The arrival of a baby brings happiness and joy to everyone in the family. It’s an exciting time! By the addition of the new family member means that space has to be found for a nursery. And once that space is found, what is the nursery going to look like? Here are some important steps to consider on decorating your baby’s nursery.

Of course, the gender of the baby will probably greatly influence the colors being used in the room, and so if you don’t know what the gender will be it may be best to start off with very neutral colors at first, especially on the walls, and then you can add the appropriate color accessories later on. Just don’t put off painting the room very long, as you want to make sure that all noxious fumes are totally cleared out by the time the baby is at home and using the nursery. In fact, the safety of the baby should be the first consideration at all times, so keep this in mind as you make every choice regarding your nursery decoration designs.

In years past, it was traditional to simply use blue as the predominant color for boys and pink for girls. But the good news is that such strict adherence to certain colors is not much in use in nursery designs these days. Instead, you can mix and match other colors as well and not be considered as breaking any design rules. So there’s no reason to limit the colors that are used in your baby’s nursery simply because of old traditions. Instead, simply strive to achieve a color combination that promotes joy and calm, and it will no doubt be just what your baby needs.

A very common practice these days in nursery design is to use stenciling. You can find a wide array and selection of stencil designs at your local crafting store. These can be used to create imaginative borders that go around your nursery ceiling or mid-level on the wall. Some of the designs can even get very intricate and involved, so it’s a good idea to determine in advance how much time and effort you have to be able to put into it to get the job done in time. Remember, sometimes simple is better, especially if it keeps your stress level down before the baby’s arrival.

After your walls are all done, it’s time to decide what furniture will go into the room. Many folks have heirloom baby furniture that has been handed down from generation to generation. And of course, there will be a strong sentimental pull for using this kind of baby furniture. But before you do, just be sure that all safety requirements are met by each item. Years ago, safety was not given the priority that it is today in the design of baby furniture. So it’s a good idea to make a comparison between your heirloom furniture and modern furniture to see if they still do use the same basic design qualities for safety in mind. If not, use the heirloom furniture for show, and purchase modern, safe baby furniture for everyday use. Another consideration when using heirloom furniture is to be sure to protect it while it is being used. If it is a highly prized, sentimental piece, you will want to be able to pass it on to future generations as well. So take good care of it in the meantime.

Baby accessories often provide the finishing touches on a beautiful nursery. But never let appearance win out over function. Most parents quickly discover that very practical items such as diaper holders, changing tables, and so forth are much more appreciated over the long haul then are a bunch of stuffed animals and ceramics that really don’t accomplish much other than just looking nice. After you have all the necessary and usable accessories in the room, then you can think about adding the decorative items afterward.

Decorating your baby’s nursery can be a fun, exciting experience for everyone in the family. And hopefully the suggestions in this article will help you along in your decoration efforts.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including home improvement. You can find out more about home interior decoration and bedroom interior design by visiting our Home Improvement website.

When you arrive home from work at the end of a long day, your home should feel like a sanctuary for your body and spirit, and be a “cocooning” place for you and your family to enjoy the evening and share good times together.

14 tips to get you started:

1. Endearing Entrance. Even if you don’t have a foyer, your home’s entrance can be pleasant and inviting. Hang a favorite mirror or painting on the wall opposite the door so that when you enter you see a pleasant sight.

2. Bouquet for the Day. A favorite fresh flower bouquet on your foyer or entrance table can perk up your spirits upon entering your home.

3. Clutter Cutter. Try to keep clutter away from the entrance. Colorful baskets, bags, and hangers or hooks can corral those shoes and errand items in an attractive way. A small table can hold keys and glasses.

4. Lovely Lighting. Put your lights on dimmer switches and leave a couple of them on low so that you don’t enter a dark home.

5. Clothes Minded. To start the evening out well, change into something comfortable and attractive. Your family deserves the best of you, too, and if your closets are organized, this will be easy to do.

