Blogmas Day 1: DIY Christmas Gifts

Welcome to Day 1 of Blogmas everyone! I thought since I’ve been doing some DIY’s as of lately, my first day should consist of a few of them. You can check out my Clay Mask DIY  and my Body Scrub DIY if you’re interested. But of course I have more – I wouldn’t leave you all hanging like that. So keep reading if you want more cool Christmas DIY’s.

Who doesn’t like soap? Men, women, and even kids like soap. These are great for washing hands of course, but can also be used for decoration.

What you’ll need

1. Melt & Pour Soap Base
2. Activated Charcoal or soap colorant (optional)
3. Cocoa Powder (optional & used for scent)
4. Toothpick or kabob stick
5. Essential Oil (optional)

I use activated charcoal for a natural colorant. Feel free to use turmeric, rose water, etc. as a natural colorant.  Of course you can use a soap colorant, but I used what I could.I also used cocoa powder as a subtle scent, but feel free to use essential oils instead. Melt the soap down and pour into soap molds. Wet the activated charcoal  (and cocoa powder.) Add droplets to get a marble effect or turn the soap whatever color you please. Use the toothpick to stir around the color making sure it reaches the bottom of the mold (unlike I did.) Wait until soap dries for about an hour or let sit overnight.

Vanilla extract is a really easy gift that can be made in a matter of minutes – although it can take a few weeks to months to actually be used.

What you’ll need:

1. Vanilla Beans
2. Vodka or Bourbon
3. Jar or airtight bottle

First, slice vanilla bean down the middle vertically. Push down the vanilla bean with a spoon or a mortar and pestle – basically rough it up a bit. Place beans in jar and then pour vodka or bourbon in. Every few days shake the bottle or jar up. After a few weeks, check the smell and the taste. After about a month, the vanilla extract can be used but it may still not be the best. The vanilla extract probably won’t be great to use until 2 or 3 months. While this DIY may take awhile to even be used, you can still give this as a gift along with some coffee filters and some instructions. OR you can plan ahead like I did and prepare this a month and a half in advance then give as a gift in a cute amber colored bottle.

Tea baths are a really great gift to give some of your girlfriends. This is what I’ll be giving to all of my friends this year and I am hoping they will love it!

What you’ll need

1. Dried herbs of your choice  (rose petals, lavender, orange peels)
2. Rolled Oats (optional)
3. Mortar and pestle or food processor
4. Empty tea bags
5. Stapler or sticker

First, grind up the rose petals in a mortar and pestle or food processor. Mix and match any of the herbs or stick with one herb. I like to grind up the rolled oats and add them in the bag as a base. Oats are amazing for your skin! Rose petals and lavender go great together and smell heavenly! So experiment with different herbs and spices. Fill the bags up and staple or put a sticker to close the tea bags. You can add instructions on to the string if you please. Be sure to give in a cute jar or box!

That’s all for Blogmas Day 1 – I hope you all enjoyed all of my DIY gifts. Be sure to read tomorrow for Day 2 of Blogmas!

ChelsiKay