American Aroma Jars

Independence Day
*American Aroma Jars*

     With Independence Day coming up, these jars make beautiful patriotic centerpieces as well as memorable gifts for the holiday. They are also an easy and fun project that you can let the kids help with!

*Batch yield: (6) 16oz jars



Materials you will need:
*(6) 16oz Straight Side Jelly Jars
*(3lbs) Aroma Beads
*(6) Smelly Jelly Lids
*Blue/Sky Liquid Candle Dye
*Red/Dark Pink Liquid Candle Dye
*(3) Gallon Ziplock Bags
*White Mica Powder
*(1.5oz) Fragrance Oil
*Patriotic Material (from your local craft store)




Start by emptying (1) lb of Aroma Beads into each of the gallon zip lock bags.

Add your choice of Fragrance Oil to each bag of Aroma Beads.

You can make each pound of Aroma Beads a different fragrance, or you can make them all the same. I found that adding .5oz of Fragrance Oil to 1lb of Aroma Beads worked perfectly for strength, and absorbed into the beads in just a couple hours. Once you have added the Fragrance, hold the top of the closed bag and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE the bag until all of the Beads are evenly covered with the Fragrance Oil.

Once all three bags are completely shaken with the Fragrance Oil, start adding your dye. I wanted a really deep red color, a really deep blue color, and a off-white color. 10 drops each of the Red/Dark Pink and the Sky/Blue Liquid Dyes worked perfectly.

For the white, I chose to use about 2tsp. of Mica Powder, to give it that old fashioned shimmery silvery white tone.

Candle Dye will color the beads very quickly and easily. Be careful not to squeeze the bag too tightly to avoid having the bag break and leave a huge mess. And again, while holding the top of the closed bag, SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE the bag until all of the beads are evenly colored.

Keep all bags CLOSED and allow them to fully absorb the Fragrance Oil and Dye. Drying time will depend on exactly how much fragrance you used, as well as what fragrances. Some fragrance take a bit longer to absorb into the beads than others. Regardless of what fragrance, at a usage of .5oz Fragrance Oil to 1lb of Aroma Beads, the beads should be completely dry within a couple hours. You will be able to noticeably tell when the beads are dry vs. when they are still wet.

Wet^        vs.        Dry^

As your Aroma Beads are drying, start cutting the material that will be used under the Smelly Jelly Lids of the finished product. I found that cutting a circle with a diameter of 5" worked perfectly, but you can cut them larger/smaller depending on your preference.

For this project, I chose to use 16oz Straight Side Jelly Jars instead of 16oz Mason Jars, so the Aroma Beads would be able to be clearly seen through the jar.The Mason Jars do give even more of a rustic/country look though (which is really in style these days).

Once all three bags of Aroma Beads are completely dry, start adding the beads to your jars. You can make them in solid colors, layers, or completely mixed together.

 

Three lbs. of Aroma Beads will fill (6) 16oz Jars. Once all jars are filled, take the circle shaped material patched that you cut out earlier and place them over the top of each jar. While placing the material on the jar, hold the material as centered as possible with one hand, while securing the lid down with the other, so there is an even amount of material hanging out from under the lid on all sides.

The thin material adds a decorative touch, yet allows the aroma of the fragrance to escape the jar through the Smelly Jelly Lid. The material is also a great idea to help avoiding unwanted spills through the lid in case accidentally spilled.

Once all jars have their lids on, fluff out the material from under the lid, and you're all done! These jars can be colored and scented for any occasion!

If there is ever a fun candle or Bath & Body product that you would like seen made, we would love to hear from you!
Please send your requests to info@candlesupply.com. :)

Happy Candle & Soap Making!
-Elya