Making Fragrant Aroma Bead Car Fresheners At Home

Making your own car air fresheners is a fun and simple DIY project. All you need are some aroma beads, fragrance oil, and a few other easily accessible materials. You can even add your own creative touch by choosing your favourite colours and scents. Once you're done, simply hang your freshie from your rear-view mirror, and enjoy the lovely fragrance in your car!

Choosing and preparing your moulds

When choosing a mould for your aroma bead car freshies, you can opt for either metal cookie cutters or silicone moulds. If you're using cookie cutters, make sure they are at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep and place them flat on a baking sheet. For silicone moulds, place them on a baking sheet and fill the cavities about 0.25 inches (0.6 cm) deep with beads.

Before pouring in your beads, line your baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper) to prevent the beads from sticking. If you want to hang your car freshies, create a hole by placing a roofing nail or screw in the mould before adding the beads.

When preparing your moulds, fill them about halfway with beads. Gently shift the moulds back and forth to help the beads settle into all the corners and details of the shape.

Adding fragrance and colour to the beads

The amount of fragrance oil you add to your aroma beads depends on the strength of scent you desire. Beads can hold a maximum fragrance load of 20 to 30% but you don't need to add this much if you can create a scent you like with less fragrance. A 4 to 12% fragrance load is ideal as it will smell strong while allowing you to get the most out of your fragrance. For example, a 4% fragrance load is about 0.5 oz of fragrance per pound of beads, while a 12% load is about 2 oz of fragrance per pound of beads.

If you are making a different amount of aroma beads, adjust the amount of fragrance you use accordingly. You will need to know the weight of your beads to determine the right amount of fragrance to add. For easier calculations, start by adding 5% fragrance by weight. After this fragrance absorbs, you can add another 5% fragrance load, repeating this process until you reach your ideal fragrance load.

It is important to note that you should not add a high fragrance load all at once. The beads can hold up to 20 to 30% fragrance depending on the fragrance used, but adding too much oil at once will make it impossible for the beads to absorb the fragrance. Work your way up to the max fragrance load gradually rather than pouring in your final desired amount of fragrance all at once. From testing, it has been found that beads have a hard time absorbing fragrances if they are completely saturated or swimming in fragrance oil. For best results, the beads should simply be coated with fragrance and appear wet when you add the fragrance and shake it up.

If you believe you have added too much fragrance oil, don't worry, the aroma beads are not ruined. Simply even things out by adding more (unscented) beads. This may require that you transfer your beads to a larger container so there's enough room to shake them. The new beads will help soak up the excess fragrance, making it possible for your beads to fully absorb and become dry enough to handle for projects.

How long it takes for aroma beads to absorb a fragrance depends on the fragrance used. It may take anywhere from one day to two or more weeks. Heavier oils tend to take longer.

To add fragrance to your aroma beads, simply add fragrance oil and beads to a clean glass jar or HDPE plastic container. Shake the jar, then shake again every few hours to distribute the fragrance evenly. The fragrance will soak into the beads over time. The beads are ready to use for projects once they appear dry and no longer stick to the sides of the jar.

If you are looking to add colour to your beads, you can use mica powder. Simply mix in the mica powder until the beads are coated. You don't need much powder to make your beads colourful. It is recommended to start with 4-6 micro scoops of mica per pound. You can increase the amount to get a more intense colour. However, adding too much mica can make it difficult for the fragrance to absorb and for the beads to melt together.

You can also add glitter to your aroma beads. Simply add it in the same way as the mica powder. You can also add glitter and mica for an even shinier effect. Just be aware that glitter isn't a pigment, so it won't dye the beads. Rather, it will rest on top of them.

If you want to add colour to your beads without using fragrance, simply add the beads and mica powder to a sealed container or bag and shake it to distribute the powder. Then add the coloured beads to whichever mould you'd like to use. Bake as usual to melt.

Preparing your baking sheet

First, it's important to choose the right size of the baking sheet. The size will depend on the number of shapes you plan to bake and the size of your oven. Keep in mind that the cookie cutter size and the number of shapes can affect the baking time.

Line your chosen baking sheet with parchment paper. This is an important step to ensure the aroma beads don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Do not use wax paper, as it will be difficult to remove the beads without leaving bits stuck to the paper.

Evenly space out your metal cookie cutters on the lined baking sheet. Try to keep the shapes of a similar size for each batch to ensure even baking. You can use cookie cutters with intricate details, but keep in mind that the smaller/narrower parts of the design will melt first.

If you plan to hang your aroma bead creation, create a hole by placing a medium to large-sized screw or nail in the desired location before adding the beads. This step is optional but recommended if you want to hang your car freshie.

Spread the aroma beads evenly into the cookie cutters, filling them about halfway. You can use your fingers to ensure the beads are tucked into all the crevices of the cookie cutters.

Your baking sheet is now ready for the oven! The next step is to bake your aroma beads and create your car freshies.

Baking your freshies

Now that you've gathered your materials and prepared your beads, it's time to bake your freshies! Here's a step-by-step guide:

• Preheat your oven: Set your oven to 350°F (177°C). If your oven runs hot, you may want to reduce the temperature to 325°F. Remember, every oven is different, so you might need to experiment a little to find the perfect temperature for melting your aroma beads.
• Prepare your baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper!). The size of your baking sheet will depend on the number of shapes you're baking and the size of your oven.
• Place your cookie cutters: Place metal cookie cutters flat on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Try to use cookie cutters of similar sizes in each batch for more consistent results.
• Fill the cookie cutters: Fill each cookie cutter about halfway with your scented aroma beads. Gently shift the cookie cutters back and forth to settle the beads into all the corners and details of the shape.
• Create a hanging hole (optional): If you want to hang your freshies, place a medium to large screw or nail head-side up in the beads, about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) from the top of the mold. This will create a hole for hanging.
• Bake your freshies: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 6-10 minutes. The exact baking time will depend on the size and number of shapes, oven temperature, and other factors. Check your freshies periodically to avoid over-baking.
• Check for doneness: To check if your freshies are done, gently tap the top of the beads with a spoon, popsicle stick, or skewer. If the beads appear to be sticking together, they are ready to be removed from the oven. Be careful not to melt the beads completely into a liquid; you want to maintain a "loose" look on top.
• Cool the freshies: Remove the freshies from the oven and let them cool. You can let them cool completely or remove them from the molds while they are still slightly warm.
• Remove from the molds: Once cooled, gently pop the freshies out of the cookie cutters. They may stick a bit, so some wiggling and gentle pulling may be necessary. If you used a screw or nail, push it out by pressing the sharp end down on a counter or cookie sheet.
• Add a hanger (optional): If you want to hang your freshies, simply thread a string through the hole created by the nail or screw. Alternatively, tie a string around a section of the shape. Make sure the loop is large enough to fit around your rearview mirror.

Your aroma bead car freshies are now ready to use! Hang them in your car, office, or anywhere you please, and enjoy the delightful fragrance they bring to your space.

Decorating your freshie

Once you've made your freshie, you can decorate it with puff paint, adding designs, or gluing beads or ribbons to your freshie. You can also add googly eyes to animal-shaped freshies.

If you want to add colour to your freshie, you can use mica powder. You can find these packets on Amazon. Just mix in the mica powder until the beads are coated. Be careful not to add too much, as it can prevent the beads from sticking together.

You can also make multicolour freshies by mixing different colours of beads or bisecting a cookie cutter with the teeth of a comb while pouring the beads to add separate areas of colour.

Frequently asked questions