cestlavielumiere Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I am new to making aroma bead products. I have hit a snag: I used 1 oz of FO to 1/2 pound of beads. I placed the mixture in a glass jar and began the lengthy shaking process. however, when it 5 minutes it clumped together like a solid bar. I removed some of the beads thinking I might have filled the quart jar with too much and placed them in another quart jar. I attempted to add more oil and a few more "pinches" of beads and it still did not help. Any suggestions before I take them o ut back and use them as golf balls? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felixncharlie Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Directions:If you wish to color your Aroma Beads, you will need to add 1 or 2 drops of liquid candle dye to your fragrance oil and swirl it around until it's mixed well. This was 1 tablespoon of fragrance oil & 2 drops of red candle dye. *Note: Food coloring or B&B dye will not work! Next, scoop out the desired amount of beads. We used 4 tablespoons of beads for this demo. Then add the beads to your colored fragrance oil. Stir the beads around with a stir stick until the liquid is dispersed evenly. Then put the lid tightly on the jar and shake! It can take anywhere from 1 day to over a week for the beads to completely absorb all of the oil, it will vary with different fragrances. So keep shaking the jar every few hours! At first it will seem soupy and look as if it will not soak up the oil... but be patient! The oil will eventually soak in! Some fragrances may take longer than others... for example, the Red Hot Cinnamon took 1 day to soak in, but the Vanilla took 2 days, and some take over a week. If you run into a fragrance oil that is not soaking in after a week, try adding more beads and shake very well. Once the beads have absorbed all of the oil they will feel dry to the touch and will not seep or bleed! Once the oil is absorbed, you are done! Try making a second color & scent, and layering them! For this photo I used our Red Hot Cinnamon, and our French's Light Vanilla since the oil is clear and I wanted white beads. I also added a bit of our White Mica Powder to the clear beads too for a shimmery, pearlized effect! Tips:Perfect for wedding reception favors, graduations, baby showers, etc!The oils in sachets can eat through certain types of plastic, so be sure to package them in a plastic bag that can withstand fragrance oils! Note: We have tested these in ziplock bags for over a month with no problems.Try some fun color combos: Green & Red for Christmas, Black & Orange for Halloween, Pastels for Easter and baby showers! Or match your local school colors, or your favorite sports team colors! Or the colors of a wedding for favors! A mix or layers of bright rainbow colors would look great, or try a mix of fall colors like rust, gold, burgundy and brown! The possibilities are endless!Package your Aroma Beads in our smelly jelly jars, or any clear jar! They also look great in our clear tea light or votive tubes (tape the lids to avoid spillage).Try this! Fill the lids of your apothecary jars with Aroma Beads in the scent to match the candle!Use Aroma Beads as a scented stuffing for stuffed animals!Sell Eucalyptus & Peppermint scented Aroma Beads in a small jar as inhalation beads for sinus relief! Use all natural essential oils to make Aromatherapy Beads! People can carry a small sachet or bag in their purse or breifcase and whiff throughout the day for stress relief or rejuvination!Pricing: Typically these can be sold loose by the ounce for around $2.00 per oz, not including any special container such as an organza bag. Make incredible profits!Scent Throw: Remember, any air freshener that is not heated or circulated will not "throw" like a candle or a tart! Heat and circulation are what make the scent throw into the air, and without any heat source nothing is going to throw alot. Room temp air freshener items can only do so much. Aroma Beads need to be placed in an open dish where air will circulate to allow the fragrance to flow. The beads also need to be shaken around every now & then to "refresh" them and release the scent. Setting a sachet in front of an air vent in your house or car will help circulate the fragrance. Cautions:Do not set these sachets on wood surfaces as the oils can stain the wood!Do not set them on painted surfaces or plastic surfaces as the oils can damage these surfaces!Do not use in a tart warmer or potpourri burner as the beads can melt!Keep out of the reach of children and pets! The fragrance will last for several months, depending on the fragrance, use, and exposure.w w w . B i t t e r C r e e k . c o mThis site created & maintained by Doneen St.John - Webmaster All contents, graphics & page design property of Bitter Creek Candle Supply. Inc. Copyright © 1998 - Present. All rights reserved. The contents of this page were created expressly for Bitter Creek and are not to be reproduced on any other websites! If you see this page or any portions of this site reproduced on another website please notify us immediately. Thank You! -. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felixncharlie Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Hi I copied the page from Bitter Creek above, that is where I got my instructions and they work perfectly every time. I have noticed with heavier oils like vanilla it may take 4-5 days in the jar with regular shaking to really absorb the FO. Good luck they are really fun to make:cheesy2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cestlavielumiere Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 The aroma beads just clump into a hard ball. I am guessing because the FO was a little think it made it clump?Started again from scratch and followed the directions. Still having the same problem. I guess I will use these results I just made out in the back of my house as practice golf balls. Maybe can send this to the PGA tour, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky_CO Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 What FO did you use and where did you get your beads? