http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/ Crafts, Projects and Ideas, holiday craft projects, kids craft ideas. Free arts and Crafts for all ages. en 60 enlighten/misc/rss.jpg http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/ http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/bath-salts-recipe-19/ http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/bath-salts-recipe-19/ Attachment 29

In a tight sealing jar, combine all dry ingredients - epsom salts, salt and baking soda. It's important that the lid seals tightly, because you'll be shaking this a few times. Mason jars are ideal for this craft recipe. Shake the dry ingredients together until well combined. Add about three drops of scented oil to the mix, and shake again. Different scented oils can have different concentrations, so test the scent of the bath salts after adding only three drops. If the salts aren't 'strong' enough smelling, add more of the scented oil, one scant drop at a time. The oils are concentrated, so don't add too much all at once or you might have bath salts that are too strongly scented.

Seal tightly and label with beautiful hand-written labels. Mason jars usually come with labels, but if you don't have labels, you can buy them at any good craft store, or even at office supply stores. (Then you can print out colorful labels on your computer!)

To use -- simply add a few tablespoons of the bath salts to running water. Shake each time, before use.
Hints, Tips and Other Ideas:
Try different food coloring solutions for different scented bath salts. Try a small amount of red, to create pink, for rose bath salts. Or, try pale green if you make mint bath salts. This is optional - you don't need to add any food coloring at all. If you do, add it in scant drops, one drop at a time so the end result is a delicately colored bath salt, not anything too intense. And, shake very well after each addition, so the color is properly dispersed among the bath salts.

Be creative when experimenting with scents for your homemade bath salts. You can use any aromatherapy oil. I just chose rose for the recipe above, but you can use any oils you can find. Find these oils at good craft stores anywhere or soap and candle making shops. Buy the best ones you can - you only use a few drops for each project, so one bottle will last a long time. Try combining different scents together to create your own 'custom scent'. Ask the salespeople at the shops which of the oils would be most appropriate for your project - they can be very helpful!

To decorate these jars: Try putting a small square of fabric between the sealing ring and the lid to make a decorative effect. I like taking hand-crafted paper, poking a hole in the upper corner with a hole-punch, and stringing through some twine, and tying that on to the jar, with instructions for use, or as a gift card. Or, try gluing on a single dried flower on the gift card - a tiny dried rose for rose bath salts, a tiny dried lilac for lilac scent, etc. It gives the jar an elegant, very beautiful look. For extra special gifts -- add some dried, pressed flowers to the bath salt mix. Dried rose petals are really lovely when added to this mix - then you'll have a really special bath with rose petals floating in the water! It makes a person feel very pampered.





Making gift baskets - Gift baskets are expensive to buy but very inexpensive to create when you use recipes such as this bath salts recipe. Fill any interesting container (baskets, collanders, wooden boxes, terra cotta pots, hand-painted terra cotta pots) with your choice of the following:

• Hand crafted bath soaps
• Jars of bath crystals or bubble baths
• Loofah sponges
• Wooden massage rollers
• Massage oils
• Hand and face lotions or creams
• Small, rolled-up hand towels and face cloths
• Bath and shower gels
• Tiny jars of assorted pot pourri mixes
• Great books to enjoy while they're indulging in their bath

And so many others! This type of bath and beauty gift basket would easily sell for $50.00 or more in bath shops, but by making it yourself you can create one for only a few dollars! They make beautiful gifts for any time of year - but are especially useful during the holidays when you may be trying to save some money!

Make some extra money by creating jars of different scented bath salts and then sell these at flea markets, or at craft sales. Recruit a few friends to help you out and make some extra money for this holiday season!

About Author
Please join Christina's FREE weekly newsletter filled with recipes like these! Join at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KitchenCraftsnMore Or, to subscribe, send an email with "Subscribe to Newsletter" as the subject to christinam@nucleus.com]]> Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:42:15 Soap Making Crafts Soap Making Crafts admin en http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/candy-cane-soaps-and-more-18/ http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/candy-cane-soaps-and-more-18/ CANDY CANE SWIRL SOAP

• 1/2 lb. opaque melt & pour soap base
• 1 tsp. Stearic acid
• Red food coloring
• