2 Cheap & Easy DIY Christmas Gifts

Image by Savvy Nana

We’re all looking for inexpensive Christmas gifts for office mates, teachers, and even friends and neighbors. As a rule I find food gifts are easy and always welcome especially homemade treats. But baking cookies and making treats can be time consuming and can get rather costly.

Here are a couple of very easy to make and inexpensive ideas, homemade bath salts. It takes minutes to make and each one cost about $2, not to mention they are super cute! Your biggest investment will be the essential oils, a small bottle costs anywhere from $9 and up depending on the brand, but that tiny bottle can last for years. I always have a bottle of peppermint and lavender on hand; I use it for many things, including Monster Spray and flea repellent for my pets. (You can even whip up a batch of Monster Spray and gift it to the young children in your lives that have bedtime fears of Monsters under the bed! For instructions click here! )

This year I whipped up a batch of Peppermint Bath Salts and Lavender Bath Salts. It took less than a half hour to make and fill clear plastic ornaments with them. I even made chalkboard print tags for each one, which I will gift to you this holiday season. You’ll find links to each tag, just click on it and download the tag and print it out on cardstock.

Peppermint Bath Salts

Supplies for 5 Bulb ornaments

2 cups Epsom Salts

2 cups Kosher or Sea Salt

6 drops Red food color

6 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

5 Clear plastic bulb ornaments

5 tags

Ribbons

Image by Savvy Nana

Directions:

1. Combine 1 cup of each salts in 2 bowls – one for white, the other for pink
2. Add 6 drops of red food color to one bowl. Mix very well, you may need to smash clumps of salt to make it all even sized grains. If you want a deeper pink color you can add more food color. Mix the color into the salts to distribute color evenly. Then add 3 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil to EACH color of salt. Mix in well.
3. Remove the top from the ornament. Place clear empty ornament into a cup – I find it keeps the ornament upright and leaves both hands free for easier filling. Place a funnel into the ornament opening. Using a funnel with a tip that is just a bit smaller than ornament opening keeps the funnel firmly in place while filling, it also fills faster than a funnel with a smaller opening.
4. Put about 2 heaping tablespoons of one color salt into the ornament. Shake ornament gently to make it even.
5. Put about 2 heaping tablespoons of the second color salt into the ornament. It will sit on top of first color. Do not shake ornament, but gently tap so that second layer is even.
6. Continue steps 4 & 5 alternating colors so you have a striped look. Replace top when done.

Tie ribbon around the ornament top and hang a tag on it. Your gift is ready to give!

Image by Savvy Nana

Lavender Bath Salts:

Supplies for 5 Bulb Ornaments & 2 Ball Ornaments

3 Cups Epsom Salts

3 Cups Kosher or Sea Salts

10 drops red food color

4 drops blue food color

8 drops Lavender Essential Oil

5 Clear Plastic Bulb Ornaments

2 Clear Plastic Ball Ornaments

Ribbons

7 Tags

1. Place salts into a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl mix red & blue food color to make purple

3. Add purple food color to salts. Mix very well, breaking up clumps of salt and evenly distributing color. If you want a deeper color you can adjust colors by adding a few more drops of red food color for a more lavender hue, or blue for a deeper purple hue. When you’re happy with the color add the Lavender Essential oil and mix well.

4. Remove top of ornament and place empty ornament in a mug. It will make filling easier. Place funnel in opening as directed above (Peppermint Bath Salts).

5. Fill ornament and replace top.

Image by Savvy Nana

Attach a tag and tie a ribbon around the top of the ornament. Your gift is ready to give!

Do not handle filled ornaments from the top, it will come off and contents will spill out! Hold the ornament itself to avoid spilling.

Free Printable Peppermint Bath Salts Tag!

Free printable Peppermint Bath Salt Tag click here!

Free Lavender Bath Salts Tag

For more ideas follow me on Pinterest!

Hi! I’m Carmina, also known as Nana. I love DIY projects, parties, crocheting, and traveling. I hope that you enjoy my posts and find them useful! If you have any ideas or suggestions I’d love to hear from you!