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fern-Marie Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 What FO did you use and where did you get your beads?Just what I thought. It sounds to me as though the FO's are 'burning' the plastic beads. Inferior beads? Too strong/too much FO? Something isn't right in the basic composition. Check, check, double check. I have never, ever, had that happen. Many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraciS Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I have had that happen with a couple citrus scents. They dried but stayed stuck together. I ended up putting them in my car in a bag since they still smelled but I couldn't sell them like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cestlavielumiere Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 I got the beads from Hobby Lobby. I wanted to do a little research before I plunge into making aroma beads. It was a odor eliminator FO. It is solid as a rock. I am planning to take it out back this morning and "Sh...w...aaa....cc...kk.." it with the reset of my golf balls or make a few more just for kicks and use it as an air freshener. Aroma beads definitely require dedication. The shaking can be a little rough on the wrist area. Where can I get quality aroma beads (not beads to make golf balls with). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cestlavielumiere Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 Question.... (May sound stupid... I have not had my 2 cup of coffee yet LOL)If the beads after 1 week still remain oily to touch, it should be ok to pour it out on an aluminum foil and let dry for a bit. This would probably cause it to loose the aroma quickly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky_CO Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I got the beads from Hobby Lobby. I wanted to do a little research before I plunge into making aroma beads. It was a odor eliminator FO. It is solid as a rock. I am planning to take it out back this morning and "Sh...w...aaa....cc...kk.." it with the reset of my golf balls or make a few more just for kicks and use it as an air freshener. Aroma beads definitely require dedication. The shaking can be a little rough on the wrist area. Where can I get quality aroma beads (not beads to make golf balls with).I have never used Hobby Lobby beads but I am not real trusting on craft store's candle and soap supplies.Peaks and BCN sells them and they are good quality.Instead of pouring them out to dry add a few more beads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane42 Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 We usually use Bittercreek's aroma beads, but I have also purchased them from Cajun.I have never had them clump together like that. I have had some FO's that, with the regular recipe, don't soak up as quickly as others. I add more beads to soak up the extra. When they are REALLY stubborn, I will transfer them into a new jar that doesn't have all the excess oil in it, and it manages to "finish". I have also found that using a larger jar works better. If you have everything "packed" in there, it just won't dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cestlavielumiere Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 Well, they went for 165 yards straight drive. I had a batch that actually worked some what. The net favor bags (you can get at the Dollar tree) that they use for weddings, I think should be sufficient to hold the beads in. What is your suggestion to put the beads in for sales? (I have a long way to go with testing until I get there). It never hurts to plan ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fern-Marie Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 www.papermart.com has an awesome array of decorative bags that I love for beads. From elegant lace and beads to lingerie shapes, and every material you can imagine. You can get cello bags to wrap them in too.Good luck with your project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeebean Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I have purchased aroma beads from Candles and supplies and from Creative Illuminations. I never had any stick together like you stated. I have pretty many scents in jars to make aroma ornies and have yet to have any problems. The only thing I notice different between different suppliers is one supplier I bake for 4 minutes and the other I bake for 8 minutes. The ones I got from creative illuminations melted faster. I have a smoke eliminator fo, I'm going to try it to see if it does the same as yours did. I'll let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I've been making and selling these for about 5 years now. I've NEVER had any clumping like you've mentioned. All I can figure is a substandard aroma bead. I have bought beads from BCN, WSP and GL. All of provided excellent fragrance retention. I don't make onries, so I have no idea if any of them 'melt' differently. regarding fragrances, I've found that using 1/3 of the amount of fragrance per quantity of beads works out about perfectly every time. So if I'm using 12oz of beads, I use 4oz of FO. I do add colorant to the fo (and mix it well) before adding the beads. In this manner, some of the beads will be darker than others, but I love the multilayered color effect.HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cestlavielumiere Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 The beads were from Hobby Lobby and the FO was odor eliminator. I guess the saying, you pay for what you get.. the beads were extremely cheap and they turned out to be "PGA style" for one and FO still in the jar for another. Lesson learn: If you want to experiment, by a small amount of the right type of element and go from there. OH well.... back to my pot of gumbo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeebean Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Yep they stuck together for me using lemon verbena fo. So I guess it is something with the citrus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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