6. Scentsational. Put some oranges and cinnamon in a small crock pot to simmer in the morning and when you arrive home, you’ll be tempted to “cozy-in.”

7. Music Maestro. Put on some favorite light music such as jazz to set the tone for a relaxing evening. Avoid loud music or TV shows. You’ve already had enough stimulation from the workday.

8. Super Supper. Put a whole chicken sprinkled with herbs along with some baby red potatoes and carrots in the crock-pot on a low setting in the morning and you’ll arrive home to a sumptuous and healthy meal.

10. Table Toppers. Set the table in the morning to save time before dinner in the evening. Colorful placemats and cloth napkins set a festive tone, are easily laundered, and can be stored in a drawer near the table.

11. Divine Dishes. Choose a dishware pattern that is pleasing to you and that complements your décor. When it’s time for clean up, if the whole family pitches in, there’ll be more time for relaxing activities such as a walk, or help with homework.

12. Newspaper Nirvana. The evening newspaper can be stored in a pretty wicker basket to avoid ending up all over the house. Toss a few days after everyone has read to keep clutter at bay.

13. Bathtime Bliss. A nurturing bath will help ease the transition to a good night’s sleep. Decorate your bathroom with some colorful soft towels, favorite soaps and shampoos, bath brushes, and a fluffy robe for each family member.

14. Soothing Slumber. Fresh clean sheets with a threadcount of 300 or more, soft blankets, and an attractive coverlet or duvet cover will set the tone for soothing rest. Avoid watching TV in the bedroom, loud music, or irritatingly loud alarm clocks.

A home that runs smoothly using organized home management systems, combined with a few inexpensive, yet pampering luxuries, will help you feel like your home is truly your “rejuvenation station.”

c2005 Kathryn Bechen.

Visit http://www.kathrynbechendesigns.com for more free ideas and tips for decorating your cottage style home on a dollarwise budget and to sign up for Kathryn’s free e-newsletter of decorating tips and resources. Kathryn is an interior decorating consultant and author who specializes in Cottage Style, Non-Toxic, and Dollarwise decorating.

If you like the idea of coming up with your own home Interior design, you are not alone. Lots of folks these days are planning out and then executing their own interior designs. But how do you come up with great home interior design ideas? Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Probably one of the easiest ways to get home decoration ideas is to simply watch television these days. There are several shows that are dedicated to the subject of completely redesigning an entire house room by room. The biggest problem with watching these television shows is having something in front of you as documentation. So a couple of ideas that may help out is to have a pencil and paper available to take notes as you go, and also to record the program for viewing later on.

Even though you may get some great home interior design ideas from these television shows, ask yourself whether or not they will fit well in your particular home. Just because they look great on television in someone else’s home does not mean that it will fit in well in your home. So try to visualize the whole project from beginning to end in your house. And plan, plan, plan. By taking extra precaution in the planning stages, you can ensure a more problem free application.

However, television is not the only source for home decoration information and ideas on Interior design. There are several great books on the subject that are able to help designers of almost any background and experience level. The advantage of books is that the documentation is already done for you. It usually has a very well thought out plan for implementing any kind of home interior design on its pages. And usually you’ll be able to have more than enough photos and pictures to help get a good mental picture of the process as it goes.

Another way to get excellent ideas for interior design is to look through magazines on the subject. There is no shortage of magazines that are devoted to home decoration and interior design. Believe it or not, even many professional interior designers collect large quantities of magazine articles and pictures and store them in a way that will help them have a larger pool of ideas to draw from in the future. Not being a professional yourself, it may be a good idea to start your own scrapbook of home interior design articles and photos that you can separate according to a specific theme or room type. Sometimes, the best decoration ideas are a combination of things that are brought together from several different sources to form a unique, one-of-a-kind design.

As you become more comfortable with your own level of creativity, you will be able to combine aspects of one design with another more adeptly. However, as you start out it may be best to stick to the overall themes and suggestions given in the magazine for achieving the look that is desired.

