
| Carrier oil | Petroleum jelly, sweet almond, jojoba or vitamin E oil |
| Essential oil | Choose based on personal preference, e.g., citrus, floral, spicy |
| Tools | Eye dropper, measuring spoons, toothpick, small metal container, candle warmer, heatproof glove, small tin for extra perfume |
| Process | Melt wax, add oil, stir, pour into locket, let cool |
| Customisation | Add charms, use different lockets for different styles |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing a locket: new, vintage, or upcycled
Choosing a locket for your perfume is an important step in the process of making a perfume locket. You can choose a new, vintage, or upcycled locket, depending on your preference and the overall style you want to achieve. Here are some things to consider when choosing a locket:
New Locket
If you want a modern and sleek look for your perfume locket, choosing a new locket is a great option. You can find new lockets in various materials, such as brass, sterling silver, or gold-plated metal. New lockets are readily available in jewellery stores or online. They usually come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and designs, so you can choose one that best suits your style and personality. New lockets are also a good choice if you want to ensure the quality and durability of the piece.
Vintage Locket
Vintage lockets can add a touch of elegance and uniqueness to your perfume locket. You can find vintage lockets in antique stores, flea markets, or even online marketplaces like eBay. They often feature intricate designs and details that are not commonly found in modern lockets. Vintage lockets are perfect if you want to create a more romantic, classic, or vintage-inspired look. Keep in mind that vintage lockets may require extra care and cleaning to ensure their longevity.
Upcycled Locket
If you're feeling creative and want to give new life to an old piece of jewellery, consider upcycling a locket. You can transform an old locket that you no longer use or find one at a thrift store. Upcycling allows you to be more sustainable by reusing materials and creating a unique, one-of-a-kind perfume locket. You can also combine multiple lockets or jewellery pieces to create a truly personalised design. However, when upcycling, be mindful of the size and shape of the locket, ensuring it is suitable for holding perfume.
When choosing a locket, consider the overall style and theme of your perfume locket project. Whether you choose a new, vintage, or upcycled locket, ensure that it is large enough to hold a sufficient amount of perfume. Small lockets might not be able to hold much perfume, so aim for a size of about an inch or larger. Additionally, consider the type of closure the locket has, as some lockets might not open completely flat, impacting how you fill them with perfume.
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Selecting essential oils: personal preference and skin safety
When selecting essential oils for your perfume locket, you can choose from a variety of scents to create a custom fragrance that suits your personal preference. Some popular essential oils include lavender, jasmine, vanilla, ylang-ylang, citrus, grapefruit, juniper, fir, and clary sage. You can find these oils at natural food stores, craft stores, or online.
It is important to consider skin safety when selecting essential oils. Some essential oils can be irritating or toxic, and they may cause allergic reactions or skin irritation, especially if they contain additional ingredients. It is recommended to look for trusted producers that offer pure, high-quality essential oils without any added substances. Always do a patch test on your skin before using a new essential oil to ensure it is safe for your skin type.
Additionally, certain essential oils should be avoided by specific individuals. For example, pregnant individuals should avoid certain oils like wormwood, rue, oak moss, Lavandula stoechas, camphor, parsley seed, sage, and hyssop. Young children and the elderly may also be more sensitive to essential oils and should exercise caution when selecting and using them.
To ensure skin safety, it is generally recommended to dilute essential oils before applying them to the skin. Undiluted oils can be too strong and may cause unwanted reactions, especially on injured or inflamed skin. Dilute the essential oils with carrier oils such as vegetable oils, creams, or bath gels, creating a solution with a low concentration of essential oil (around 1% to 5%).
By carefully selecting essential oils, considering skin safety precautions, and diluting them appropriately, you can create a personalised fragrance for your perfume locket that is both enjoyable and safe for your skin.
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Creating the fragrance: blending and customising
Creating the fragrance is a fun and experimental part of the process. You can make your own custom blends with essential oils and fragrance oils, and then blend them with carrier oils and beeswax to make a solid perfume.
Firstly, decide on the type of scent you want to create. Are you making it for yourself, or is it a gift for someone else? If it's a gift, consider the recipient's tastes. Are they bright and lively? Perhaps a citrus scent would be best. You could try a combination of grapefruit and tangerine for a fresh, invigorating scent. You could also opt for a floral, with a citrus or spicy note, for a classic fragrance.
If you are making the perfume for yourself, you can choose any fragrance you like. Some popular essential oils include jasmine, lavender, vanilla, ylang-ylang, and citrus. You can also get creative and experiment with less traditional scents. For example, Amyris is a fragrance oil with a pine scent that doesn't smell like a cleaning product.
