Every year it’s the same story — we rack our brains for gift ideas and end up scrambling the night before Christmas… So this year, we have THE perfect plan to make everyone happy: DIY gifts to slip under the tree! And if you think making your own body care products is time-consuming, expensive and complicated, think again… There are easy DIY recipes you can whip up at home quickly and effortlessly. With the Christmas DIY recipes we’re sharing today, you’re guaranteed to make some very happy people!
Good to know: you’ll easily find all the ingredients for these Christmas DIYs at your local organic store
Christmas DIY: a moisturising body balm
Ingredients
- 10g beeswax
- 60ml vegetable oil (avocado oil, hazelnut oil…)
- 50ml water
- Optional: 3 drops of your favourite essential oil (rose, lemon, grapefruit…)
Method
- If your beeswax is solid, melt it in the microwave.
- Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until combined.
- Once you have a smooth, even consistency, pour your balm into an airtight jar and tie a pretty ribbon around it.
Done! For an anti-cellulite version of this Christmas DIY, use grapefruit essential oil.
How to use
Using this moisturising balm couldn’t be simpler: just apply it to dry areas of the body (elbows, knees…) whenever needed.
Christmas DIY: bath bombs to customise as you like
For approximately 4 bath bombs, you will need:
- 1 cup baking soda
- ½ cup food-grade citric acid powder
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 4 tbsp Epsom salts
- 2 tsp oil of your choice
- A little water
How to make them?
- In a bowl, mix together the citric acid, cornstarch, Epsom salts and baking soda.
- Add the oil and one teaspoon of water. Mix well.
- Then add the specific ingredients for the variation you’ve chosen.
- The mixture should hold together in small clumps. If it crumbles too much, add a little more water and mix again.
- Once you have the right texture, shape 4 balls by pressing the mixture firmly together, then place them in small moulds to help them keep their shape.
- Leave your bath bombs to air-dry for at least 24 hours.
Once made, you can store these bath bombs in a sealed box in a cool, dry place for up to 3 weeks.
For anti-cellulite bath bombs:
Add 5 drops of grapefruit essential oil and 5 drops of lemon essential oil to the base recipe.
For heavy legs bath bombs:
Simply add 12 drops of peppermint essential oil to the base recipe. For best results, it is recommended to rinse your legs with cold water after use.
For girly bath bombs:
Add a handful of gently cleaned rose petals and 12 drops of rose essential oil to the base recipe.
Christmas DIY: fun and colourful shower jellies
Ingredients
- 5 sheets of food-grade gelatine
- Water
- 1 cup of unscented shower gel
- Food colouring of your choice
- Essential oils of your choice
How to make them?
- In a large saucepan, start by pouring in 5 small cups of water.
- Add the 5 gelatine sheets and stir with a whisk until the water comes to a boil.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl, then add the cup of shower gel. Mix well.
- Add a few drops of food colouring and 3 to 4 drops of your chosen essential oil. Mix again.
- Pour your mixture into small silicone cake moulds, or, if you don’t have any, into a loaf tin.
- Place the mould in the fridge for 7 to 8 hours, then carefully unmould your shower jellies (or slice them into bars if you used a loaf tin).
All done!
A few ideas to customise your shower jellies:
For shower jellies that are fun, beautiful and smell absolutely divine, let your imagination run wild! Here are a few ideas to get you started…
Ice cube shower jellies: use blue food colouring and peppermint essential oil.
Anti-cellulite citrus shower jellies: use orange food colouring and lemon or grapefruit essential oil.
Girly shower jellies: use pink food colouring and rose essential oil.
You can also add a moisturising ingredient to the base recipe, such as argan oil or coconut oil.
How to use shower jellies?
To use your shower jellies, simply rub them gently between your hands or directly onto your body in the shower. You can keep these products in the fridge for up to ten days.