Home sweet-smelling home: the best fragrances for your space

When it comes to scents in your home, remember the rule of thumb: don't overdo it. It's easy to use too much of a good thing. Here are some tips to keep your house smelling its best.

• Place a big bouquet of fresh flowers, particularly lilacs, roses, or lilies, on a table in the corner. It will be enough to fill a living or dining room with a wonderful scent.
• Hang herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or peppermint to dry from a ceiling or balcony; they give off a pleasant aroma.
• Fill a nice bowl with fruit and spices, such as oranges, limes, green apples, cinnamon, and cloves. They will look decorative and fill the room with intriguing smells.
• Bring home a nice potpourri made of dried blossoms and leaves from aromatic plants. Rose blossoms, jasmine, lilies, lavender, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla pods are wonderful additions. You can set out potpourris in open bowls or fill a sachet with them; just make sure all ingredients are thoroughly dried beforehand. To intensify the fragrance, add a drop or two of essential oil.
• Assemble your own potpourris from dried fruit, herbs and spices. A sachet or small cushion filled with them makes a special gift.
• In winter, place orange and lemon slices on the heater and let them dry there.
• Use scented candles to create a soft, warm, or romantic atmosphere. They don't have to smell of roses or vanilla — even plain old beeswax candles emit a distinctive fragrance.
• Investigate incense. Using smoke to send prayers to the gods is one of the oldest known forms of ceremony, used in everything from the censers of the Catholic church to pagan bonfire rituals. But incense sticks don't have to be about religion; they're just a good way to quickly spread scent through a room.
• Or opt for a fragrance lamp. They're available in every conceivable shape, but the principle is always the same. A candle is placed under a plate or small bowl, which is filled with water and few drops of essential oil. The flame underneath warms the water-oil mixture and spreads the fragrance throughout the room.
• Spread the scent of an essential oil throughout your house by simply sprinkling a few drops on the vacuum cleaner bag before cleaning.
• Make a scent ball: spread glue on a Styrofoam ball and fasten on dried blooms from a potpourri.
• Create your own simple fragrance dispenser: just fill a lidded jar with rose blossoms and sprinkle each layer with salt to prevent the blooms from rotting. When you wish to add fragrance to a room, simply unscrew the jar for a while.