A "Homemade" Christmas Wrap-up!

I wish that I could have finished this for you before Christmas-- but I didn't actually finish the gifts until Christmas Eve! So, tuck this away in your "I need a gift quick" file & I hope you can use these ideas throughout the year! (And I actually started writing this on the 4th! Geez o Peez! I won't even begin to explain the house problems we have been having, that have kept me so busy...it's just gross)

One of the gifts I showed you were the Body & Hand Scrubs! I love these things! Here are my finished products; I really wound up with some yummy scents this time around!  I painted the tops with chalkboard paint rather than stick labels on them-- that way when they are empty, they can be re-purposed!

Lemon Drop, Vanilla Brown Sugar, Orange Coffee, Coffee, & Banana Foster's!!

Everyone on my list also got the Chalkboards I made in A "Homemade Christmas" Part IV.

Now, onto the things that I didn't get to tell you about!! This Christmas I gave everyone "Green" Cleaning Baskets! My husband & some of my family like to make fun of me "saving the environment" or being "crunchy"... but I'm ok with that. And I rather like the adjective "Crunchy!" So BAH, to them. In addition to being kinder to Mother Earth & my family's health... these products are WAY cheaper! So, I'm saving money right along with the environment! Hehehe. Any who, my pregnancy brain attributed to me forgetting to take as many pictures as I would like to include with this; such as the FINISHED PRODUCT...DOH! I will just have to give you what I have... imagine the rest.

The first thing I included in my baskets was homemade laundry soap. Super easy to make & so much cheaper than the store bought stuff. There are tons of recipes out there on the net. The one I use is plain & simple...

-1c. Borax

-1c. Washing soda

-2c. Soap flakes (sans suds)

-Essential Oil  (optional)

So here are my supplies...

-Borax $3.99 (and yes, if you eat it, it's toxic...otherwise it is completely safe to use)

-Washing Soda $2.99

These are both BIG boxes & will make a ton of detergent.

-Yardly Soap $1.49 (I like Yardly because it already has essential oil in it & smells great; but you can use Fels Naptha, Ivory, etc. I think you can get an 8 pack of Ivory for under $3. You will also see in the pictures "orange soap." This was an cold pressed, organic bar I got for free & wanted to try out.)

Ok, so first thing you do is grate the soap. I have a big ol' plastic bowl & a grater from the $1Tree that I use just for "making" stuff. The hard soaps grate REALLY easily. I was done with the Yardly in just a few minutes. The cold pressed, softer soap is a little bit more of a challenge. It kept melting on me & clogging up the grater. So, I finally put it in the freezer for 5 minutes & tried again...much easier. But I had to do this a few times. The smell of the soap is amazing, so I pressed on! 

Next thing you do is mix it all together...find a nice container to put it in & you're done! I've had a lot of luck finding glass containers (I try not to use plastic ones) at the $1tree. The ones in the picture above had perfect little squares on each side that I painted with my favorite chalkboard paint! (Then you can write a little note on them too!) But you can really put it in anything...even you're old laundry soap box. As you will see in the picture of my own "counter" box, I keep it in a metal canister. You know the ones that sit on your counter & don't really have anything in them--but everyone has a set? Yea, those. =) If you are giving this as a gift, don't forget to attach a little note letting people know that this detergent is safe to use in HE washing machine & front loaders. Also, with directions to use about 1 Tablespoon per load & to add 1/2c. white vinegar to the rinse cycle. This detergent smells great going in, but will leave no lasting scent on clothing. So, if you like your clothes to "smell" then you can put some essential oil on a piece of felt or cloth & throw it in the dryer. Make sure the oil is dry or it will leave spots on your clothes... I learned this the hard way =(. Otherwise, just enjoy the chemical freeness that your clothes now have!

The next two things in the basket were a shaker (you can get S&P shakers 2/$1, that are glass at the $1Tree) filled with baking soda & a nice fat lemon. Yes, I did say lemon...as in the ones that grow on trees. I give instructions to sprinkle the baking soda in sinks, stove tops, bathtubs, showers, etc. Then cut the lemon in half & scrub! I use this all the time to clean pretty much everything. DO NOT use this on granite. Lemon juice & vinegar both, are far to acidic to use on granite.

The next item, was an aluminum spray bottle containing a disinfecting spray. Guess where I got the bottle? Yupp, $1Tree. Again, super easy to make-- equal parts distilled water & isopropal alcohol. I add a few drops of essential oil for a nice scent too. This is safe on all surfaces. As soon as it dries, the alcohol smell just disappears.

I think that about wraps it up for my baskets... but at this point I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning, so I might have missed something. There are some other things that I have been making, that I want to share with you as well-- hopefully later today, but I make no promises! =)

A "Homemade Christmas" ... take 5!

I really wanted to have this up for y'all last week, but... life happens! As most of my readers know, I am expecting! Last week, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes...BOO! Gimme a break, right before Christmas, are you kidding me!?!? Well, needless to say I had to make some changes & fast.... tests and appointments and classes...oh my! Really put a cramp on my "crafting!" If you are looking for something last minute & homemade there is still time... I promise, I'm still making my gifts!

You have probably come across this recipe during the season or you may even remember it from when you were a kid. Salt dough ornaments! These are so simple to make & they don't take that much time at all. I know this because, I had less then 5 hours on Tuesday, to make my GIANT Cub Scout den their annual Christmas Ornament! Whew! Kneading all that dough was quite a work out! I also like to make this for my kids to play with, while I'm trying to get other stuff done! It keeps them busy forever, it's completely non-toxic, & I love anything that requires them to use their imagination!

Ok, so... Here's what you need:

-Flour
-Salt

-Warm Water

-Oil

Yupp... that's it! Here are the measurements I use; but you are can alter it to make as little or as much as you need! I mix 1c. salt with 1 1/2c. warm water & about a tablespoon of oil. You don't have to add the oil, but it does make a big difference in how easy the dough is to work with.  I let that sit for a few minutes for the salt to begin to dissolve. If you would like to make your dough colored... now is the time to add the color. I will let you know, that it takes A LOT of food coloring at this point to get the dough any TRUE color. I recommend painting them after you are done instead. But never the less I have done it both ways, to each their own! In another bowl I put 4c. of flour & then add the salt mixture to that. Mix well, put your hands in it & knead it...if it's too sticky, add some more flour... if it's too dry & crumbly, add some more water (little at at time)

Now you're ready to rock & roll! At this point you can either hand if off to the kids to play with, along with some cookie cutters; Or, you can make your own ornaments! I can play with this stuff for hours! As always, your imagination is the limit. Just remember the thicker you make the ornament, the longer it will take to dry! So, if time is a factor at this point (3 days before Christmas!) then you should probably consider making snowflakes rather than snowmen!!! Once you have finished your design you can put them in the oven on a cookie tray at 200*. This process can take anywhere from 1-3 hours. When they are done you can paint them & then either apply a layer of white glue or clear paint to help protect them!

Another version of this dough is to add spices. Like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, etc. This makes the dough smell amazing.... but it also colors the dough brown. I love to make my "Gingerbread People" ornaments out of this or a "stamped"/"mold" ornament. You can use anything as a stamp! If you like the design, stamp your ornament with it!

I have more projects to complete today-- I better get to it so I can share them all with you!