To use, simply toss the bag into the dryer with each load of laundry. Linens and clothing will come out of the dryer with a light, lavender scent. If the fragrance diminishes over time, simply add more essential oil to the bag. You can do this by applying the oil to the outside of the bag so you don’t have to struggle to open the knotted bag.

Don’t like lavender? Try other natural flowers and essential oil blends. Or try lavender flowers with natural citronella or lemongrass essential oil in the summer to help deter biting insects while you’re enjoying the great outdoors!

Men’s Natural Beard Conditioner Recipe

© Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen

Ingredients:

Base:

8 ml grape seed oil
5 drops vitamin E oil

Essential Oil Blend 1:

8 drops lime essential oil
6 drops cedarwood essential oil
2 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops rosemary essential oil

Essential Oil Blend 2:

4 drops peppermint essential oil
7 drops lemongrass essential oil
7 drops pine essential oil

Essential Oil Blend 3:

4 drops pine essential oil
4 drops juniper berry essential oil
4 drops patchouli essential oil
4 drops bergamot essential oil
2 drops vetiver essential oil

Directions:

For this recipe you will use a different  graduated plastic transfer pipette to measure out each ingredient. Start by measuring out 8 ml of grape seed oil into an amber glass bottle. Then add five drops of vitamin E oil. Next, add the essential oil blend of your choice – based on your preference of essential oil blend 1, 2 or 3 – to the grape seed and vitamin E oil. Cap and shake. Then label or decorate your bottle of natural homemade beard conditioner for gifting.

To use, simply add several drop to the palm of your hand, and massage into your beard.

For more handmade Father’s Day gift ideas, be sure to follow my new Father’s Day Gift Ideas board on Pinterest!

To make these pots, simply cut off the top of the container with sharp scissors – I used a knife to get started – wash thoroughly, then wrap with strips of your favorite washi tape. You can also make a small drain hole in the bottom if needed. Leave some of the plastic on your new pot exposed and you’ll be able to tell by how dark the soil is, whether or not it’s time to water.

I put one of my pepper plants in my pot while it’s waiting to be transplanted into the garden. However, these would be perfect for using container succulent gardens and for planting your favorite flowers and annual herbs.

Once I have three more of these vinegar containers emptied and ready for upcycing, I’m planning to use them with a dowel and eye hooks to create some new wall storage in my office.

Looking for more ways to re-use everyday containers? Be sure to check out my DIY Storage Box Organizer as well as my post on Creative Ways to Recycle Everyday Things. You can also follow me on Pinterest!

How do you recycle and upcycle everyday plastic containers?

Handmade Lemon Verbena Natural Bath Melts Recipe

© Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen

Ingredients:

5 oz. natural cocoa butter
1.5 oz. 76° melt point coconut oil
.5 oz. kokum butter
.5 oz. shea butter
.5 oz. argan oil
6 ml lemon verbena essential oil or essential oil of choice (or 12 ml lemon verbena fragrance oil)

Supplies:

digital kitchen scale
large glass pyrex measuring cup
metal spoon and knife
graduated plastic transfer pipettes
two silicone flower molds
containers with lids

Directions:

Using a digital scale weigh out the cocoa butter, kokum butter and shea butter in a large glass pyrex measuring cup. Simply place the measuring cup on the scale, set to tare, then add your ingredients one at a time until the correct weight is reached.

Next, melt slowly in the microwave in 45 second increments until fully melted.

Now weigh out the coconut oil – this oil is solid at room temperature but melts at 76 degrees or when it comes in contact with skin – and stir into your butters until completely melted.

Follow by weighing the argan oil and adding it into the measuring cup. Now add your essential or fragrance oil of choice using a graduated plastic pipette to measure out the amount needed for the recipe. Stir well, then slowly pour into two silicone flower molds. I recommend placing the molds on a small cutting board or other flat surface before pouring the liquid bath melts into the molds.

Once you’ve filled the molds, place them in the freezer for about 20 minutes to allow the bath melts to solidify. Then slowly push your completed bath melts out of the molds and package in your desired containers of choice. (You can half this recipe if desired!)

