Making A Bath and Body Basket

Making a massage kit may be the perfect way to put your mind to work and will allow you to make gifts for cheap! There are plenty of items you can put in a homemade bath and body basket that will allow you to show someone that you care. Making these baskets is best done in bulk because of the items you will need, such as essential oils. Do not consider that necessary, however, and work on your baskets whenever you would like.

Making massage oil is a simple task. You would never know that from the pricy nature of it if you buy it in the stores, but it is simple. You will need to combine 1/2 cup of baby oil with one teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Stir them up in a small bowl, but note that the spices will mainly stay on the bottom. Allow the bowl to sit for two hours. Then get out a container with an airtight lid. I like to use Tupperware containers to put the oil in until I get ready to make the full basket. Hold a coffee filter over the container and slowly pour in the oil mixture. You will need to squeeze the filter lightly to help the oil drain through. Toss the filter and put the lid on the massage oil.

The next item you can make is bathing powder. Bathing powder is something that should rejuvenate someone in a bathtub. It should make them feel wonderful and allow them to soak up the wonders of their bath. The recipe for bathing powder is simple. Combine 1/2 cup of baking soda with 1/2 cup of cornstarch. Then add in 20 drops of an essential oil. (You can find essential oils at spas or massage parlors. They run around $10 for a 4-ounce bottle. If you store them in a dark, dry place, they will last for six months to a year.) Stir the mixture together and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes. Then put it in an airtight container to hold in the scent. Put a note with it to tell the recipient to put in 1 teaspoon under the running water before getting in the bath.

Next you will be making scented soap. We are going about making soap the simple way. In fact, we are really just reconstituting soap that already exists. You should get a bar of unscented soap at the store. Be sure that you get unscented because you do not want the scents to overlap. Then you will need to grate the soap and mix it with the dried and grated peel of one orange. Put the soap and orange peel into the microwave for 30 seconds to one minute. When you get it out, stir the liquid and pour it into a soap or candy mold and allow it to harden. When you put the soap in the basket, you can spice up the way it looks by wrapping two or three bars in some tulle and tying it with a ribbon.

When you get ready to create your bath and body basket, go to a craft store and pick up a few little bottles and some corks to keep them closed. Then use a small funnel to pour the mixtures into the bottles. Print on business cards a little saying and a note to explain what it in each bottle. You can hole punch the business card and tie a ribbon to it. These items will make a wonderful gift for special ladies who want to pamper themselves.

Do not stop with just these items. You can make bubble bath, bath salts, and bath oil with a little work and some household supplies. You also can make soothing masks and other bathroom products with basic supplies that you have lying around. And do not just use these items to make bath and body baskets for other people. Make some for yourself, too. You deserve to be pampered, so when you are making the baskets, keep some of the mixes and give them to yourself as a gift. Then treat yourself to a nice long bath. You deserve it.

By Julia Mercer