I’ve done a few posts on how to make your home smell good, but these DIY gel air fresheners just might be my favorite! They’re easy to make, you can customize them with any scent you prefer, and they’re very nice to look at! :-) The process is so simple, you can easily make a bunch of air fresheners in just a few minutes.
There are two different methods for making these gel air fresheners, either with water and essential oils, or with liquid potpourri. Water and essential oils will give you an all-natural air freshener, and the scent combinations are virtually endless! Liquid potpourri can be purchased next to scented candles, and comes in a few standard scents. They smell great and are fairly inexpensive.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water OR 1 cup liquid potpourri
- 2 individual envelopes of unflavored gelatin
- 1 Tbsp. Salt
- 20 drops of your favorite essential oils (only if using water)
- Heat-Safe Containers
- Food Coloring (optional)
- Silk Flowers (optional)
In a small saucepan on the stove, heat 3/4 cups of water (or liquid potpourri) and the salt. When the salt is completely dissolved, slowly add the gelatin, and stir until that is completely dissolved as well. If you add the gelatin too quickly, it might get a little sticky and “clumpy,” but just keep stirring until it dissolves.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and then add the remaining liquid. Stir until fully blended, and pour the mixture into the containers of your choice.
Now add your essential oils (only if you used water). You can always add more or less essential oils based on your preference, and you can do different oils in each air freshener! I used a combination of Sweet Orange and Rosemary oils, and it smelled amazing! I also love using citrus oils like grapefruit, tangerine, lemon and lime. They smell so clean. :-)
Now it’s time for a bit of decoration, if you want to! Some silk flowers and a drop or two of food coloring make them look so fun! Now that your air fresheners are scented, colored and decorated; let them cool to room temperature.
You don’t have to add a lid, but the gel will dry out a little faster without a lid. I used a lid with a hole for a straw, and one frog lid. You could also use a hole punch to make your own vented lid! Just a couple of punches through a standard lid will work perfectly.
This project is super easy, and a cute flowery air freshener would make a great hostess gift! You could easily double or triple the recipe to make more at a time, but keep in mind that they do dry out in a month or so (faster if you don’t use a lid of some sort.)
What’s your favorite scent?
Gel Air Fresheners
Ingredients
- 1 cup water OR 1 cup liquid potpourri
- 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 20 drops essential oils only if using water
- heat-safe containers
- food coloring optional
- 1 silk flower optional
Instructions
- Heat 3/4 cup of water or liquid potpourri over medium-high heat.
- Add the salt and stir until dissolved.
- Add the gelatin and stir until dissolved.
- Remove from heat and add remaining 1/4 cup of water or liquid potpourri.
- Pour into containers and add essential oils, food coloring and silk flowers; if you want to.
- Let cool, and then cover with a vented lid.
Since you can add food coloring as well as scent, is there a reason you can’t use flavored gelatin?
This looks pretty and I like that it’s a natural air freshener without chemicals. Can you tell me if I can use vegan gelatin?
I made these twice (!) and both times would not gel. What is the trick? I followed the recipe, used Knox gelatin, and used essential oil. I am so disappointed as I love the idea of chemical free air fresheners. Jillee, please help!
I’m wondering if I did something wrong – how long till they set up? Mine are still liquid.
Hey, I have seen Gel perfumes that doesn’t melts in car..i prepared using above techniques but it was all liquid again within 5 hours…Any solution to this?
Hi! Can you use fragrances instead of essential oils?
You can!
Can this be used in your car as well? Or will it melt in the heat of summer?
It will dry out faster in the heat of the car, I would suggest these instead: http://bit.ly/2VPuRnK
Thank you Jillee. My home may not look perfect but at least is it smells amazing. :)
Did this little recipe this morning, even as the mixture is cooling, within minutes the whole house smells like black cherries! It’s wonderful. I hope this works in the long run the true test will be in the summer (the heat may melt the gelatin and make the mixture runny again we shall see) I didn’t use 20 drops I used the whole friggin bottle! LOL It only cost 99 cents, I cannot wait until Christmas time, then I am going to buy up the pine scented oils! That way my house can smell like a Christmas tree all year round. :)
Perfect! I love the smell of pine! :-)
Hi Jillee:
Can you substitute Kosher Salt, Sea Salt or Hawaiian Red Salt for Table Salt?
This is a 1st but I went to make these and realized we ran out of table salt – how do you run out of salt? Kids & hubs need to cut down on it – I barely ever use it & the one time I look for it, it’s for a project not food where it’s no big deal to me to go without salt and just pick it up at store later – the other salts I have on hand but I googled and it isn’t clear to me if they are suitable substitutes
For now, I’m running out to buy table salt – just figured Id ask for future reference or in case this happens to someone else
Thanks for your Solutions – love the laundry recipes – you are saving us a ton of $$$ and that’s important as a family of 9! If I only knew years ago, I would be rich with all the $$$ Id have saved on Cleaning & Laundry supplies!
Thanks so much, Jillee!
Yes, sea salt or kosher salt will work just fine – but they might take an extra minute or two to dissolve! :-)
Thanks Jillee
I use a Tablespoon of vodka, it is a more clear liquid.
Made these for Easter. Used Lemon oil and added a few sprigs of thyme. Way fun!! Thank you for recipe.
Very nice application
Is this how to make hand sanitizer?
Oops! I see you already have a recipe on site for hand sanitizer, thanks for taking care of us!
[…] Make a new gel air freshener, and throw away dried out potpourri, empty plug-ins, and old […]
What is the salt for, because I accidentally left it out in my first try? Ooops.
The salt is supposed to make the gel set up a little more firmly. It might work just fine, let me know how it goes!
For anyone who uses bulk gelatin, looks like each pouch is 7.2g
I love the article on how to make homemade gel air freshners.