Crafting Aroma Stones: A Step-By-Step Guide

Aroma stones are a great way to diffuse essential oils without the use of heat or electricity. They are simple, round ceramic stones that can be left unattended and are safe to have around small children. You can make your own aroma stones at home with a few simple ingredients such as flour, salt, and essential oils. The process is easy and involves creating a salt paste, forming it into the desired shape, and then baking it in the oven or letting it air dry. Once the stones are dry, you can add your chosen essential oils, and they will slowly diffuse the aroma over time.

Combine dry ingredients

To combine the dry ingredients for your aroma stones, you'll need to gather your chosen ingredients and a bowl. The exact quantities and ingredients will depend on the recipe you're following, but most recipes call for a combination of flour, cornstarch, and salt. Some recipes also include mica powder or food colouring to add colour to your aroma stones.

Start by measuring out your chosen ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them together thoroughly. You can use a whisk or a fork to do this. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture and that all the ingredients are evenly distributed. If you're using food colouring or mica powder, you can add it to the dry ingredients at this stage and mix until the colour is uniform. However, if you're using essential oils as well, it's best to add them after you've mixed the dry ingredients.

Once your dry ingredients are combined, you can move on to the next step of the aroma stone recipe, which typically involves adding liquid ingredients and forming the mixture into stones.

Add boiling water

When making aroma stones, boiling water is a crucial ingredient. Here is a detailed, step-by-step guide to adding boiling water to the mixture and creating your aroma stones successfully:

Firstly, measure out 2/3 cup of boiling water. It is important that the water is boiling to ensure the other ingredients dissolve and mix effectively. Combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a separate bowl. This forms the base of your aroma stones.

Next, carefully add the boiling water to the bowl with the dry ingredients. The amount of water used will affect the consistency of your mixture, so be sure to measure accurately. If you want to add colour to your aroma stones, this is the step where you would add a few drops of food colouring to the boiling water. Stir the mixture with a whisk or a fork until it forms a dough-like consistency. The boiling water will help to activate the other ingredients and create a pliable dough.

At this stage, you can also add a few drops of essential oil to the mixture. The amount of oil you use will depend on your desired level of scent, but generally, around 30-40 drops is sufficient. The boiling water will help to carry the scent of the essential oils throughout the mixture.

Once you have added the boiling water, flour, and any additional ingredients, mix everything together thoroughly. Keep mixing until all the ingredients are combined and you have a smooth, uniform dough. If the mixture feels too dry, you can add a little extra water, a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.

By following these steps and paying attention to the measurements, you can ensure that your aroma stones have the right consistency and effectively retain the scent of the essential oils.

Add essential oils

Adding essential oils to your aroma stones is a simple process. The amount of essential oil you use will depend on the size of your stones and the potency of the scent you desire. For example, you might use 30-40 drops of essential oil for a batch of dough, or 3-4 drops per stone.

There are two methods for adding essential oils to your aroma stones. The first method involves adding the essential oil to the dough before forming the stones. This ensures that the oil is evenly distributed throughout the stone. To do this, simply add the desired amount of essential oil to the dough and mix well.

The second method is used to refresh the scent of your aroma stones after the initial scent has faded. Simply add a few drops of essential oil directly to the surface of the stone and allow it to absorb. This method can also be used to scent unglazed aroma stones made from other materials, such as clay.

It's important to note that blending multiple essential oils before adding them to your aroma stones may result in an unpleasant or overpowering scent. It's best to use single essential oils per stone, especially if you are using them in a small space.

You can also use essential oils with aroma stones made from other materials, such as lava rocks or river rocks. Lava rocks are more porous and will hold more oil, making them ideal for diffusing essential oils. Simply add a few drops of essential oil to the lava rocks and enjoy the scent as it diffuses slowly over time.

Add colouring

To add colouring to your aroma stones, you can use food colouring or mica powder. If you want to use food colouring, add it to the boiling water before mixing it with the dry ingredients. This will ensure that the colour is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

If you are using mica powder, you will need to add it to the dry ingredients before adding the water. The amount of mica powder you use will depend on how intense you want the colour to be. Keep in mind that you will need to add extra flour to your mixture when using mica powder.

You can create different shades of dough to make several different colours, or you can simply enjoy their natural off-white colour. It's up to you how plain or colourful you make your aroma stones, depending on your personal style and décor.

Form stones

To form the stones, you can roll the dough into balls of around 1-2 inches in size. You can then shape them into the form of a stone, or for a river rock look, dip your finger in water and smooth out the cracks. You can also use a silicone mould to shape your stones.

If you want to create flat stones, roll the dough into a ball and flatten it gently. You can also use cookie cutters to create different shapes, such as stars. If you want to hang your stones, punch a hole through them with a wooden skewer and thread some string through.

Once you have formed your stones, leave them to air dry for several days.

Frequently asked questions