When you want to fill the air with the rich vanilla scent of something baking in the oven, you don't have to prepare a batch of cookies. Instead, you can make your room smell like vanilla with the help of vanilla extract -- a liquid prepared from vanilla beans soaked in alcohol. Once you expose some of the concentrated extract to the air in your room, it won't take long for the vanilla scent you desire to permeate the air around you.

Heat Trick

Gather a small bit of vanilla extract into a dropper, enough to make two or three drops.

Find an accessible light bulb installed in a fixture in the room, such as in a lamp or hanging light fixture.

Drop two or three drops of vanilla extract onto the light bulb with the dropper. Turn on the light. The heat coupled with the extract will cause the smell of vanilla to waft through the area.

Soaked Cotton Balls

Pour 1 tsp. of vanilla extract into a small bowl. Dip several cotton balls into the extract to soak.

Put the soaked cotton balls in a clean jar or small dish.

Place the jar or dish in an inconspicuous area so the scent can drift into the room.

Soak several groups of cotton balls and place them in different spots around the room if you have a large room.

On the Stove

Place 2 cups of water in a small saucepan.

Add 2 tbsp. of vanilla flavoring or extract to the water and bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down and let the concoction simmer and the smell of vanilla will fill the air in the room.