If life's hustle and bustle has you feeling harried, homemade gifts are a great way to slow down and show the special people in your life how much you care. Bonus: Focus your creativity on home-spa gifts, and you’re likely to get a whiff of aromatherapy from pure essential oils. Remember to save one of whatever you’re making for yourself, so you can enjoy a little rest and relaxation when you’re done being crafty!
I’ve been making my own gifts for years now, and I’ve learned to look for projects that don’t make a huge mess and can be completed in a single sitting. Body scrubs are my go-to gift, because they don’t require a lot of prep and it’s easy to customize different blends to fit the people on my list.
Try this simple recipe for the serenity seekers in your life.
Relaxing Lavender Body Scrub
1 cup (237 ml) fine sea salt
1/4 cup (59 ml) grapeseed oil
10 drops pure lavender essential oil
Optional: dried lavender
Prepare a clean, 8-ounce (250-ml) sealable container. Add sea salt and follow with grapeseed oil and lavender essential oil. Stir to blend, adding more grapeseed oil as necessary to achieve your preferred consistency. Finish with dried lavender to decorate. Seal jar tightly and use within 3 months.
Now all you need to do is download a gift tag opens in a new tab and voila! You’ve got a gift at the ready.
Do you have a homemade gift that has been a big hit? Share your ideas in the comments section.
Updated February 2016.
