Make Fragrant Freshies With Aroma Beads At Home

Freshies are a fun and simple DIY project that can add exciting aromas to your car's interior while looking cute hanging from your rearview mirror. They are made by melting scent beads in an oven and can be customised with your favourite scent and pigment. To make freshies with aroma beads, start by adding fragrance and colour to the beads. Preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and line a baking sheet with foil. Pour the scented aroma beads into metal cookie cutters placed on the baking sheet and fill them about halfway. Bake the freshies for 8-9 minutes or until they start to melt together. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about an hour. Finally, remove the freshies from the cookie cutters and attach a hanger using a loop of string, yarn, or wire.

Choosing your scent

Choosing the right scent for your freshies is a very important step in the process of making them. You can choose from a wide variety of fragrances, such as fruity, vanilla-toned, lavender, cucumber, sage, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass, apple cinnamon, and so on. The options are endless!

When choosing a fragrance, it is important to remember that everyone's nose is different. If you like how a fragrance smells in wax but not its out-of-the-bottle (OOTB) scent, it might not be the best option for your freshies. Opt for fragrances where you like the OOTB scent. The final product will usually match the OOTB scent.

Additionally, some fragrances naturally have a darker colour, which might affect the colour of your aroma beads. If using darker fragrance oils, try to work the colour of the fragrance into your final design. You can also use mica powder to help tint the beads to your desired shade.

The amount of fragrance you need will depend on the strength of the scent you want to achieve. Aroma beads can hold a maximum of 20 to 30% fragrance oil, but you don't need to add this much if you can create a scent you like with less. As a reference, a 4% fragrance load is about 0.5 oz of fragrance per pound of beads, while a 12% load is about 2 oz per pound.

When adding fragrance to your aroma beads, simply add the beads and fragrance oil to a clean glass jar, shake it up, and let it sit for 24 hours to fully absorb. It is important not to add too much fragrance oil at once, as this will make it impossible for the beads to absorb. Gradually work your way up to the desired fragrance load.

If you add too much fragrance oil, don't worry! You can fix this by simply adding more unscented beads to even things out. The new beads will help soak up the excess fragrance.

Now that you've chosen and added your scent, you're ready to move on to the next steps of making your freshies!

Adding colour

Choosing Your Colouring Method

You can use either liquid candle dye or mica powder to colour your aroma beads. You can also add glitter for some extra sparkle.

Using Mica Powder

Mica powder is a natural mineral that comes in a wide range of colours. It will stick to the aroma beads without the need for a liquid, although you can mix it with a small amount of rubbing alcohol if you prefer. Simply add the powder to your beads in a sealed container, shake to distribute, and then allow the alcohol to evaporate before using the beads.

Using Liquid Candle Dye

Liquid candle dye is another option for colouring your aroma beads. Simply add a few drops of the dye to your beads and mix well. You can also mix different colours of dye to create new shades.

To add colour to your aroma beads, start by pouring about 1 cup of beads into a plastic cup or container. If using mica powder, add 4-6 micro scoops of powder per pound of beads. For liquid candle dye, start with just a few drops and increase as needed. Mix the colouring agent with the beads using a spoon or by shaking the container.

Creating Multicoloured Freshies

If you want to make multicoloured freshies, you can do so by mixing different colours of beads together before melting them. You can also create separate areas of colour within the same freshie by bisecting a cookie cutter with a comb while pouring in the beads.

Troubleshooting

If you're using a darker fragrance oil, such as vanilla or coffee, be aware that this may affect the final colour of your beads. You can try to work this into your design, or use a lighter colour of dye or mica powder to counteract the darkness of the oil.

Drying Time

Allow your coloured beads to sit for about 30 minutes to fully absorb the pigment. The drying time may vary depending on the type of dye or pigment used, as well as the amount of fragrance oil added.

Preparing the oven

Preheat the Oven:

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (177°C). This temperature is ideal for melting aroma beads without burning them. However, every oven is different, so you may need to adjust the temperature slightly. If your oven runs hot, you might want to preheat it to a slightly lower temperature, like 325°F. It's always a good idea to test a small batch of beads first to find the perfect temperature for your oven.

Prepare the Baking Sheet:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Avoid using wax paper, as the beads will stick to it and become difficult to remove. The size of your baking sheet 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 will affect the baking time.

