Quick DIY Gifts For Christmas Giving

By Donna Easto

December already, it’s not too late to make some easy and welcome gifts for friends and family. Presented in a decorative jar or glass bottle, they make great stocking stuffers.

This recipe is for a rich and moisturizing facial cream.

Perfect for keeping your skin soft in the winter. Like most DIY creams, store it in the refrigerator and add vitamin E oil as an antimicrobial preservative. This recipe is adapted from Rosemary Gladstar’s “Perfect Cream”. The recipe makes about 12 ounces, cut the recipe in half for a 6 ounce jar.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup almond oil
• ¼ cup grape seed oil
• ¼ cup cocoa butter
• ¼ cup grated beeswax (¾ ounce)
• ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil
• ⅔ cup distilled water
• ¼ cup aloe vera gel
• 6-10 drops of essential oil (your choice but lavender, neroli, rose,
•  patchouli sandalwood and ylang ylang are lovely)

Directions:

1. In the top of a double boiler, combine the first three ingredients and beeswax. Heat until the beeswax and cocoa butter are just melted.
2. Remove the top of the double boiler, stir in vitamin E, set aside to cool.
3. Combine distilled water and aloe in a measuring cup; it is important that they are at room temperature. 
4. Cool oil mixture to almost room temperature, when it begins to thicken transfer to a clean blender and use a spatula to scrape in all of the mixture.
5. Before proceeding make sure both the oil and water mixtures are at room temperature.
6. Turn the blender on and pour the water mixture into the center of the blender. It will be very thick. Stop and scrape down the sides and stir the ingredients a few times. During this process add the essential oils.
7. If there is some water standing on the emulsion, fold it in.
8. Pour into one 12 ounce or two 6 ounce sterilized jars with lids. They must be kept cool and used within 6 weeks. If your oil and water mixtures tend to separate in the jar, simply shake the jar before each use.

For a quick gift, buy a pure unscented face cream and customize it with your own blend of oils for gift giving. Add 8 drops of essential oil to 60 mls of the base cream.

Rose Hand Cream

This delicately scented traditional cream softens and moisturizes.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp beeswax 
• ¼ tsp honey
• 4 tbsp almond oil
• 4 tbsp rosewater

Directions:

1. Put beeswax, honey and almond oil in a glass jar standing in a small pan of hot water. Stir until melted and blended.
2. Stirring vigorously, pour in the rosewater. Take the jar out of the water and continue to gently stir until the mixture has cooled.

Not to forget the men, here’s a recipe for a bracing Dill aftershave.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup dill seed
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 ½ cups distilled water
• 1 tbsp witch hazel

Directions:

1. Place Dill seed, honey and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. Cool in the pan then add Witch Hazel. Strain into a clear glass bottle and store in the refrigerator.