Punkins' world....SUNSHINE, seeds and no more drought!

[soapmaker]

Some fo are stronger than others. SOme people prefer a lighter smelling bar versus a perfume like bar. It's just a matter of preerence or taste. The essential oils are stronger because they are more pure and natural so you would probally use less.
Another thing I forgot to mention. It all depends on what method you use. IF you are just doing handmilled or melt and pour I would think you would use less because you don't have to worry about the lye eating up the fragrance. Cold process you use more fragrance.

 

[punkin]

I finished my first homemade toiletries gift basket yesterday:

It contains lavender goat's milk & glycerin soaps, lavender & chamomile bath soaks and lavender bath salts. The basket ($.69) & bath salts container ($.59) both came from Goodwill. The glycerine soaps probably cost me about $1.20 to make and I haven't figured up the cost of the other stuff yet. I made the bath soaks out of folded and stapled coffee filters. Added a few labels with stamps and some ribbon, and Presto! it's done.

Last night I made Grapefruit Blush, Rose and Lemongrass & Sage scented bath salts. They won't be ready for another week, so that gives me time to make coordinating soaps, soaks and maybe some brown sugar scrubs. I also plan on making a body srub out of botanicals and grated scented soap with a reusable cloth bag.

I also had a thought about herbal teas. Why couldn't I use those (such as lemon zinger, chamomile, peppermint, etc) in the bath soaks and baggged scrubs? They don't contain brown tea leaves, just the herbs.

Can you think of a reason I shouldn't use them?

 

[keljonma]

We've used herbal teas in bath bags before without any problems. Some of them are pretty weak scents without adding EOs to the water.

 

[Farmfresh]

Your basket looks great! It would make a very nice gift this holiday season and if you add up the true value of those handcrafted item (like if you were to buy them retail), quite an expensive gift as well! Good job!

Last year I made some of my hand milled soaps into good sized balls for hand washing, then I wrapped them up with sparkly colored tule cloth and topped that with colorful ribbons. They looked just like Christmas tree ornaments! They made great small gifts for office and church friends, were easy to tie on as an EXTRA for family members and two or three fastened together made a nice gift by themselves! I used peppermint EO for some and some were orange and cinnamon. Just giving you some more ideas!

 

[punkin]

FF, thanks and thanks for the extra ideas. I had so many scent and gift combos on my mind last night that I couldn't get to sleep.

I'm doing a grapefruit basket, a rose basket and a lemongrass & sage basket.

I think I'll add sage to your spiced orange idea for a more manly gift. Wrapping in tulle is a great idea, too. I can always find remnants at Hobby Lobby for cheap. I've been buying Christmas ribbon when it's half off, too.

If I don't write all this down, I won't sleep well tonight, either.

 

[Farmfresh]

You sound just like me. I get something on my mind and until I get it down somewhere well ....

 

[punkin]

I haven't had alot going on lately. I've made some more handmilled soaps (rose scented and pepppermint refresher). I'm waiting on the bath salts to "cure" before I can make more gift baskets. My Brambleberry's order hasn't come in yet, so I'm still out of M&P goat's milk soap. Brambleberrys seems to have the best price per pound in bulk (2.48 per including shipping).

I did finish another lap quilt. It's a pink flamingo theme and very bright.

DS mowed most of the garden down last night (weed garden). I'm still getting okra (yeah, big whoop). We are still eating okra out of the freezer from last year. My Brussels Sprouts will be coming in soon. The have small heads, but aren't firm enough yet. The tomatoes look more like little red golfballs now. To me, they are losing that "fresh" tomato taste, too. They will probably be cleared out next week. The melons were a bust. Mostly my fault for not putting the ground cover to discourage weeds. I think we may have gotten 1 that was edible. The beans are long gone and those 2 rows are covered with grass clippings from the yard. It looks like I will have a good crop of Asparagus next year. I have lots of foilage from my third year crowns and will cut that down before the first frost.

DS is racing again tonight so I'm off to get a few things done.

 

[Farmfresh]

I wish I had some of that okra!

My hens got in the garden and ate much of the first planting as seeds.

Then my second planting got rained out. So far VERY little okra for me and last years is gone gone gone.

 

[justusnak]

Punkin...that basket is beautifull.! Thats one thing I have never been able to learn...to make soaps. Oh, I did the melt and pour thing for a while. I just wasn't satisified with the whole process.
I cleared out the tomato plants as well...but still have green beans coming on...and I j=planted the peas a few weekends ago..along with some late beets. Hope I can harvest before a frost.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Love the gift basket!!!!!!!!!!

Um, just curious, are you going to be selling those gift baskets? Or are these what you are putting together as gifts for Christmas?