The Genius Mason Jar Hack That Will Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh

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Got an extra Mason jar lying around? That was a silly question — we know you probably do. The better question is, how can you reuse it? Sure, you can always use them for storage, or even create beautiful flower arrangements with a simple Mason jar upgrade. But there's another genius hack you could do instead: upcycling a Mason jar into a DIY air freshener that will keep your home smelling fresh.

All you need are a mason jar, some scented wax melts, and a vented lid for the jar. Then, you simply place the wax inside the jar and leave it near something warm, like a fireplace, a sunny windowsill, or in one of the cup holders in your car. When met with a bit of heat, the wax melts and releases a pleasant aroma. The scents require only the heat of the fire or sun, so you have a budget-friendly DIY air freshener without any aerosol sprays, plug-ins, or diffusing products. In addition to giving you a clean-smelling home, this is also one of the amazing ways to upcycle glass jars into unique home décor.

To make your own Mason jar air freshener, start by choosing a glass jar and some wax melts. The jar can be any size, though a small one works well since you don't need much wax. You can find scented wax melts, such as the Scentsationals Wax Melts, at retailers like Amazon or Dollar Tree. Place a couple wax melts inside the jar. You don't have to fill the jar — start with just two or three melts, and see how much scent that creates for your space. Then, place a vented lid atop the jar (the Daisy Flower Cut Mason Jar Lids are a nice decorative choice). Or, you can just tie some cheesecloth atop the jar with a piece of twine, if you prefer that look.

Finally, place the jar somewhere warm so that a little ambient heat can melt the wax. Toss one in your car or near a sunny window in the warmer months, and by your fireplace when it's chilly outside. Since it's so easy and affordable to create, you can make a few for these different scenarios, like a pine-scented one for nights beside the fire, or a super fresh citrus one for a car prone to getting stuffy. For a genius bath hack that will make your shower smell amazing, you could fill a jar with calming scents like lavender or eucalyptus and rely on the steam from a hot bath or shower to melt the wax.