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If you have a car, you’ve probably purchased those little hanging air fresheners. But did you know you could make your own? These DIY air fresheners can be made in virtually any shape, with any fabric and any scent! And don’t limit them to the car; you can hang them in your office, your bedroom, or anywhere else you want a nice little scent boost!
To make a DIY air freshener, you’ll need:
- A Wooden Shape: These air fresheners aren’t limited to tree shapes (although that’s what I made because it’s Christmas time and wooden tree shapes are easy to find right now). Check your local craft store for a variety of wooden shapes to choose from. Or if you like the idea of tress, check these out.
- Fabric: I use cotton fabric for this. You can do any colors or patterns you want! The amount of fabric you need will vary depending on the size of your shapes, and how many you’re making. I love this bright Christmas fabric but you really can use any patterns!
- Glue: Most glues will work. I really like this Elmer’s glue all, I find it works well with wood projects.
- String: Depending on what shapes you buy, they may come with string. If not, you can use cotton string, twine, or anything else that works with your theme.
- Essential Oils: You’ll just need a few drops of whatever scent you want your air freshener to carry! For holiday scents, I love this set and this set.
- You’ll also need scissors for cutting your fabric and a paintbrush for spreading the glue.
Directions
Step 1
Start by gathering your materials! Here I’ve gathered my fabric, glue, wooden shape, and essential oil of choice – along with scissors and a paintbrush.
Many of the wooden shapes that you buy will already have holes in the top for stringing them because they’re meant to be ornaments. If your wooden shape does not have a hole in it, make a hole with a drill or dremel. Alternatively, if you don’t have a drill or don’t want to use one, you can glue your string down first before applying the fabric.
Don’t want to use wooden shapes? You could also cut a shape out of thick cardboard. However, this is unlikely to last as long as a wood shape.
Step 2
Next, cut a piece of fabric big enough for your wooden shape. Or, if you’d prefer, you can trace the shape on the fabric and cut it out first. Either method works! Personally, I like this method best because I don’t have to worry about making sure I get the pre-cut fabric perfectly aligned to the wooden shape when everything is all gluey.
Step 3
Apply a thin layer of glue to one side of the wooden shape. Press it onto your fabric, or press your pre-cut fabric shape down onto it. Smooth it down so there are no wrinkles in the fabric and that the glue is evenly distributed across the wooden shape.
Step 4
Once your shape is glued down and dried, cut it out. I used both a knife and scissors for this. Use whatever works easiest for you! As mentioned in step 2, you could choose to cut your fabric to match your shape at the beginning if you would prefer. I’ve tried both ways and prefer this method.
Step 5
Once your shape is cut out, flip it over and apply a thin layer of glue to the still-exposed wood side. Glue down your second piece of fabric like the first. The wooden shape should now have fabric glued down onto both sides. Once the glue dries, cut it out again.
Step 6
Once it’s cut out, use a needle to thread a string through the top. Tie it off securely. To give it the scent, you can either put several drops of essential oil on either side of the air freshener or, if you have a little more time, put some drops into a shallow dish and soak the air freshener in it for a few hours or overnight.
How did it go?
Are you going to give this DIY air freshener a try? Let me know in the comments what shapes, fabrics, and scents you used!
For more craft ideas, check out my “crafts and hobbies” posts here.
