Skip Scented Candles: Make Scented Light Bulbs with Flavored Extracts Instead

Do you ever walk into a nice boutique, a friend's house, or a fancy restaurant, and think, "I wish my house smelled like this"? Because I sure do.

The problem is that most people rely on candles to scent their homes and rooms. Don't get me wrong, I love candles, but they have their downsides: they shouldn't be left unattended, they create smoke, they burn pretty quickly, and the really good ones are expensive as hell.

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Thankfully, there's an incredibly quick and easy way to make your home smell fantastic, using only kitchen ingredients (and no smoke!). It's my new favorite food and lifestyle hack: scented light bulbs.

How to Make Scented Light Bulbs

Making your home smell amazing really couldn't be easier. All you need to do is dab a few drops of your favorite baking extract on a cold light bulb, and then turn the light on. Within a minute the heat from the light bulb will turn the extract into a strong fragrance that fills your entire room. It's that simple!

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Just be sure to always add your extract to a cold light bulb; if you try to put some on a hot bulb you'll likely burn your finger and break the bulb (this trick also works with colognes and perfumes, if that's more appealing to you).

A Flavor for Every Room

It's great to have your whole home smell yummy. But, in my opinion, it's even greater to have each individual room smell unique. My favorite thing to do with scented light bulbs is to add a different extract to the lights in each room. For instance, lemon extract in your kitchen, vanilla extract in your living room, and cinnamon extract in your bedroom will make for an incredibly fun olfactory sensation as you move through your home. Plus, it keeps your home from being monotonous.

Non-Light Bulb Variations

If you want to make your home smell better with natural kitchen ingredients, but you're not keen on the light bulb trick, don't worry! There are a few other great options. You can put some of your favorite aromatic ingredients in a saucepan with some water, place it on the stove, and turn the heat to low. Keep it at a low heat (below simmering) for a few hours, and your whole home will take on the aroma of the ingredients.

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Or, if you want to keep the source of your scent hidden, you can add a few teaspoons of your favorite extract to an oven-safe coffee mug, and place it in the oven at 300°F for an hour. Your place will smell like you've been baking cookies all day!

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Photos by Brady Klopfer/Food Hacks