Homemade Essential Oil Diffuser Christmas Tree Ornament

Updated 10/27/25

DIY Essential Oil Diffuser Christmas Tree Ornament (Lava Beads + Ribbon)

If you love the scent of Christmas but hate buying expensive sprays, try this easy DIY essential oil diffuser ornament. You can make it in minutes with lava beads, ribbon, and your favorite essential oils. These Christmas tree diffuser ornaments look beautiful and make your artificial or real tree smell like a winter forest—naturally and frugally.

Why You’ll Love This DIY Essential Oil Ornament

• Budget-friendly craft using materials you may already have

• Adds lasting fragrance to an artificial tree or wreath

• Makes a unique homemade Christmas gift for teachers, neighbors, or friends

• Family-friendly craft that even kids can help with

Materials needed to make youressential oil diffuser ornament:

• White thread
• bead needle
• 1 spacer bead
• 1 oval lava bead
• 8 pearl beads
• star bead  (I purchased my white one in a variety pack I found at Walmart.  I did find some nice metallic ones over on Amazon that would probably look even nicer!)
• 30 inch long piece of 3/4″ wide gold ribbon   (Again, I found my ribbon at Walmart, but you can choose a color that complements your Christmas tree décor. – I just recommend the size of 3/4″ wide.)
• Pine, Balsam Fir, Frankincense, or other Christmas Blend Holiday Essential Oils

1.  Start by threading your bead needle with white thread.  Then take your one spacer bead and tie the thread around it in a knot.  This will be the bottom of your tree and the bead acts as the bottom stopper bead.

2. Thread the lava bead. The lava beads act as a diffuser as the essential oils sit on these beads and slowly diffuse into the air.  You will use this bead as your “diffuser” on the ornament.

After the lava bead, then thread on your ribbon, followed by one pearl bead.

3.  The remainder of the threading will be ribbon, pearl, ribbon, pearl, ribbon, etc.  Each time you fold over the ribbon, make it about an inch shorter so it gets shorter as you go up, creating your tree shape.

4.  After 8 pearls and 8 ribbon loops, top it off with one star bead.  Tie off the end around the bead (thread the star bead twice so that thread is wrapped around it to tie it off) and leave enough thread for hanging purposes on your tree.

The 30″ inches of ribbon is an approximate length – you may need to trim the end off just a bit.

Pro Tip:  Depending on they kind of ribbon you have, you may need to dab a bit of clear nail polish on the end to keep it from unraveling.

5.  To use:   Lay the ornament flat on the tree branches and just drop one or 2 drops of the essential oil of your choice onto the lava bead.  

Pro Tip:  If you want a stronger scent, I recommend making 4 or 5 of these ornaments so that you can spread around more oil scent at the same time.  You could also make a few of these Needle Felted Essential Oil Diffuser Ornaments.

Best Essential Oil Combinations for Christmas Tree Diffuser Ornaments

• Classic Christmas: Pine + Cinnamon

• Warm Spice: Clove + Orange

• Winter Mint: Peppermint + Vanilla

• Evergreen Forest: Fir + Cedarwood

• Nativity Scene:  Frankinscense + Cedarwood

 

My personal favorite essential oil combination: is Fir + Franincense.  I use the combination in my Homemade Christmas Soap!

 

Frugal Tip: Make It a Budget-Friendly Holiday Craft

You can find lava beads, ribbon, and hooks at thrift stores, dollar stores, or craft-supply resale shops. It’s a smart, eco-friendly way to upcycle inexpensive materials into beautiful Christmas tree diffuser ornaments that double as natural air fresheners.

I’m thinking of combining homemade soap with one of these diffuser ornaments as a teacher gift this year!

You can also grab this free “Merry and Bright” 8″ x 10″ FREE printable that you can frame and add to your holiday decor!  Sign up below and it will come to your inbox!

If you are looking for more DIY ornament ideas, check these out:

• Clear Plastic Ornament Balls – 10 Cute Ways to Use Them This Christmas! 
•   Needle Felted Essential Oil Diffuser Ornament.

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