SIMPLE PRIMITIVE AIR FRESHENERS

SIMPLE PRIMITIVE AIR FRESHENERS
A Step-By-Step Tutorial

Always cover your workspace to prevent staining and to simplify cleanup. Here, we have covered it with a sheet of parchment paper.

Gather your materials – air freshener blanks, fragrance oil, liquid candle dye (BC Coffee / Caramel liquid was used here), brush and or a fragrance oil dropper, mixing container

Weigh or measure out your fragrance oil into the mixing container. Here, we used ½ ounce by weight, which will be enough for approximately five air fresheners.

Carefully add liquid candle dye to the fragrance oil. The amount needed will depend on the desired level of color – here, we have added less than a drop by dipping the tip of a metal skewer into the dye and shaking off the excess back into the bottle. This fragrance oil was already a dark color, so very little dye was needed. If your chosen fragrance is clear or lighter colored, you will need more dye. To achieve even a very dark shade, you will not need to add more than 1-2 drops per ounce of fragrance oil. Take careful notes of how much fragrance and color you use, so you can duplicate the exact shade in the future!

Apply the dyed fragrance oil to the air freshener blank. The two easiest and least messy ways to do so are by brushing it on with an inexpensive wide paintbrush, and dotting it on with a fragrance oil dropper. Don’t worry about getting the layer of fragrance perfectly even – the material will distribute the liquid evenly over a period of a few minutes. Most shapes will accept approximately 1/10 of an ounce of liquid, depending on their size, and if you apply more than it will absorb, simply blot the excess with another blank.

Here is the finished air freshener, with fragrance lightly dyed and brushed on. This gives the same basic look as dying them with tea or coffee, but with the convenience and speed of a single step!

A slightly more mottled effect can be achieved by adding more dye, then drizzling it on with a dropper. The fragrance/dye mixture will spread out, but slightly darker patches will remain in the spots where it was applied.

Here is the finished air freshener, after adding more dye and applying with a dropper.

And here is the range of looks you can achieve with this technique – not just on prim shapes, but also on other shapes and using different colors of dye. From left to right, a fresh blank, the lightly dyed and brushed air freshener, and the more deeply dyed and droppered air freshener.

Valentine's Day Ideas!

Candle sales have a tendency to slow down after Christmas, and as you all know the next big gift giving holiday is Valentine’s Day on February 14^th. So don’t forget to gear up your Valentine candle line now and be ready to put those products on the shelf soon after New Years!

Aside from the common pink and red candles in scents like rose or cinnamon, try something new this year… get creative and think outside the heart shaped box :) Sweets are great but fattening… so why not give a heart shaped box of sweet smelling votives instead? Scents like Pink Sugar, White Chocolate, Strawberry Cream Truffle, Chocolate Covered Cherry, Caramel Nut, Maple Sugar, etc. Make your own unique blends, or think of creative new names for scents you already have!

Rustic paraffin or palm pillars layered in shades of red, pink, wine and plum make gorgeous Valentine gifts. Try making some mini heart shaped embeds to add a little romance to your containers. Red & pink chunk candles are always a favorite. And don’t forget the icing… frosted pillars with whipped wax are the perfect product to attract a sweet tooth! Your local discount mart should have glass heart shaped dishes that are perfect for 2 or 3 wick candles.

Put some passion in your packaging! Tie some pink or red ribbon on your gift bags, use a heart shaped rubber stamp, or add a sprinkle of glitter to make your products shine. You can find cello bags at gift wrap suppliers online with hearts printed on them. Heart shaped baskets are usually available at some of your local dollar stores or discount marts. The heart is not the only symbol of Valentine’s day… mix it up and add some cherubs and kisses!

Candles aren’t the only hot gift idea for Valentine sales… bath products and home fragrance items are a huge hit! Try selling drawer sachets made with scented beads, corn cob, or herbs. You can use organza bags that come in many pretty colors, or use muslin bags and iron on a romantic design with iron on transfer paper. Or even get some cute printed fabric and sew your own sachets if you’re handy with a needle! Scented pillow spray can be a great romantic gift product and is easy to make. Wax dipped roses are another fun idea to win your customer’s hearts.

Branch out into body products and offer some scented lotions this year to match your Valentine candles… people will love it! Heart shaped soaps are a simple addition that can be a great impulse item on your store counter. And since Valentine’s Day is a kissing holiday, don’t forget the lip balms!

Happy Candlemaking,
Doneen St.John