If you begin right away to assemble this archive of home interior design ideas, it won’t take long for you to have a really sizable reference guide to help you come up with almost any idea that you could ever need.

So as you can see, gathering information and ideas from several different sources and compiling them all together in an easily researched form can be one of the best ways for you to get great home interior design ideas quickly and easily.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including home improvement. You can find out more about home interior decoration and bedroom interior design by visiting our Home Improvement website.

Wood-burning stoves can be installed in any room of your house, but most often they are placed in living or dining rooms, as well as in patios. While traditional fireplaces generally work as a piece of décor, free-standing wood-burning stoves are generally used for more practical purposes, namely, for heating and even cooking. Thanks to new designs, your wood-burning stove will look attractive and still remain perfectly functional. Because it isn’t attached to the wall, a wood-burning stove will radiate more heat throughout a small or large room.

Most often, wood-burning stoves are usually built of stainless steel, soapstone or ceramics study stone and brick but can remain sleek and contemporary thanks to new materials such as fireproof glass and stainless steel details. The shape of these stoves is most commonly tall and cylindrical, with built-in wood storage under the burning chamber.

When choosing a new wood-burning stove, keep in mind that the size of your wood-burning stove is determined by the size of the space that needs to be heated. The fire of the stove should be substantial enough to please the eye as well as heat the room, but too much fire can literally turn your place into an oven.

When picking a place to put your new stove, avoid traffic areas such as doors. A stove surrounded by windows may be a good solution. The fire chamber door should face the room. Don’t forget to take stovepipe requirements into the account, making sure they are in compliance with your local building codes. Since wood-burning stoves are not strictly fireplaces, they don’t require any clearance between the fire chamber and surrounding combustible materials, such as wood or fabric.

Conventional wood-burning stoves vary in heat efficiency because their construction can be very different, too. The efficiency of a wood-burning stove depends on how much of its combustion energy turns to heat, which in its turn depends on how well it burns wood. Even the best wood-burning stoves don’t burn all wood completely. The smoke is actually composed of unburned wood particles. Another factor that impacts the wood-burning stove’s efficiency is how much heat escapes through the chimney.

To improve the efficiency of your wood-burning stove, consider a chimney sweep in the first place. This should be done by a professional fireplace expert. If you noticed that a lot of smoke is produced during the wood burning, you may need to alter the size of your stove opening, or reconfigure the existing fire chamber. If you notice that a lot of hot air escapes through the chimney, you may consider replacing the fire basket – the metal rack that supports the burning logs. New designs of fire baskets can greatly improve air circulation and heat efficiency.

Wood burning stoves today offer a great variety of looks and designs to suit any home style, from a retro Victorian house to a steel loft condo. Painted black, brushed steel or even red, with stovepipe to match, wood burning stoves with generous glass doors allow you admire the dancing flames during the cold winter season.

Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Wood Burning Stoves please visit Stove Ideas Wood Burning Stoves and for additional Stove articles please visit the following article page Stove Articles.

Not so long ago, home interior design was considered to be an industry of prestige. For those who could afford their services, interior designers could help them create a stunning and beautiful living space. But times have been changing, and that is also true of the home interior design field.

Today there is a demand for cost-cutting designs for the average consumer. Emphasis is placed on designing on a budget instead and cheap interior design is in style and receiving wide acceptance. Of course, there are still the designers out there who cater to the more expensive market and their price tag shows it. But for the needs of most everyday people, such high-end interior design work is just not necessary. So here are a few tips and ideas on how to make a great home interior design using cheap home furnishings and decorating ideas.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice in successful cheap interior design is to be able to make the right decisions at the right time. That means that in most rooms there will be some more expensive items where you just don’t want to cut many corners. And in the same room there other smaller items and accessories where you can save a lot of money instead. The key is to know where you need to spend a little more money, and where you can get by just as well with cheaper decorating ideas.

