You love the smell of fresh, just-baked goodies from your favorite pastry shop. You even like the smell of your dog after he has taken a bath. Can you say the same thing for your car? Have you ever thought about a homemade car air freshener?

Just like everything else, cars can take on a musty, funky scent after a long period of use. If you don’t clean out your car regularly, chances are you will be driving in a haze of odors consisting of food scraps, unwashed carpet, cigarette smoke, and stale perfume. At this point, some car owners dash to the nearest hardware store to purchase their usual commercial air freshener. But if you’re a little more adventurous and you’re willing to take the time to put together your own homemade car air freshener, all you need to do is raid the kitchen cabinet for supplies and ingredients.

Making a homemade car air freshener can be a fun project for you and your kids. You can pick and choose flavors, colors, and fragrances to suit your mood. Plus, because you made it yourself, you know exactly what’s in the tube of air freshener that will be placed in your car, thereby avoiding any allergic reactions later on.

Here is what you will need:

1. 1. Cardboard and recycled fabric (for people who want to go green with their homemade car air freshener) or peel ‘n’stick craft foam and craft felt

1. 1. Scissors

1. 1. Glue

1. 1. Hole punch

1. 1. Marking pen

1. 1. Pipette or dropper

1. 1. A piece of string, ribbon or twine

1. Your choice of scent (you can reuse old potpourri lying around the house, leftover essential oils, or the last few ounces of liquid in your perfume bottle)

Homemade Car Air Fresheners

Whether you’re using craft felt and foam or cardboard and old fabric, you need to trace a template for your homemade car air freshener and cut it out. You don’t have to stick to the shapes that commercial manufacturers come up with—so if you’re tired of seeing a pine tree shaped air freshener dangling on your rearview mirror, just make your own cutesy shape. Glue the cardboard and old fabric together, or peel away the sticky covering on your craft foam and press the felt onto it.

When you’re done, punch out a hole on the top and thread your string, ribbon or twine through the hole. Make it as long or short as you want it. Some drivers get distracted with long things dangling on the edge of their peripheral vision. Now is your chance to adjust the length of your ribbon to your heart’s desire.

Next, carefully drop your chosen fragrance into the middle of the fabric or felt using a dropper or pipette. Put only enough to make your homemade car air freshener smell nice, but don’t over saturate it. Remember that you will be using it in a relatively small space that will remain closed most of the time. Plus, you don’t want your air freshener to drip all over the dashboard, would you? Let it dry for a while before hanging it on your rearview mirror or anywhere else inside the car. To top up the scent, just add a few more drops in the weeks to come.

That’s it! Your very own homemade car air freshener is not just simple to do – It’s also fun, easy on the pocket, and environment-friendly.