Make

A classic poured jar candle in container soy wax. It's the best first project: forgiving, clean-burning and easy to scent.

A creamy, glossy candle in a coconut-soy blend with a stronger scent throw than straight soy. Wicks usually run one size smaller.

A soy candle with a flat wooden wick that gives a soft crackle and a wide, low flame. Wick width and trim length do most of the work.

A free-standing pure beeswax pillar with a warm honey scent and golden glow. It needs relief holes and a second pour because beeswax shrinks as it cools.

A beeswax jar candle softened with coconut oil so it doesn't crack, pull away from the glass or tunnel.

A jar candle poured in colored bands, straight or tilted. The trick is pouring each layer while the one below is firm but still warm.

A wide, shallow dough bowl filled with scented soy and several wicks spaced evenly so the whole surface melts together.

A thrifted teacup filled with scented soy. It's a charming gift, as long as the cup is sturdy, heat-safe and not a treasure.

Flameless scented wax tarts and clamshells for an electric or tea-light warmer. Stronger scent than most candles and hard to get wrong.

Decorative scented wax tablets pressed with dried flowers and hung in closets and drawers. They scent the air with no flame at all.

A bottle of scented base with rattan or fiber reeds that wick the fragrance up and release it into the room. No heat, no flame.

Unscented aroma beads soaked in fragrance oil, baked in a mold until they fuse, and hung from a cord. A long-lasting car or closet freshener.

Essential oil blends for an ultrasonic water diffuser, at 3–5 drops per 100 ml of water. Use essential oils only.

A quick air freshener of fragrance, alcohol, distilled water and a solubilizer. The solubilizer keeps the oil from floating on top.

A light, quick-drying mist for sheets, pillows and curtains, with a higher alcohol share so fabric doesn't stay damp or spot.

Pre-made glycerin soap base melted, scented and poured into molds. No lye handling, so it's ready the same day.

A balanced, creamy everyday bar from olive, coconut, shea, avocado and castor oils, made from scratch with lye and cured for 4–6 weeks.

A traditional 100% olive oil soap: very gentle and mild, slow to trace and soft at first, with a long cure that turns it hard and silky.

A hard, luxurious spa bar packed with fine salt. High coconut oil gives lather through the salt, and a 20% superfat keeps it mild.

Soap cooked in a slow cooker until saponification finishes, giving a rustic textured bar that's safe sooner and holds fragrance well because the scent goes in after the cook.

A potassium hydroxide (KOH) soap paste cooked until clear, then diluted with water into liquid hand or body soap. One batch of paste makes several bottles.

The classic homemade mix of grated bar soap, washing soda and borax. It's cheap and simple, but read the honest note about soap versus detergent first.

Salt crystals soaked with fragrance and tossed into the wash for a lasting scent on clean clothes. They add scent only, not cleaning.

Tightly wound, felted wool balls that tumble in the dryer to soften and shorten drying, with a few drops of essential oil for scent.

White vinegar in the rinse cycle to wash out soap and mineral residue, which leaves fabric feeling softer. A simple swap for commercial softener.

Pressed tablets of washing soda, citric acid and salt. They're cheap and simple but may underperform commercial tabs, which contain enzymes.

A gentle castile soap and water spray for counters, tables and sinks. It's for everyday cleaning, not disinfecting.

Fizzing baking soda and citric acid pucks with essential oil that freshen the bowl between cleans.

Baking soda infused with essential oil or dried lavender, sprinkled on rugs and upholstery and vacuumed up to lift odors.