The first question on most people’s mind is where do I buy the bargain items for decoration? Actually this is pretty easy to answer. Your hunt can often begin successfully at any kind of local bargain type store. Many times there are local stores that have what are known as "bargain bins" where you can buy slightly damaged or used items at just a fraction of the cost you would pay for them when new. A word of caution here is that it is very easy to get carried away in these bargain bins and actually spend more money than you should. So just be sure to justify each purchase that you make and spend your money only where it counts. And keep in mind that there are usually several bargain stores that you can frequent to get good deals. So there is no need to spend all of your budget at the first store you stop at. The more you shop, and the longer you shop, the better deals you will find!

It can be a big help in bargain hunting to be a creative thinker, because you’ll often encounter obstacles where you just can’t seem to find the object that you are looking for. In this situation, if you think creatively, you can often come up with a very good alternative instead. So keep your mind open to different possibilities and different ways of using the items that you find. Sometimes the best home decoration ideas are those that just sort of happened rather than are planned out in detail in advance.

Some other places for finding cheap interior design ideas are yard sales, estate sales, and flea markets. Look over all the items here very carefully, and make sure that they are indeed bargains before you buy them. Sometimes larger items in these places sell for more than they should simply because of their size, where smaller items seem to be overlooked instead. So be thorough and thrifty, and only buy an item if you really think you can use it.

Actually, cheap interior design ideas are pretty easy to find these days, if you just know where to look and what you need to be looking for. The most important ingredient to getting great deals on cheaper decorating items is time though. Patience pays off in many ways, but especially in searching for cheap interior design items and ideas.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including home improvement. You can find out more about home interior decoration and bedroom interior design by visiting our Home Improvement website.

Fabric roman shades add a touch of refinement, flair and sophistication to any room. You can buy a ready-to-use set of Roman shades or you can create them from scratch in any fabric and size that you like. You can hang Roman shades flat for a more modern style, or fold them and create a softer and more conventional teardrop Roman shade style with buffs of any volume.

Roman shades are becoming a big home-decorating trend, returning on a wave of the interest to streamlined minimalist or exotic designs. Made with beautiful soft fabric, simple and very practical, Roman shades fold into well-defined pleats when raised, much like a classic Venetian blind. At the top, a matching fabric is used allowing for an array of color and pattern. For the lining, a solid pale color is commonly used.

Roman shades are incredibly flexible and light-efficient. They also offer better temperature control than other types of shades. In winter, you can draw them high to allow the sun’s natural heating rays to enter the room, and after the sunset you can close them tightly stopping the heat from escaping through the window. In the summer, you can close the Roman shades almost completely to prevent the overheating of the room, while in the evening you can open the shades to cool down the temperature. All other types of shades leave too much fabric around the window that doesn’t allow for precise light and temperature control.

Roman shades are relatively simple to make. Before you start picking the fabric you must measure your window and estimate which hardware and mountings you need. Roman shades don’t require any specific mountings – that’s the beauty of them. They draw up via a cord strung through the sides of the shade. The cords then travel through the pulleys mounted on mounting board above the window on or outside the window frame.

The fabric that you choose for your roman shades depends on where the window overlooks. If there is a beautiful scenic view you will most likely choose a plain sheer light fabric. If your window overlooks a busy street, then you will need an opaque fabric that gives you a sense of privacy. Plus, some people are prone to season affected disorders and need more light to remain positive and healthy. In this case, you may need a sheer fabric that doesn’t block the sun light, but rather diffuses it.

The type of fabric is also determined on what type of activities the room is used for. If it’s a living room with a TV, you may need a fabric that allows you to control the amount of light and glare on the screen. If you a planning to put your roman shades in the bedroom you will need a light-blocking dark fabric to help you sleep during the summer months when the sun rises early.

At the end of the day, all window treatments require maintenance and cleaning. The benefit of roman shades is that they are the easiest to keep clean – you can wash them in your washing machine, iron afterwards and re-hang them looking as good as new.

Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Window Treatments please visit Window Treatment Guide and for additional Window Treatment articles please visit the following article page Window Treatment Articles.