Handmade Lemon Verbena Natural Solid Sugar Scrub Recipe

© Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen

Ingredients:

5 oz. natural cocoa butter
1.5 oz. 76° melt point coconut oil
.5 oz. kokum butter
.5 oz. shea butter
.5 oz. argan oil
8 ml lemon verbena essential oil or essential oil of choice (or 16 ml lemon verbena fragrance oil)
4 1/2 Cups white sugar

Supplies:

digital kitchen scale
large glass pyrex measuring cup
metal spoon and knife
graduated plastic transfer pipettes
four silicone flower molds
containers with lids

Directions:

Feel free to halve this recipe if desired. This is basically the same recipe as my natural handmade bath melts but with a touch more fragrance and white sugar. Because of the sugar if makes twice as much as the bath melts recipe.

To make the handmade solid sugar scrub cubes, follow the instructions for making the bath melts. However, before you place into the molds, stir in 4 1/2 cups of sugar. Next, simply scoop the sugar scrub mixture into your molds pressing into the molds as you go. Once you’ve filled a mold, use the back side of a knife to scrape the excess sugar scrub from the top of the mold and level out the cavities. Place in freezer to allow to solidify then pop out after 20 minutes or so and package!

I’m a washi tape addict lately, so I decorated my containers of homemade bath melts and sugars scrub cubes with pink chevron washi tape. However, you can decorate – or not – your containers any way you like. Don’t feel limited by plastic jars though. You can also use small mason jars to keep these fabulous little bath and beauty treats in. These are not only lovely for your own use, but they also make sweet little homemade gift ideas for just about any occasion! Gift them for Mother’s Day, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas stocking stuffers – even handmade wedding favors!

If you enjoyed these diy bath and body recipes, you may also like my recipe for crafting your own Handmade Foaming Salt Scrub. Or my original Handmade Solid Sugar Scrub Cubes Recipe. You can keep up with and bookmark all of my latest diy bath and beauty recipes – and discover more wonderful skin care recipes from other crafty folks – by following my boards on Pinterest!

What are your favorite natural ingredients to use in your own handmade bath and body creations?

To get started you’ll need to purchase an assortment of your favorite succulent plants. Our farmer’s market sells larger succulents for about $6 each, but I found these at our local Lowe’s stores. They offer four packs of smaller sized succulents for $3.98 each making it easy to mix and match and create multiple container succulent garden arrangements.

I also bought some Miracle Grow for my container gardens, although you can use regular potting soil or dirt. For my containers I used some handmade pottery dishes I had purchased several years back from local artisans at our farmer’s market. I chose containers that I really liked, but didn’t really use. You can use existing containers you have on hand for this project, buy new containers, or check out thrift stores. Additionally, I found some rocks in various shapes, sizes and colors in my backyard to use within my arrangements. If your yard is rock free, take a walk through a local park to see what you discover.

Creating your succulent garden arrangements is easy. There’s nothing to mess up as it’s completely a matter of your own taste! Simply fill your container with dirt, then add succulents throughout the container using rocks to break up sections or fill in gaps. Once you have a look you like, water your finished arrangement thoroughly.

I chose to use a larger aloe plant for the center of this succulent container garden arrangement. It may seem a little sparse now, but remember to leave some space as these will grow!

Here is my second, and somewhat smaller, succulent arrangement. Again I used an aloe plant in the center. What I love about these is it’s okay to forget to water them. I know I always do. As these grow, you can thin the the arrangement and use the new growth to make new container gardens or to gift to friends.

And here is yet a third, even smaller succulent garden arrangement I made in a cereal sized handmade pottery bowl by another local artist. I had a lot of fun with these. In the end I purchased enough of these neat little plant to make my own mother a handmade succulent arrangement for Mother’s Day, one large multi-tiered arrangement, one medium arrangement and one smaller arrangement for my own home. If you want to be sure you don’t over buy like I did – oopsie – take your container or containers with you to the store when you go to purchase the plants.

