You Will Need:
Directions:
- Brush shape with food color, soap dye or poster paint and allow to dry thoroughly.
- Apply fragrance by painting on with an inexpensive paint brush. We do not recommend dunking or soapking, since oversaturating the material with fragrance results in greasy fresheners and will require blotting, which wastes fragrance oil!
- Punch a hole at the top with a small metal office-type paper punch, ice pick, awl or large needle. Plastic scrapbook punches may break, due to the thickness of the material.
- Cut a piece of string, elastic, thread, yarn, raffia or ribbon to the desired length. Thread it through the hole at the top, knotting the ends securely.
- Package complered air fresheners by putting them in cellos bags with a label or foldover header card or business card at the top.
Decorating Ideas:
- RUBBER STAMP the air freshener blank by using stamping pads made to be permanent on fabric!
- DRAW or WRITE on it with markers, paint pens, gel pens, etc. *NOTE*: Alcohol-based markers do NOT work! Markers promoted as "chemical-resistant" have the best chance of standing up to the fragrance oil without running or bleeding!
- COLOR with crayons or colored pencils for a home-spun, handemade look! This makes a great project for even the smallest helper!
- PAINT with watercolor paints for an abstract look. Or, use poster paint (thinned with water) for a quick way to get solid color! This method is also great for kids, since clean up is able to be done with soap and water! Acrylic paints will also work, but need to be thinned down quite a bit with water, otherwise the fragrance oil will not soak through them. Acrylics might be more time consuming, since fragrance oil may have to sit for quite some time before soaking completely through the paint.
- DYE by brushing on soap dye or food coloring, dilute as needed for desired color. Do NOT soak the material in dye mixture, as it will increase drying time and decrease the amount of fragrance oil the material will hold! Candle dyes are not generally recommended, as they are not thinnable with water. Customers have mixed candle dye with the fragrance oil and then painted it on with interesting results - it is reported that the final product has an uneven, primitive texture. As always, experiment first before making large batches.
- ANTIQUE material by using strong coffee or tea to achieve a parchment/kraft primitive look!
- DAB ON dye solution or paints with a variety of applicators to produce different effects. Examples: Q-Tips, cosmetic sponges, fine-tipped paint brushes, small trim type paint rollers, etc.
- SPATTER with paints or dye using an old toothbrush! Make sure to do this in the sink or an old cardboard box to avoid a mess!
- SPRAY material with soap dye or food color solution with a spray bottle, Place in a large bowl or pan to avoid a mess.
- SPRAY PAINT material. Be sure to apply just a very light, even, coat.
- SPARKLE up the material by drawing borders or designs with washable glitter glue. You can also use spray adhesive then sprinkle with glitter or mica powder !
- SNOW areas of the material. Areas can be frosted by using brush-on fake snow to create winter scenes. You can also make a winter theme by using White Mica Powder and spray adhesive!
- ADHERE decorations (after testing for compatibility with fragrance oil)! Suggestions include beaded trim, ribbon, gold braid, sequins, beads, rhinestones, charms etc.
- DECOUPAGE using small cutouts from fabric!
- IRON ON favorite photos, clip art and logos using heat transfer paper. Print images with your home inkjet printer, then iron onto the material. Spritz or dab the fragrance after the transfer has been applied and is completely cool. The fragrance will soak through transfer into the absorbant center of the material. Be sure to TEST first with your printer and desired fragrance oil to ensure compatibility before making multiple fresheners!
As with any project, TESTING is the key to great results. Results can vary depending on the combination of decorating materials and fragrance oils.
NOTE: Some decorating methods require watering down materials. If a lot of water is used, material may have a slight tendency to curl as it dries. If you see this starting, simply place a piece of waxed or parchment paper over the material and set something heavy (book, etc.) on it. It will take longer to dry, but the end product will remain flat.
Other Suggestions for Use:
- Make fresheners to match the scents in your existing product lines for an easy, inexpensive add-on sale item (with a high profit margin for you!)
- Great inexpensive filler item for gift baskets and sets!
- Use small pieces (suggested size: 1" - 1.5" squares) for "sniffy samples" of different scents you offer to expand your business! Great for wholesalers!
- Use fresheners (unpackaged) on your craft show display to make your booth smell wonderful and draw in customers. Great for shows where candles/potpourri pots aren't allowed!
- Adhere a Wick Stickum to a small piece of material to the lid of jar candles an add a few drops of fragrance oil for an instant scent sample. Customers won't have to open jars to smell different scents.
- Simple, quick-to-make item for your fundraisers and home parties! As part of the home party, guests can decorate and customize their own freshener on the spot and take home for a free gift!
Bitter Creek offers FREE Technical Support to all our customers! Online help is available 9am to 5pm Central Time Monday through Friday. Click here
for information on how to contact Tech Support by phone, e-mail or
through our Live Online Chat Application! Real candlemaking advice from a
working chandler with over a decade of experience in the business!
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