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Check out this post How to Make Care Freshies Yourself! If you've seen these highly scented and beautiful car air fresheners, you can see how to make these yourself! Great for gifts!

How to Make Care Freshies

We heard about Care Freshies a while back. These are cute air fresheners that take the scent of oil from the scented oil and sticks sets you see.

Just hang from your rear-view mirror or a window in the house, and it becomes an instant freshener and a suncatcher! The light catches these pretty beads and you have something so much better than those typical cardboard or candle shaped ones that you find at the store.

This DIY does take some time and patience, so stick with me on the How-To instructions. If you get through this post and are thinking it's not exactly what I want to do– way too much work– then you can head over and purchase these readily made!

My daughter Taylor is now selling these finished Care Freshies over at her TaylorMaydeCreations Facebook Page.

DIY Instructions for Care Freshies:

If you're ready to get started on these yourself, here you go! First, start with a good set of metal cookie cutters. I recommend metal since we need something sturdy for the beads.

We used Valentine's themed cookie cutters, since this is the time of year we made them. Use any cookie cutters you prefer. Generic ones like flowers will work for any time of year. Just remember that smaller cookie cutters or X-large cookie cutters may not work as well. You will need to play around with the designs.

Next, you will need to have Aroma Beads which have been soaked with Fragrance Oil.

The soaking part of this DIY is what takes the longest. 2-3 weeks prior to your project, you will need to add the Aroma Beads along with your Fragrance Oil to a clean mason jar. Close the lid tightly and turn the jar upside down often, each day. You can also shake the jar to speed up the process. (See Printable Instructions below). You can find fragrance oil in craft stores, and go with any scent you prefer!

After the beads are no longer sticky, they are ready to go in the cookie cutters and you can finish your project.

Baking and Assembling Care Freshies:

In this picture we used our fully prepared aroma beads. We prepared a cookie sheet with parchment and set the cookie cutter down flat on the paper. Then, using a large nail with a good-sized nail head to keep it upright, poured the beads around it. The beads also help hold up the nail.

A clean nail worked well to keep a hole in the Care Freshie for the string. Don't forget this step– you can really mess up your finished project if you are trying to poke a hole into it after it is done. 🙂

Adding Mica Powder for Color:

This is the fun part of this project! You don't want all the beads a bland color, so for this we used Mica Powder in different colors. You can find these packets on Amazon.

Just mix in the Mica powder until the beads are coated. Shake a very small amount out, being careful not to add too much.

The Mica Powder can keep them from sticking if you add too much! If you're wondering what Mica powder is, you might have to think back to grade school. Mica is a non-toxic natural mineral. It's not ingestible, of course, but it's ideal for craft projects since it can add colorful, shiny finishes to soaps, clay, and many other types of art. Mica powders and flakes reflect light, which is one reason it's great for this project. Observe any safety precautions on the packaging (probably minimal). Do keep away from children and pets as it may be mistaken for something edible.

Finishing Touches:

After your freshies are assembled on the cookie tray, bake for about 8 minutes to melt the beads together slightly. If you're sensitive to scents, make sure the room is well ventilated.

After they are done, all you do is pop out (carefully) and let cool. The nail may come out of the cookie cutter along with the freshie. Carefully back out the nail, using work gloves if needed.

Run a fun ribbon through the top to hang from your mirror in your car, or even around the house! You can buy sealable cookie bags to package these for gifts. They make great teacher or healthcare worker appreciation gifts, or something to tuck in a gift basket for Valentine's Day!

These turned out so adorable, we will be making more in the future. I am excited to try new colors and shapes, and of course see more at Taylor's online store. Click below for your printable instructions.

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Print Below: How to Make Care Freshies

Join Our Facebook Groups:

Brown Box Shoppers – Amazon Deals and Coupon Codes

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Consumer Queen Crest Foods Deals (Oklahoma Only)

Consumer Queen Homeland Group (Oklahoma Only)

Frugal Living Tips and Tricks That Wor

Easy Slow Cooker Recipes – Dump and Go Crockpot Meals

Easy Delicious Recipes- Just Like Grandma Used to Make

Air Fryer Recipes – Easy and Delicious

Instant Pot Recipes – Easy and Delicious

CQ Oklahoma Natural & Organic Support Group

Have you joined our Facebook yet? We have over 18,000 members who share deals, recipes and lifestyle tips with each other. Click here to join and start saving with us today.

Want MORE DEALS? Check out AMAZON FACEBOOK GROUP where we post deals and codes for up to 75% off Amazon products.

Would you like to earn free gift cards? Shopkick is an app that allows you to earn ‘kicks (points)” cards just for walking in the store. You can then redeem those points to earn free gift cards. Check out the the highlighted link to learn more and start earning free gift cards today.

If you love to shop online check out some of our other online shopping deals and online coupon codes. Many shopping codes are only available for a limited time so make sure you check them out now!