The email came in this last winter from a young couple who had bought a charming vintage four room, one bedroom condo in a friendly, walk-to-everything location. They loved the place, but needed a home office and an area for her burgeoning scrap book hobby. Could I come over and talk about looking for a larger home and selling their current one? I had sold them their home (I am a real estate broker and author of 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home) just over two years ago and set up a date to talk over the possible move to a larger home, but I wasn’t convinced that they really needed a move, I thought to myself that they needed a fresh perspective on the space they already had.

The agreed upon time arrived and we began to discuss what was right and what was wrong with their current home. Location, perfect, neighborhood, loved it, the unit itself, great except they were running out of space. Every room looked well-lived-in except the dining room, which was museum quality. The table perfectly plotted under the home store chandelier with six chairs and a sideboard that was a gift from her parents. The table top was void of anything, as to not scratch the finish that had been preserved in her family for three generations. The dining room was twelve-by-thirteen, hardwood floors and featured good southern light streaming in from an row of three windows. Okay, you don’t need to move I told them, you need to utilize this dining room for more than a monument to your grandparents dining room suite.

Before

-Traditional style,dark stained dining table with two leaves and six matching chairs with upholster seats. Matching upright china cabinet with drawers below and beveled glass door display space above.

-Hardwood floors, paper accordion window blinds and an over-scale wrought iron chandelier.

-Walls painted a mustard color (faux Tuscan) with hand-stenciled ivy border near ceiling.

-Original baseboard and window trim in good condition painted a ivy green.

After

-The dining room/office/hobby area was open to the living room which was painted a deep red with off white trim.

-The first thing I recommended was to take down the chandelier, once it was gone it wouldn’t set the tone for the room and it rid the room of the albatross sitting in it’s center. They purchased a decorative plaster medallion to place over the electrical box.

-Shrink the table by taking both the leaves out. Purchase some felt bags to store the leaves in, under their bed. Purchase table pads to protect the top and move the table under the windows. Take three of the side chairs and place around table.

-Purchase a 24" x 48" beveled glass top to rest on two dark stained pillars for a desk which will double as a buffet or cocktail station when entertaining. Place one side chair at desk.

-Two table top candlestick lamps, one for task lighting on the desk and one for the scrap book hobby center on the dining room table. This pair of lamps return to the desk/buffet for entertaining. Pastel yellow shades pick the area rug.

-Install two halogen can lights in beveled china cabinet to add mood lighting and accent glassware. Remove two wood shelves in cabinet and replace with two beveled glass shelves to allow new lighting to stream down.

-Area rug. I suggested a 5′ x 8′ that was overall more neutral than patterned. That way my clients could take it with them to their next home. They selected a light pastel yellow rug that looked great against the medium oak hardwood floors.

-Chair upholstery. Upholster four chairs that remain in the new office/hobby/dining room in a botanical print with a soft yellow background complemented by red and green flowers. The remaining two chairs to be reupholstered in a companion red and off-white colored wide stripe and placed in living room.

-Wall and trim colors. The room needed to be harmonized with the adjacent living room, so I suggested an off-white trim color that matched the living room trim. For the walls a very soft pastel yellow in eggshell was applied.

-Window blinds. The owners wanted wood blinds, so to soften the look I suggested off-white or ivory, with the window trim painted the same color, it’s a custom look.

-To finish off the room, I thought using the wide strip chair upholstery as a table cloth for the dining/hobby table with a clear plastic overlay for the scrap book hobby would blend form and function. When entertaining they can remove the overlay for a striking tabletop.

Mark Nash’s fourth real estate book, "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home" (2005), and working as a real estate broker in Chicago are the foundation for his consumer-centric real estate perspective which has been featured on ABC-TV, CBS The Early Show, Bloomberg TV, CNN-TV, Chicago Sun Times & Tribune, Fidelity Investor’s Weekly, Dow Jones Market Watch, HGTVpro.com, MSNBC.com, The New York Times, Realty Times, Universal Press Syndicate and USA Today.

