Homemade Gel Air Fresheners
Did you know you can make homemade gel air fresheners that are every bit as good as or better than store-bought gel air fresheners? These gel air fresheners also cost considerably less. Homemade gel air fresheners can be made to compliment any decor, and they make fantastic homemade gifts for those who love and appreciate fragrant gel air fresheners. If you or someone you know likes to use decorative homemade gel air fresheners to freshen a room, consider making the following homemade gel air fresheners. Once you make these fabulous homemade gel air fresheners, you won’t go back to buying expensive gel air fresheners from the store.
Homemade gel air fresheners are a great way to recycle glass baby food jars and small jelly jars. As you create the following homemade gel air fresheners, you will think of other creative ways to make these gel air fresheners more decorative and more fragrantly appealing.
Basic Gel Air Fresheners
For basic homemade gel air fresheners you will need clear glass jars of your choice. Baby food jars or other small jars are perfect for making gel air fresheners. You can find small clear decorative jars in most craft stores if you want fancier gel air fresheners. You will also need 16 ounces of concentrated liquid potpourri, four envelopes of clear gelatin, and one tablespoon of salt. The salt acts as a preservative so the gel air fresheners don’t become moldy.
Over medium heat, cook 8 ounces of concentrated liquid potpourri until it’s almost boiling. Remove the pan from the source of heat, and slowly stir in the packets of clear gelatin and the salt. Lastly, pour in the remaining 8 ounces of concentrated liquid potpourri. Stir the mixture well, and pour it into clean jars of your choice. Allow the gel air fresheners to cool until they are set.
Essential Oil Gel Air Freshener
This homemade gel air freshener uses essential oil instead of liquid potpourri. Essential oil is available in dozens of fragrances, so the scent choices are almost endless. This is a fantastic method of creating homemade gel air fresheners, and as easy as these gel air fresheners are to make, you’ll want to make many different gel air fresheners in many different scents and colors.
To make essential oil gel air fresheners you’ll need two tablespoons of clear gelatin powder, essential oil, food coloring, a ½ cup of hot water, and clean clear jars of your choice. This gel air freshener recipe doesn’t require salt for preservation. Only larger batches of gel recommend added salt.
Simply stir together and heat the clear gelatin powder, approximately 20 drops of essential oil, enough food coloring to color the gel sufficiently, and the water. Once the gelatin has melted, pour the liquid into clean jars. Don’t be surprised if the gel appears cloudy at first. Place the jars in the refrigerator until the gel has set.
Creative Options for Gel Air Fresheners
There are many ways to make these gel air fresheners beautiful works of art that you’ll be proud to display. Consider adding objects to the jars. Beautiful shells, marbles, colored glass bits, polished stones, small plastic flower blooms, and other small waterproof items make wonderful embellishments for gel air fresheners.
Experiment with essential oils by mixing various oils to create unique new scents. Keep track of the amounts of oil you use to create your favorite scents, and you’ll be able to easily recreate them again and again.
Use your imagination to make gel air fresheners that are as interesting as they are fragrant. For instance, you could add small plastic strawberries or cherries to a pint size jelly jar and fill the jar with red cherry or strawberry scented gel. Place a canning jar lid and ring on top and you’ve got a very unique and decorative kitchen air freshener.
Tie beautiful ribbons or paper twist around the tops of jars, and embellish jars with faux stick-on gems and jewels. The options for decorating jars filled with scented gel are only limited to your imagination.
If you like tropical fish, consider filling the bottom of a small fish bowl with clean aquarium gravel. Place actual aquarium decor such as artificial plants and rocks in the center, and fill the bowl with clear or light blue gel scented with a fragrance of your choice. As the gel is setting, use a thin wooden skewer to push small plastic sea horses, tropical fish, or other artificial sea life into the gel. Use your imagination, and have fun making this extremely unique gel air freshener that will emit beautiful fragrance in any room of your home.
Another idea is to fill a clear clean vase with fragrant air freshener gel in a color of your choice. After the gel has set, place beautiful artificial flowers inside the vase. The gel will keep the flowers in place, and it will look like water. The scent emitted from the gel will make the flowers smell like real flowers.
It’s also fun to layer different colors of gel in clear jars. Simply allow the gel to set before pouring in subsequent colors. Allow the gel to cool a little more than usual before adding additional colors so the colors don’t blend together.
If you would like to make gel air fresheners without using jars, consider pouring the hot scented gel into a pan of appropriate size. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and display the scented shapes on a pretty dish or platter. Just make sure no one mistakes these fantastical gel air fresheners for a sweet treat!