Spacing Out Cookie Cutters:

Place metal cookie cutters onto the lined baking sheet, spacing them out evenly. Try to use cookie cutters of similar sizes in each batch for more consistent melting. Fill the cookie cutters about halfway with aroma beads, and gently shift them to help the beads settle into all the corners and details of the cutters. If you want to hang your freshies, you can place a screw or nail in the beads to create a hole for the string.

Now that your oven and baking sheet are prepared, you're ready to melt your aroma beads and create your freshies! Just remember to keep an eye on them in the oven to avoid over-melting, and always let them cool before handling.

Using moulds

Gather Your Materials:

First, you'll need to gather all the necessary materials. Here's what you'll need:

• Aroma beads
• Fragrance oil
• Metal cookie cutters or silicone moulds (moulds with smooth bottoms and minimal details work best)
• Parchment paper (do not use wax paper!)
• A large nail or screw (optional)
• Oven and oven mitts
• Thread, yarn, or string (optional)

Prepare Your Aroma Beads:

Before using moulds, you need to prepare your aroma beads by adding fragrance and colour (if desired). Here's how:

• Measure out the desired amount of aroma beads using a digital scale. Typically, you can use up to 2 oz of fragrance oil per pound of beads, but you can start with less and adjust as needed.
• Add the fragrance oil to a clean glass jar or HDPE plastic container.
• If you want to add colour, measure out the desired amount of liquid candle dye and mix it with the fragrance oil. A little goes a long way, so start with just a few drops.
• Pour the aroma beads into the container with the fragrance oil and candle dye (if used).
• Secure the lid on the container tightly and shake well. You'll need to shake the beads for a couple of minutes to ensure the colour and fragrance are fully dispersed.
• The beads will look very wet at first, but it can take a few days for the oil to be fully absorbed. Keep shaking the jar every few hours, alternating the jar upside down each time, to help with absorption.
• Once the oil is fully absorbed, the beads will appear dry and will not stick to the sides of the jar. At this point, you can add a small amount of pigment or mica for colouring if you haven't already added candle dye.
• Allow the beads to cure for at least 7 days. Curing will enhance the scent and make it last longer.

Now, you're ready to use moulds to create fun shapes with your scented aroma beads:

• Preheat your oven to 325°F-350°F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place your metal cookie cutters or silicone moulds on the lined baking sheet. Try to use moulds of similar size and shape to ensure even melting.
• If you want to create a hole for hanging your freshie, place a large nail or screw where you want the hole to be.
• Fill the moulds or cookie cutters about 3/4 full with the scented aroma beads. Pack them in gently by tapping them with your fingers or the back of a spoon.
• Bake the aroma beads for 6-10 minutes. The exact time will depend on the size and thickness of your moulds, as well as your oven. Keep an eye on them to ensure they don't melt down completely.
• After removing from the oven, let the aroma beads cool for a few minutes. Then, gently loosen them from the baking sheet by moving them around.
• After about 10 minutes, while the aroma beads are still warm, pop them out of the moulds or cookie cutters. Remove any nails or screws used.
• Allow your freshies to cool completely before packaging or hanging them up.

Tips and Tricks:

• It's important to test a small batch first to ensure your oven temperature and baking time are just right.
• Evenly space out your moulds or cookie cutters on the baking sheet to promote even melting.
• If using cookie cutters with intricate details, use your fingers to ensure the beads are tucked into all the crevices evenly.
• To hang your freshies, simply thread a string through the hole created by the nail or screw. You can also tie a string around a section of the shape.

Decorating

Once you've made your freshies, you can decorate them with puff paint, ribbons, beads, or artificial flowers. You can also add googly eyes to animal-shaped freshies.

• Add spots to a dog-shaped freshie, or draw a bumble bee on top of a flower-shaped freshie using puff paint.
• Tie a ribbon around a plain square freshie to make it look like a cute wrapped present, or glue a small length of ribbon around the top of a horse-shaped freshie as a saddle.
• Glue on googly eyes to animal-shaped freshies to make them look like little critters with personality.
• Use puff paint to add texture and dimension to your freshies. Carefully squeeze the puff paint bottle while drawing lines across the freshie.
• Add a whimsical touch with crafty accents like ribbons or other small items. Use a pea-sized amount of hot glue or super glue to attach your decorations.

Frequently asked questions