How To Make 3 Naturally-Scented Air Fresheners For Cars

I spend a LOT of time in my car! Since the small town we live in is at least 30 minutes away from the nearest big town, my car often serves as my mobile office. Plus recently I’ve had a lot of extra doctor appointments that are an hours drive away. Most of the time I don’t give the interior of my car much thought, but since I’ve been seeing so much of it lately, it occurred to me that there were a few easy things I could do to make my time in the car more enjoyable.

So first I got rid of all of the trash and other random items that had accumulated in my car, and then I looked for a way to keep the inside of my newly cleaned car interior smelling nice! I’ve never been much of a fan of those tree air fresheners, because even when they smell good, they are just SO STRONG! After a bit of searching and sleuthing, I came up with three different ideas for making my own air fresheners for my car!

I haven’t narrowed down which one I’ll use yet, because I like them all! I think I’ll just rotate through them every once in a while, just to keep it interesting.

Here’s how to make 3 different kinds of naturally-scented air fresheners that are perfect for your car.

Clothespin Air Freshener

You’ll need:

• Clothespins
• Essential oils
• Sandwich bag
• Fresh herbs (optional)

Directions:

Put around 5 drops of your essential oil of choice onto each clothespin. We used orange oil, for its fresh and energizing scent.

Place your clothespins into a plastic sandwich bag, along with a handful of fresh herbs (or not, it’s optional!) and seal the bag. We chose to add a handful of fragrant mint leaves to the bag, which went really well with the scent of the orange oil. The orange and mint combination smells fresh, clean, and invigorating! If you choose to skip the herbs, use the sandwich bag to store your clothespins until you’re ready to use them.

To use your clothespin air fresheners, just clip one or two onto your car’s air vents. This is a perfect air freshener for someone who prefers something more subtle than traditional air fresheners, since the scent only really gets “activated” when you’re using the heat or A/C in your car.

The scent will fade from your clothespins over time, but you can reuse them again and again by adding more oil and resealing them with new herbs.

Mason Jar Air Freshener

You’ll need:

• Half-pint mason jar
• Baking soda
• Essential oils
• Piece of cardboard
• Scissors or craft knife
• Thumbtack

Directions:

Add baking soda to your mason jar until it is about 2/3 full. Add about 20 drops of your favorite essential oil or oils to the baking soda. We used equal amounts of lemon, lavender, and peppermint oils.

Put the lid on the jar and shake well to distribute the oils throughout the baking soda.

Next, remove the lid and use the flat disk part as a template to trace a circle onto a piece of cardboard. Cut out the circle using scissors or a sharp craft knife, and place it on top of the jar of baking soda.

Use the ring part of the lid to secure the cardboard to the jar, and then use the thumbtack to poke several holes in the cardboard lid. All done!

To use, place the jar in a cup holder in your car, or stow it under a seat. Make up a fresh jar about once a month.

Felt & Foam Air Freshener

You’ll need:

• Adhesive craft foam
• Craft felt
• Essential oils
• Hole punch
• Scissors
• A piece of string, ribbon or twine

Directions:

First, you’ll need to decide what shape your want your air freshener to be. We made a couple of different fun shapes – a sunburst, a seashell, and a flip flop! (If you’re in need of inspiration, there are pages and pages of fun designs in the Silhouette Design Store!)

Once you’ve decided what design you’ll be using, cut your design out twice; once using the adhesive craft foam, and once using the craft felt. We were able to cut out both using our Silhouette Curio. (We referenced this tutorial from Sarah Hearts to learn how to cut felt using our Curio!)

When both your shapes are cut out, peel the paper backing off of the craft foam and stick it to the back of the felt piece. Use the hole punch to put a hole near the edge.

Use a piece of twine or string to create a loop at the top to hang it from.

The last step is to add your scent! You can either just add a few drops of essential oils directly to the felt side, or you can use a small spray bottle like we did. Spraying the essential oils mixed with water will give you a more even distribution of oils.

When you’re done, all that’s left to do is hang your new air freshener from your rearview mirror!

How do you keep your car smelling fresh?