Many times, we wait until the last second to do all our Christmas shopping. This often leads us to buy whatever gifts we can find so that we have at least something to give. However, this year, with pennies pinched incredibly, this method is not going to work. The holidays are fast approaching and your best game plan is to be prepared. Gifts, samples of our love, must be from the heart. They should bestow love and appreciation. A handmade gift can do all of that and more. One site in particular has helped me find everything I was looking for to satisfy my homemade holiday shopping list. I have found that whether you are male or female, young or old, the materials are available at your fingertips.
With a dash of creativity and a touch of ribbon and bow, you can make all kinds of bath and body products for every party you go to. Incense is possible, air fresheners are too, you’ll have candles galore, and that’s just the beginning of what you can do! Even if you’ve never made homemade products before, don’t worry, it really is easy! The steps are simple and easy to follow. The company I use even has printable classes with step by step instructions. There are many wholesale candle and bath/body suppliers online. For the past three years, I have shopped at Natures Garden Wholesale Candle Supply. I found the website very easy to navigate, the prices very reasonable, and their HUG line has very helpful staff who can always answer questions and provide creative ideas if you’re in a pinch.
The basics: Create your list. Before you can start figuring out what you need, you first need to know who you’re buying for. All of the fragrances are safe to use in candles, incense, potpourri, and room sprays, but when you’re making the bath or body products, you’ll want to use the body-safe ones. Your best (and cheapest) bet will be to choose fragrances that are both.
My suggestions would be: Male (any age group) Also Bath/Body Safe: Men’s Black Type, CK One Type, Cold Water Type, Type, Cool Outdoors, Light Blue Male Type Female (any age group). age) also safe for bath/body – Butterfly Blossom, Clean Type, Japanese Cherry Blossom, Love Spell NG, Plumeria, Vanilla Silk Kids (really fun scents) also safe for bath/body – Bath Type for bedtime, Bubble Luscious, Cookie Jar, Doodle Bug, Monkey Farts (incredibly fun scent), Wintery Candy Apple Holiday (perfect for this time of year) also bath/body safe: Autumn Wreath Type, Holiday Pomegranate, Jack Frost, Mrs. Claus Cookies, Reindeer Poo (a big hit last year), Winter Garden Also remember that you can also use the same scent for several different people. Each person does not need their own individual scent.
Once you know who you’re shopping for and what scents you want, the next step would be to decide what products you want to make for your sneakers. I have always found that you can impress people with sneakers that have a variety of items. These items are quick and easy to make. They’re also great projects you can get your kids involved in, a perfect recipe for family time.
Candles: I found that using Joy wax is the best option. Joy wax is a combination of soy and paraffin. What’s really great about this wax is that it has amazing cold launch (thanks to the soy element) and amazing hot launch and even candle appearance (thanks to the paraffin element). Joy Wax is very easy to use and is the best of both worlds. Although you can color your candles to match the theme of the basket, for economic reasons you can stick with the creamy white color that wax normally is. Natures Garden offers two different sizes of candle jars. I think it’s a personal preference which one you like best. Both are gorgeous selections, and with a little ribbon, it makes for a beautiful candle. Highlights are also another area where personal preference will be your guide. I suggest the CD ones. I find the burn to be nice and hot, I rarely get any complaints about fungus, and when I make the candles the wicks stay very poorly oriented.
Melt and Pour Soaps: This soap is a heavenly scent! I like to use goat’s milk. I find it perfect for coloring, scenting and makes a great natural lotion for chapped hands in the winter months. Although you can make standard bars, Natures Garden offers cute little molds that are perfect for garnishing your baskets. Any will work, and for $2.10, you can reuse them for years. I feel that coloring soap is also important, especially since you can also use soap coloring for smelly gel, foam soap, lotions, or jellies. You only need a drop or two per item. I would advise getting a red one, a blue one and a yellow one. From those three primary colors you can make the tone you want.
Lotions: I love the multi-base goat milk lotion. I find it to be a perfect selection because there are so many varieties of lotions that can be made from this base. Also, you can’t beat the price. For the containers, you would get the bottle size that you would like to use for the soap gel as well. If you shop this way, you’ll get more for your money. Also, I would suggest purchasing the pump covers. These can also be used for both. Gel Soap: Ritzy body wash is the best gel I have found on the market. It is very easy to color and perfume. If you are making several women’s baskets, adding mica to this product gives it a shine. Mica can also be added to lotion and can also be used in melt and pour soap. If you want to enhance your baskets, soap gel can also be used to make foam soaps. These are perfect for bathrooms and kitchens.
Scented Jellies – A perfect answer for your baskets that are for people who cannot light candles (students in dorms, people with small children and pets, people who work in offices, nursing homes, classrooms, etc.). Scented jellies can also be colored, scented, and used in the same jars as candles. Also, you can use mica to add shine. Incense: The sticks are very easy to use, although you can purchase cones to liven it up a bit.
On the Natures Garden website there are instructions on how to make each item, as well as even more recipes for those who want to be more unique. These are just suggestions that I found to work very well for gift baskets. Please feel free to be as creative as you want. You don’t have to use all of these products, use only the ones that you think are appropriate for what you know a person would like. The variety of the basket should reflect the person receiving the gift, not the creators. I know this is the answer to my Christmas financial crisis this year. I am completely convinced that not only will you and your family have a blast making these items for your loved ones, but you will also appreciate the love and thought of your own personalized basket.
