How to Make a Car Air Freshener

Last Updated on October 6, 2017 by Diane Hoffmaster

Skip the expensive and overly fragranced car smells and learn how to make a car air freshener with essential oils. I drive a very old vehicle.  In fact, I drive a 14-year-old pickup truck that I am praying will last a couple more years so my teenage son can learn to drive on it.  My truck is not exactly pristine, although I try to keep it as clean as possible.  The biggest thing I don't like about it is the smell some days.  It just smells a bit musty and OLD.  Especially on rainy days!  In order to combat the smell of old car, I like to put a car air freshener in it occasionally but find that I usually don't care for the smell.  They are often a bit overpowering and rather fake.  I have yet to find a car air freshener made with essential oils at my local car place so I decided to make one for myself. It was incredibly easy and I chose to make mine smell like cloves since it is one of my favorite essential oils.  You can use pine for Christmas or lavender for spring or whatever else your favorite scent is!  It will make your drive a lot more enjoyable and if you are traveling, make sure to check out my family travel tips for a stress-free vacation!

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How to Make a Car Air Freshener

Supplies:

Cardboard (recycle a box!)
scissors
material
pen
cookie cutters
spray adhesive
thread
essential oil of your choice

Directions:

  Using a cookie cutter and pen, trace your shape onto a piece of cardboard.  Cut out the shape with scissors

Glue a loop of thread to the top of your shape to create the string for hanging it from your windshield.  Take a 1 foot long piece of thread and tie the ends together.  Glue that knot to the top of your shape.

Cut a piece of material out that is larger than your car air freshener shape.  Using spray adhesive, glue it to your material.  Glue an additional scrap of material to the top of your cardboard shape.

Use your scissors to cut trim your material around the cardboard shape underneath. You can also use a sharp exacto knife if you think that is easier.  Make sure you don't cut the thread while you are trimming your car air freshener or you won't be able to hang it in your car!

 Once you have your shape cut out, all you have to do is add a few drops of essential oil to your new car air freshener.  You will see the oil drops a bit so using a patterned material is probably your best bet.  Once the smell starts to wear off, you just have to add a few more drops of essential oil to it! Check out Care2.com for more ideas on how to freshen your car naturally!

Do you use a car air freshener in your own vehicle?

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Diane Hoffmaster

Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy.  She has two college aged kids, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire  but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging and freelance writing full time.  You can learn more about her HERE.