Making Orange Essential Oil

I have become interested in aromatherapy, but since I don't have many essential oils I can't really do many of the things I've read about in the books I've gotten from the library and stuff online! So, I was really excited when I found a recipe online that told how to make essential oils!

here are some pictures of when I was making orange essential oil:

all the ingredients and the recipe
after 24 hours i strained it using using a dishcloth.

Here is the recipe that I found online:

you will need:

• one wide mouth canning jar with tight fitting lid
• 300ml oil (i used 100ml for a smaller batch) such as olive oil, safflower oil or sesame oil
• Glass mixing bowl (i used a measuring cup so it would be easier to pour into the container)
• muslin or clean dish towel (to cover the top of the bowl)
• Dark glass bottle with tight fitting lid or stopper
• 8 Tbs. flower petals
• 6 Tbs. chopped herbs
• 4 Tbs. crushed spices
• 6 Tbs. of thinly pared citrus zest (i used 3 Tbs. for smaller a batch)

(only use one of the following unless the essential oil you are making calls for multiple things. flower petals, chopped herbs, chopped spices, or thinly pared citrus zest)

Instructions to make the essential oils:

• Put the oil into the jar then add the plant material and stir. Cover tightly and leave for 48 hours in a sunny windowsill, shaking every 12 hours.
• Lay a piece of muslin over the bowl and strained the oils. Gather up the muslin and squeeze the material to extract as much oil as you can.
• Put the oil back into the jar and add fresh material. Continue in the same way until you get the aroma you want.
• If the weather is cold and dull you can place the jar in a saucepan of cold water. Slowly heat it until the water becomes just hand-hot. Keep it the temperature for 10 minutes. Remove the jar. Do this once a day.
• After final straining, you can put the oil into a dark glass bottle. The shelf life for your essential oil is 6-12 months if kept in a dry, dark, cool place.