Holiday Gifts. Anyone making them?

[katlnhats]

Hi,
The holidays are coming kinda fast. Already it's October, then it won't take anytime at all to get to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Are any of you making your Christmas gifts?

I am... I'm making new soap blends, creams and lotions, as well as mica (cosmetic grade) in some of the soaps and lotions, and may start to make mineral make-up. I am making some for Halloween for the kids at the food pantry we don't volunteer at, cats and they love critters, so I've got some animal molds, and I made some last night, got more going today.
I'll also be making Vanilla-honey, that tastes so good in tea or even coffee.

Anyone else? OR... would anyone else like some recipes? For easy things.. I also make lipbalms and lava lip gloss, things like that, bath salts, milk baths, ... and whatever else I feel like making.

Kat

[june72]

I thought about making a few quilts, but as busy as I have been I don't think I will have time. I was teasing hubby last night and ask if he thought they made a super woman costume in my size
I would love some recipes, if you don't mind sharing!

[kirsey2121]

i dont think i will be having much time to make presents, i really really hope I get to make sugar cookies this year. i have the best recipe from my great aunt that I made 2 years ago and they were a HUGE hit! I am hoping to go to a knitting seminar at our local craft store and would like to make my friends and family scarves, i know my mom and her best friends would LOVE them. As a side note I signed up for cake decorating 1 on Monday nights @ our local craft store.

[katlnhats]

Wow, Kirsey!

I forgot about scarves and I like to knit and unlike June, there's no way I've ever "completed" a quilt, LOL... (thinking about scarves now!).
Cake decorating sounds like fun - I've done some, but it's been years, so mine would most likely come out a mess.
Lip balms and stuff like that are quick and easy to make, doesn't take much time at all. And they're lots better than you can buy at any store. I'll snag some recipes from my aromatherapy group and post them.

June? A FEW quilts? Wow....

Kirsey, care to share your sugar cookie recipe? I've got some others that I bake for the holidays that I can dig out the cookbooks and post too. Ok, girl, GIVE! LOL

Kat

[katlnhats]

Here are a couple lipbalm recipes, and a body parfait, it's a lotion and aloe gel, colored and scented with alternating colors, looks and feels great and is very easy to make, as are the lip stuff.

Ingredients:

* 7-8 tsp. sweet almond oil
* 2 tsp. beeswax
* 1 Vitamin E capsule (antitoxiant, not a preservative)
* 1 tsp. honey
* 5 drops essential oil
* .5% of the total amount of how much you are making of a preservative, my
preference is LiquiPar Optima (available on the net)
* Double boiler or a larger pan and a smaller one that can be suspended over the larger one, water in the larger one not to totally cover the smaller (just for melting)
* Cosmetic / balm container with lid

Melt the sweet almond oil and beeswax together in your double-boiler on the stove top, it may take a little while, stir. Remove the mixture from the stove, and pierce the vitamin E capsule with a pin or tip fo a knife, and squirt into mixture. Whisk the contents of the vitamin E capsule, honey, and flavoring, into the oil mixture, add preservative, continuing to whisk until set. Spoon your new lip gloss into a small, balm container with tight lid.
__________________________________

Easy Body Parfait
These come out pretty and they're easy!

You will need a thick Lotion/Fragrance-free and uncolored, can be homemade
Essential oils - citrus or mint are generally good for taste/flavor.
Aloe Vera Gel
Cosmetic Grade Coloring
Clear Jars (I like the 4 ounce glass canning jars)

Add a few drops of your choice of essentials to both the lotion, and the aloe gel.Add coloring to only the aloe gel, and mix.
Spoon in a layer of lotion into the jar. Layer next with aloe gel, alternating until the jar is full.

_____________
Lip gloss
6 tsp jojoba oil
1 tsp aloe vera oil
3 tsp white beeswax
10 drops flavor or essential oil
1/4 tsp red gold two tone mica - or a mixture of gold, silver, pearl, (or just one) with a pink, or any other color mica you like.


Instructions:

In a glass measuring cup melt beeswax in double-boiler, add the oils . Stir in the flavored or essential oil and mica. Let it cool for about 5 mins. Give it more more quick stir and pour into lip gloss containers

Add a few drops of liquid Stevia, a herbal plant-based sweetener, or you can also use the powder, if you'd like yours sweetened naturally. It is about 200x sweeter than sugar, so be careful how much you use.

MN 2006

Kat

[kirsey2121]

lol kat i wish u lived closer to me, u know how to do all of things I want to learn

[katlnhats]

Kirsey,

Connecticut's a real nice place to move to!

Hugs,

Kat

[gingerfish]

last year I made wreathes for the Elderly home care, this year I am making miniture trees (full with decorations). I'm also making individual ornaments, for the womens Moose Lodge that I am a member of they sell these every year mine seem to be the biggest hit. Most of the procedes benefit the battered womens Foundation in my town, And then for family members the new ones the babys Every year I make a special x-mas stocking with their names across the top and cute pictures all across the stocking (lots of glitter, sequence and fluffy things, I make picture collages/Calandars for the Parents in my family of their kids From the year previous. ect. For the kids I make rock candy, homemade fudge (usually double orange since they like that best), scented body oils, and candles for the teenage girls, and Stock car kits for the teenager boys.

My grandparents are having their 60th Wedding Anniversary the week after X-mas so for their x-mas present I am making a solid cherry oak entry table that is deco'd with pictures of their life together over the years sealed and then I will have a custom fit glass top to encase it.

[katlnhats]

Wow,

Are you ever talented! Do you have any pictures you could share?

Kat

[bestmidwest]

I am working on some kitchen towels with crocheted toppers. That's about it. I don't know exactly how many I'll have finished. I'm thinking that maybe I can do some mixes in a jar type things. I'm trying to do more myself this year.

[kirsey2121]

i LOVE making fleece tie blankets, i made myself one and i sleep with it every night, i just made holden one, they make awesome & easy gifts

[gingerfish]

Originally Posted by katlnhats

Wow,

Are you ever talented! Do you have any pictures you could share?

Kat

LOL I haven't taken any pictures yet, but I will just for you! I'll post them after I have them completed.

[katlnhats]

Thanks, Ginger!
I'd love to see them

Kirsey, how do make those? Also, any pictures? LOL

Kat

[kirsey2121]

i dont have pictures and i will think of how best to explain it, they are sooo easy I will get back to you asap

[Snowpuff]

No, I don't have the patience to make presents anymore, unfortunately.