How To Make An Attar Of Roses

Attar is luxurious, rich and alcohol-free perfume made from dense oil and fresh botanical materials. Attar oils are easy to make at home using a wide range of fresh flowers, and the more fragrant the flower, the heavier the resulting attar scent. Using fresh roses to make attar serves as a crafty way to incorporate the roses that grow in your garden environment. You can also make a special-occasion attar from a rose bouquet given to you by someone special.

Step 1

Pour 6 oz. concentrated oil of sandalwood into a canning jar. Select a jar with a mouth that is at least 8 inches in diameter to allow you to access the inside of the jar with ease. You can obtain oil of sandalwood from a specialty craft supply shop or online.

Step 2

Add 1 lb. fresh rose petals to the sandalwood oil. Put the lid securely on the jar, and place it somewhere dark and dry for about two weeks.

Step 3

Unscrew the lid of the jar, and then mash the soaking petals with a hand masher to express the fragrant flower oils even further. Cover the jar again, and let it sit for another week. Mash the petals every other day during this time, rendering them into little more than pulp.

Step 4

Extract the resulting attar oil from the jar with a plastic pipette. Squirt the solution from the pipette into a glass oil vial or decorative attar bottle. The attar will be dark red in appearance and heavily fragrant of sandalwood and roses.

Step 5

Cap the oil vial or attar bottle, and keep it in a dark, dry place for storage. This highly aromatic attar can be dabbed on your pulse points, such as the temples, wrists and throat.