I hope everyone has a lovely Mother’s Day. And be sure to share any handmade gifts you receive on your special day!

1. Set of Four Oven Fresh Napkins via Nicole Porter / 2. Coral Dandelion Plastic Bag Holder via Modernality (I bought it along with a draft stopper!) / 3. Bright Yellow Salt Cellar with Tea Leaves via The Bottle Garden / 4. Upcycled Coffee Sack & Green Chevron Print Storage Basket via Been & Done / 5. Hanging Solar Mason Jar Lids via Treasure Again (I bought it!) / 6. Cube Magnet Vase via My Flower Meadow / 7. Aqua Mist Stoneware Bowls via Back Bay Pottery / 8. Everyday Reversible Cloth Napkins via Pixie Spit (I bought several!)

1. DIY Green Cleaning Kit via New Directions Aromatics / 2. Marimo Aquatic Terrarium via Pink Serissa / 3. Recycled Coca-Cola Coke Glass Bottle Drinking Glass via Rehabulous (I also heart the Recycled Self Watering Wine Bottle Planter Kit!) / 4. Set of Eight Magnet Clothespins via Making the Nest of It / 5. Embroidered Pillow Covers in Faded Raspberry Red Linen via The Pillow Studio / 6. Postcard Ephemera Lavender Sachet via Gardenmis / 7. Set of Four Ceramic Artist Bowls via Blue Sky Pottery / 8. Tangerine Infused Wood Dryer Balls via I Heart Art and Baby

Be sure to treat yourself to something awesome from one of these shops as a gift to yourself for Mother’s Day. (I already did.) Then let me know what’s on your handmade home and garden wish list!

DIY Foaming Salt Scrub Recipe

© Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen

Ingredients:

12 oz. Crafter’s Choice Three Butter Melt and Pour Soap Base
2 Tablespoons Grapeseed Oil
1/2 oz. Shea Butter
2 Tablespoons Pink Himalayan Salt
1/4 Cup Dead Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Epsom Salt
1/2 oz. (or approximately 2 Tablespoons) Fragrance Oil or 1/4 oz. (approximately 1 Tablespoon) Essential Oil of choice

Instructions:

Cut your soap base into chunks using a Chef’s knife. Then using a Digital Kitchen Scale, weight out 12 oz. of soap base into a large glass pyrex measuring cup. Next weigh out 1/2 oz. of shea butter and add to the soap chunks. Heat your soap base and shea butter in the microwave just until melted.

Now, remove the soap base and shea butter from the microwave. Measure out 2 Tablespoons of Grapeseed Oil and stir into the melted soap base and shea butter mixture. Immediately measure out your salts and stir into the salt scrub base you’ve created. Mix thoroughly.

Finally, weigh out 1/2 oz. (or approximately 2 measured Tablespoons) of skin safe/cosmetic grade fragrance oil of choice and stir into your salt scrub. For this project I used a Lemongrass Sage Fragrance Oil. Alternately, you can use half the amount of your favorite essential oil in lieu of a fragrance oil.

Stir your homemade foaming salt scrub until it starts to thicken then pour it into four 4 oz. containers of your choice. (Or opt for two 8 oz. containers – one for you and one for mom!)

Decorate your jars by wrapping a lovely strip of washi tape around your jars and adding a cute “Handmade with Love” sticker. I purchased my washi tape and stickers from Cute Tape.

To use this handmade foaming salt scrub, simply scoop a small amount into the palm of your hand and scrub all over your body. It washes, exfoliates and scents your skin in one easy step!

For more homemade Mother’s Day gift ideas, be sure to follow my Handmade Mother’s Day Gift Ideas Board on Pinterest! Keep up with all of my latest diy bath and beauty recipes and diy projects by following me on facebook, twitter, tumblr and blog lovin’!