Dear friends, we as humans are a composite of mind, body and spirit. All these three in proper coordination, create the world around us. The things, which we want in life, are first created in our mind, then our mind sends signals to our brain and the brain sends signals to various parts of our body to take action and thus "reality" gets created.

This means that whatever we imagine in our minds gets converted in reality. The program of our mind decides what we imagine. I mean if I want to decorate my bedroom, everything from the type of furniture I choose to the budget decision will depend upon my "broader attitude" towards life.

If I am a "budget conscious" person, then this will affect right from the initial stages of the design. I will look at the design from a conservative point of view. Thus everything, which gets created in reality will have an influence of my personality.

Here I am not trying to say that only high budget designs are good. I have seen works of many interior designers, who have spent their entire lives on studying low cost design projects and also have won awards for their magnificent work.

That’s why any interior design project can not be fulfilled without active participation of the client or the user. Creativity doesn’t have any boundaries of budget. Any piece of art which fulfils the functional need and also the aesthetical need can be easily accepted as an architectural element. Budget is not a constraint at all. On the other hand the budget constraint sometimes is useful to generate some good ideas for a particular problem.

An interior designer is not an artist, because an artist basically performs his acts to satisfy his own desire. This could be any performing art or other forms of arts. His piece of work may not have any functional use from user’s point of view.

An interior designer is not even a technician or engineer. Because when an engineer builds a design he need not worry of making it "beautiful". His primary aim is to make it functional. He puts his entire energy in making the design functional.

That’s why an interior designer is one who satisfies both the functional as well as aesthetical part of the design. Sometimes it is easy to accomplish the functional part of an interior design, but since the definition of beauty is different for everyone, it is extremely difficult to satisfy each and every user’s aesthetic hunger.

This is particularly true about interiors in public spaces. For example a bank building has a definite use and function for all the users. We can safely create a list of functions a person would perform when he visits a bank. But this does not mean the bank reflects his personality, like the first paragraph of this article mentions.

That’s why interiors in public spaces always are designed by taking into consideration something called as "mass personality". This is a general attitude of the kind of mindset everyone would have or is likely to have when he/she visits that space. If you visit large corporate software office premise, you will see this picture.

Office interiors always have a certain kind of order in them. The use of colors, design styles have a kind of commitment in them, which is expected from you when you work there.

On the other hand a bar or a restaurant has some sort of mood generating atmosphere, which sets you loose. Because this is what is expected in a public space like a restaurant.

Thus any interior space is always associated with people. A space which serves its functions best and makes the users comfortable is bound to succeed as a favorite place.

I hope this article was informative to everyone.

Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya

Shrinivas Vaidya is the webmaster of Bedroom-Design-And-Decorating-Ideas.com Here you will find some great concept level design tips for master bedrooms, teen bedrooms and guest bedrooms.

Kitchen counter tops are one of the most used items in your kitchen. Whether you are preparing the evening meal, storing appliances, or just enjoying that first cup of coffee in the morning, kitchen countertops serve many uses. Aside from multi-uses, kitchen countertops are an important aesthetic element of the kitchen. There are a plethora of styles, types, edges, and materials for countertops. Selecting the one that is right for you can prove to be a challenge. An excellent starting point is to research online as well visit home improvement stores to determine what style, cost, and material fit your budget.

Kitchen counter tops are available in a wide selection of materials and finishes. One of the most popular materials is Formica counter tops. These are easy to clean and maintain, not to mention easy to install and even easier on the wallet. With a wide selection of color, Formica counter tops are available to match nearly all color schemes that a kitchen may have.

Granite counter tops are another popular type of kitchen counter top. Be prepared that granite counter tops cost significantly more than the Formica counter tops. Granite counter tops are more durable and even scratch resistant than Formica. Slabs of granite are used for the counter top. They are polished and generally available in a variety of edges, such as bull nose, blunt cut, or even knife edge. As you can see, granite countertops can offer more variety in the form of looks than compared to a Formica counter top.

