THREE TO MAKE, BUY OR CUSTOMISE

Not every room can be filled with cut flowers, which is why floral home fragrance is a good idea. Make your own pot-pourri, buy an organic room spray, or make a scented candle in an old mug

1 MAKE Petals or flower heads from blooms with strong scents (roses, lavender, jasmine) can easily be turned into pot-pourri. They work best combined with slices of orange, apple and spices like cinnamon or cloves. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 110C/Fan 90C/Gas 1 until dry, then put somewhere dry for two days to get rid of any residual moisture. Mix well, bruising slightly to release fragrance, then store in a lidded jar for at least two weeks. Remove, put in a wide bowl and inhale.

2 BUY When it comes to buying home fragrance, it’s best to stick to organic products to prevent chemicals circulating in the air. Made in Cornwall using distilled water, Jasmine, Rose Geranium & Lemon Verbena Room Mist, £15, above, by Trevarno (trevarnoskincare.co.uk), is a lovely pure spritz to freshen up any room. Neom’s Happiness Home Mist, £18, is a more exotic blend of mimosa, neroli and lemon (neomorganics. com). Both companies also sell scented candles and diffusers.

3 CUSTOMISE Melt 20 or so white candles in a bowl over a pan of water. Add a few drops of floral essential oil suitable for candles (eg, geranium pure essential oil, £8.50, tisserand. com). Stir with a chopstick. Attach a pre-waxed wick to a sustainer (£2.50 for 9, hobbycraft.co.uk) then fix to the bottom of an enamel cup (£9, falconenamelware.com) with a drop of wax. Tie wick around a chopstick balanced on cup rim to centre wick. Carefully fill mug with melted wax. Cut excess wick and leave candle to set before lighting.