1. Herbal Facial Kit via Mountain Rose Herbs / 2. Potted Paper Flowers via Sweet Paul / 3. Wood Keepsake Box via Koti Beth  / 4. Spa Gift Basket via Soap Deli News

1. Garden Hand Salve via Design Sponge / 2. Triangle Concrete Pots via Rough Fusion / 3. Hexagon Striped Towel via Wild Olive / 4. Rose Spritz Neapolitan Cookies via I Am Baker

1. Cherry Blossom Sugar Scrub via Le Zoe Musings / 2. Cookie Cutter Soaps via Latika / Hidden Flower Soap & Salt Scrub via Soap Deli News / 4. Homemade Bubble Bath via Coordinately Yours

1. Monthly Birch Box Subscription via Birch Box / 2. Handmade Solid Sugar Scrub & Soap Combo via Soap Deli News / 3. Japanese Moss Ball Terrarium via Pink Serissa / 4. Herbal Green Tea Kit via Purpose Design

1. Confetti Pretzels via Southern Weddings / 2. Matchbook Bird Notepads via Making the Nest of It / 3. Ceramic Dragonfly Prep Bowls via  dgordan / 4. Homemade Skin Loving Soap via Soap Deli News

For more homemade Mother’s Day gift ideas you can make and buy, be sure to visit my Homemade Mother’s Day Gift ideas board on Pinterest! And, for a limited time, treat mom to a free bar of Handmade Gardener’s Soap for Mother’s Day! Simply spend $20 at Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen and get a bar of Gardener’s Soap free! Just add the soap to your cart and use coupon code: FORMOM to have the price of the soap deducted at checkout. Offer ends 5/12/13.

Will you be giving mom the gift of handmade this year?

In preparation for this project I purchased the book, Making an Impression: Designing & Creating Artful Stamps, by Geninne Zlatkis. Not only was this book rated one of the best craft and hobby books of 2012 by Amazon, but I really loved the designs and projects inside. It also provided some very easy and straight forward instructions to making your own hand carved stamps for the first time. And it has some pretty nice templates that you can use to create your own stamps. I also purchased a Speedball Linoleum Cutter Assortment because I wanted the option of different carving tips and two Speedball 4-Inch-by- 6-Inch Speedy-Carve Carving Blocks which can easily be cut in half and used. However, if you’re not quite sure if stamping is right for you, you can buy a Speedball Speedy Carve Stamp Making Kit for right around $10 with free shipping. It includes Includes one sheet of rubber, a wooden handle, one cutter tip, one gouge tip, tracing paper and instructions.

I was stubborn and chose to not use tracing paper since I wasn’t at the point where I wanted to try lettering. Instead, I drew my design right onto the rubber block. I did take some advice from the book, however, and stamped the top of the rubber block with a colored ink pad so I had a better idea of what I was removing when I cut and what I was leaving behind. The rubber blocks were very easy to cut with the rubber blocks I purchased and the tools so there wasn’t much effort like there is if you’re carving wooden blocks for printmaking.

My son chose to cut his rubber block in half and made two stamps. He etched his first stamp with a flower rather than making deeper cuts into the rubber. This allowed for a more detailed look, but you had to be careful not to press the stamp too hard onto the paper or the image would smear.

He also made a ghost in a doorway stamp. He liked the idea of leaving the edges of the stamp intact rather than removing the rubber around the image.

I knew I wanted to use my hand carved stamps on surfaces other than just plain paper, so I purchased a Full-Size StazOn Multi-Surface Inkpad in black along with some Glassine Wax Paper Bags which I’ve been using to wrap soaps and purchases from my shop in. The StazOn ink works on virtually every surface without rubbing off making it perfect for waxed paper bags. You just have to be sure to allow the ink to dry thoroughly. I bought the black which was really dark and vivid.

I folded over a 5″ x 7″ glassine bag that I stamped with my hand carved butterfly design to package a bar of soap. Then I wrapped washi tape around the top edges and tied it closed with a bit of Baker’s Twine. The bags can be used in a number of ways and would make really great handmade favor bags for parties and weddings. Or use your own hand stamped bags to wrap your small handmade gifts and soaps in for Mother’s Day or to dress up simple gift tags!