A third option for a counter top is the tiled counter top. Similar to tiled floor, it is laid as individual tile and arranged in a number of patterns and color schemes. Installation of this type is more time consuming and difficult than the previously mentioned counter tops. Aside from installation, tiled counter tops can easily show dirt within the grout. It is important to seal the grout and tile after installation to help prevent the visibility of dirt and to allow for easier cleaning.

New kitchen counter tops are a great way to make a statement in your kitchen. With a wide range of pricing, materials, finishes, patterns, and more, rest assured you will be able to find a new counter top that is not only functional, but also practical. Be sure to shop around and compare prices when you are looking to make a purchase for a new kitchen counter top. In the end you will not only save money on your purchase, but you will have a new kitchen counter top to complete your kitchen.

The permanent link to this article can be found at http://www.countertops.ez-search.us/Articles/Kitchen_Counter_Top_Materials.php

As an author at eZ-search, Chris Miller contributes to the growing content found within the site and shares his knowledge about granite counter tops.

You may have seen some of the oil diffusers we offered by various sellers and perhaps wondered what one could possible use those strange contraptions for. Well I’m here to tell you. Isn’t that useful?

An oil diffuser is another way of adding some nice scents to your room, ritual area, or wherever you might be. Ritual incense comes in many different scents and types, but they by no means cover the gamut of scents that you might want to fill your nostrils with. Oil diffusers or Oil Burners are simply another way of providing scent.

Scent is one of the senses that we tend to ignore. However, it has a very strong (pardon the pun) impact on our daily lives, our memories, and even our bodies. More Americans are coming to the conclusion that scents may effect the way their minds and bodies work, which is apparent in the great increase in healing modalities like aromatherapy.

In aromatherapy, one can purchase elaborate and expensive oil diffusers or oil burners to dispense their essential oils or fragrance oils. However, a nice inexpensive one does pretty much the same job.

Once you decide which type of oil burner you would like to use, all you need to do is choose what oil you’d like diffused. You can read about some of the differences between magickal essential oils and fragrance oils in other articles. Many vendors offer a plethora of different types of magickal essential oils to choose from. Do I get 10 points for the use of "plethora" in a sentence?

So now what do you do? You have this oil diffuser, you have your magickal essential oils, what else do you need? A heat source of course. A small chime candle or a tea light (depending on which burner you choose) will do nicely. Light that puppy up, and make sure that the flame is not too close to the bowl of the burner, so that it doesn’t crack. Let it get a bit warm (use time, not touch to figure out whether it’s warm…these things CAN burn), then when you are ready, it’s time to add the oil.

Here is the point where you have to know what kind of oil you are using. If you are using an essential oil, use ONLY one or two drops to start. This oil is very concentrated. A tiny bit goes a long way. If you are using a fragrance oil, you can use a little bit more than that. See whether or not it is enough to make the nostrils happy. Give it time, since it takes at least a few minutes to diffuse through the room. Keep adding oil, and you will soon find yourself opening all the windows or fleeing the room. If you’re in an apartment, your neighbors may no longer greet you in the hallway. Be patient, and err on the side of little rather than LOTS.

As with all things, be prudent in your selection. Tea Tree essential oil is wonderful to use as an antiseptic, but it really doesn’t smell all that great. Something like Lavender or Chamomile or another floral scent is likely a better choice. Of course, you can always use the magnificent blend called Enchanted Oil (sold by Enchanted Works) which contains Reiki energies as well as those sacred to Hecate.

Many scents of magickal essential oils and even fragrance oils correspond to types of incense that might be specific to a certain ritual. This does not mean that you will like every scent that is recommended for every ritual, so start off small so you don’t choke .

Blessings

Kestra is a Wiccan Priestess, Master Herbalist, and Reiki Master, offering the best in practical information, unique and useful altar tools and ritual supplies at an online shop called Enchanted Works. Please check out our offerings at http://www.enchantedworks.com Guaranteed not to be your "same ole" Wiccan shop.