"For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories and it is a pity that we use it so little."
~ Rachel Carson
This is a sense that is often overlooked when planning a party—but it can make or break an event. What your guests smell as they walk into your party will set the tone for cleanliness and comfort. Pleasant smells will immediately enhance the mood and ambiance of any room, home, or venue.
Do's and Don'ts
I'm going to start with the 'Don'ts' first, because I think they are more important.
Don't forget to remove bad odors
More importantly than providing good odors, is removing the bad ones.
No one wants to guess how many cats you have because you forgot to change their litter box.
Wash your trans bins and put in fresh liners the day of the party.
This probably goes without saying, but freshly cleaned toilets and sinks, including the kitchen's is a must.
You can freshen your kitchen drain by adding some dish soap or lemon rind and running the garbage disposal.
For more cleaning hacks, check out this blog post on kidsactivities.com
Natural Febreze Recipe
Replace those expensive, toxic air freshener sprays with this natural Febreze recipe. It’s easy to make with 3 simple ingredients, and you can customize the scent any way you like.
Find the recipe at Brown Thumb Mama.
Put out fresh dish towels and pot holders in the kitchen. You can get really nice ones at Dollar Tree.
Same goes for the bathrooms.
Don't Overpower Your Food
Your food is the star of the party! Don't make it compete with other scents.
Use unscented candles that will be anywhere near the food like the buffet/serving table or the table where guests will eat.
The same goes for any flower or centerpieces that will be on the table or food stations.
Do's
Candles
Place lightly scented candles around your venue, but not near the food.
Place a vanilla candle in the bathroom to absorb odors.
Essential Oils
Essential Oils come in many different fragrances. And there are many different ways to use them. Be sure to go lightly because some scents can be very strong.
Reed diffusers are a great way to get scent into the air.
Make and Takes blog has a simple tutorial on how to assemble these cute little essential oil diffusers.
Essential oil mist diffusers come in many shapes, sizes and colors.
Put a few drops of essential oil on the cardboard tube of a toilet paper roll. The scent of the oil will release each time the paper is used.
Put a few drops on a cotton ball.
Homemade Potpourri
Fill the air in your event space naturally with subtle scents of spices, herbs, and fruit.
You can use the stove top method.
Get recipes and how-to guides from
Or a mini warmer/crockpot
Be sure to keep an eye on water levels if using the stove top or crockpot method.
Use a fondue style warmer.
Recipes for different potpourri scents can be found on the web, including
These beeswax potpourri sachets will not only make your place smell good, but add to your decor as well.
DIY tutorial from Craftberry Bush.
Rather than using those wall plug-ins or traditional wax melts that are full of chemicals, try these homemade wax melts from
Flowers
Fragrant flowers like lavender or hyacinth are a great way to add pleasant aromas to your venue.
Just remember to keep very fragrant flowers away from the food.
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