Don’t feel limited by the rubber blocks for making stamps though. You can also use rubber erasers or wine corks to create your own handmade stamps. And definitely don’t feel limited by paper and envelopes! You can also use your freshly carved rubber stamps to decorate your cold process soaps!

DIY Hidden Flower Soap & Salt Scrub Recipe

What you need:

Silikomart Silicone Chocolate Flower Mold
Eight empty and washed single serving ice cream containers or Silicone Baking Cups
Large glass measuring cup
Graduated Plastic Transfer Pipette
Digital Kitchen Scale
Utensils

Ingredients:

30 oz. Three Butter Melt and Pour Soap Base

Directions:

You’ll start by making your flower soaps for inside the soap bars. These are cute on their own to gift in a bag or clear container as well, so don’t feel like you have to make them just for this project. To make the flowers you will combine 3 oz. of your melt and pour soap base and one ml of your fragrance oil (1/2 ml essential oil.)

Start by cutting your melt and pour soap base into chunks, then using your digital scale, weight out 3oz. of soap. Place into a large glass measuring cup and melt in the microwave. Don’t let your base boil. As microwave heating times vary, start with 30 seconds and continue melting in 30 second increments until fully melted. Once melted, add a few drops of liquid soap dye or a pinch of oxide or ultramarine powdered soap pigment and mix thoroughly. Now measure out 1ml of fragrance oil using your plastic pipette and add to the colored soap base. Stir well. (I used a White Tea & Ginger Fragrance Oil for my soaps and used an orchid (pink) ultramarine water soluble pigment powder as it is what I had on hand. Liquid soap dyes are much easier to incorporate into your soap base, however.)

For ease of transfer, you’ll want to place your mold onto a flat plate or small cutting board before pouring the soap. Now slowly pour the soap into your flower silicone mold. The soap will fill eight of the flower shaped cavities. Once you’ve poured your flowers in the mold, place the mold in the freezer until the flowers have hardened.

Once your flowers have hardened, remove them from the mold by carefully pushing them out. Now, you’ll make the next layer of your soap bar. Cut and weigh out 18oz. of your soap base and melt in the microwave. Then weigh out 1oz. of fragrance oil (or 1/2 oz. of essential oil) and stir into your soap base. Place one soap flower face down into each of your ice cream cup molds or silicone cupcake molds. Now slowly pour your soap base over top of and around the flower.

If you want to leave this layer of your soap white, then fill all all of the molds evenly the rest of the way. I chose, however, to make another layer of color. Therefore, I poured my soap base up to about half of the height of the flower and then placed the soaps in the freezer to harden. I then added my pigment to the remaining soap base – I used a violet ultramarine pigment – and mixed thoroughly. Once the soaps had hardened, I removed them from the freezer and poured the remaining soap on top, so that each mold was filled to the same level. I then placed the soap filled molds in the freezer again to speed up the process.

While my soaps were hardening, I mixed together my final layer and bottom layer of soap. This bottom layer will serve as the exfoliating salt scrub layer of soap. For this layer I weighed out 9oz. of soap and 1/2oz. of fragrance oil (or 1/4 oz. essential oil.) I melted and mixed them together along with a yellow oxide pigment powder. Next, I mixed in 2 Tablespoons of Himalayan Pink Salt, 4 Tablespoons of fine Dead Sea Salt, and 6 Tablespoons of Epsom Salt. I let this solidify slightly, then scooped it into my molds once the other layers of soap had hardened completely. I then placed the soap filled molds back into the freezer, to complete the process.

Once your soaps have hardened fully you’ll need to remove them from the molds. If you used paper ice cream cups as molds, simply use a pair of scissors to cut a notch in the top edge then tear away the paper from the soap. If you used silicone molds, simply turn the soaps out of the molds.

Now wrap your finished soaps tightly in plastic cling film and add them to your homemade Mother’s Day gift basket for gifting! As you can see the flower the flower at this stage is slightly hidden beneath the surface.

As the soap is used, the flower becomes completely revealed. Mom can wash with the flower side of the soap, and then scrub rough elbows and feet with the bottom, salt scrub side of the soap!