Once you have chosen your fragrance, you need to melt the beeswax. You can do this in a small metal container, using a candle warmer or a double boiler. Always be careful when melting wax, as it is flammable. Never leave it unattended, and make sure to use heat-proof gloves or tongs when handling heated metal. Once the beeswax is melted, remove it from the heat and start adding your chosen fragrance, a few drops at a time, stirring well. Keep adding drops until you are happy with the scent.
Finally, carefully pour the mixture into your locket, using a small spoon or an eyedropper. The perfume should start to solidify almost instantly, but it will need about an hour to harden completely.
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Melting the wax: safety considerations and methods
Melting wax is a crucial step in making a perfume locket, but it's important to prioritise safety and choose the right method. Here's a detailed guide to help you melt wax safely and effectively:
Safety Considerations:
- Wax is flammable, so never leave melting wax unattended. If it catches fire, use baking soda to extinguish the flames, never water.
- Always use heat-proof gloves or tongs to handle heated metal containers to avoid burns.
- Ensure your melting container is microwave-safe if you opt for that method.
Methods:
The Double Boiler Method:
The double boiler method is a popular and safe way to melt wax. Here's how to do it:
- Fill a large pan or the bottom half of a double boiler with water and place it on your stove or hotplate to heat.
- Place your wax in a smaller pan, glass bowl, or pouring jug, which will serve as the top half of your double boiler.
- The steam generated between the two pans will gently melt the wax.
- Once melted, remove from heat and stir in your chosen oil or fragrance.
The Microwave Method:
You can also melt wax in a microwave, but exercise caution:
- Use a microwave-safe container, such as a glass bowl or measuring cup.
- Place your wax in the container and heat in short intervals of 10-15 seconds to avoid overheating.
- Stir the wax between each interval to ensure even melting.
- Once fully melted, carefully remove from the microwave and add your chosen fragrance.
The Stovetop Method:
While some sources express caution about using a stovetop, it can be done safely:
- Use a small pot or pouring pitcher and place it on your stove.
- Add a small amount of water to the pot and heat it at a low-to-medium temperature.
- Place your wax in a metal pouring pitcher and put that inside the pot with water. This ensures the wax isn't in direct contact with the heat source.
- Once the wax is melted, remove from the heat and add your fragrance.
No matter which method you choose, always exercise caution when working with hot wax, and ensure your work area is well-ventilated.
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Filling the locket: application techniques and setting
Filling the locket with your chosen scent is an important step in the process of making a perfume locket. The application technique will depend on the type of perfume you have chosen to use. If you are making your own solid perfume, you will need to melt beeswax and petroleum jelly in a small metal container using a candle warmer or double boiler. Always be cautious when melting wax, as it is flammable and very hot. Once melted, remove from the heat and add your chosen fragrance oil.
When filling the locket, use a small spoon or an eyedropper to fill one side of the open locket with the perfume. Be careful not to overfill, as this can make it difficult to close. It is better to underfill and add more if needed. The perfume should start to solidify almost instantly, but it will need about an hour to harden completely. Once the perfume is solid, you can close the locket and it is ready to wear.
If you are using a pre-made liquid perfume, simply open the locket and apply a few drops of the perfume to one side, being careful not to overfill. Close the locket and tip it gently to distribute the perfume. Again, it is better to underfill than overfill, as this can cause leakage.
When choosing a perfume, consider the recipient's personal tastes and preferences. You can create custom fragrances by blending essential oils with carrier oils and wax, or use pre-made fragrance oils. Some popular scent combinations include floral notes with citrus or spicy accents, resulting in a classic fragrance profile. If you are making the locket for someone who enjoys citrus scents, a combination of grapefruit and tangerine can create a fresh and invigorating aroma.
The size of the locket will also impact the filling process, with larger lockets being easier to fill. You can find new or vintage lockets in various sizes at thrift stores, antique shops, or online.
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Frequently asked questions
A perfume locket is a locket filled with a solid perfume. The wearer can either apply the scent to their skin or enjoy the fragrance as it wafts up from the locket throughout the day.
You can find lockets at thrift stores, antique stores, flea markets, eBay, or Etsy. You can also use an old pocket watch casing or another small container such as a shallow glass jar.
You will need beeswax, petroleum jelly or carrier oil (such as sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or vitamin E oil), essential oils or cosmetic-grade fragrance oils, a small metal container, a candle warmer or double boiler, heat-proof gloves or tongs, a toothpick or something similar for stirring, measuring spoons, and an eyedropper.
First, melt the beeswax and petroleum jelly or carrier oil together. Never leave melting wax unattended as it is flammable. Once melted, mix in your fragrance oil to your desired strength. Keep in mind that this will be worn close to the wearer's nose, so less is more.
Using a small spoon or an eyedropper, fill one side of the locket with your perfume. Allow it to solidify for an hour or so. Then fill the other side. It is better to underfill than overfill, as you don't want the perfume to spill out when you close the locket.
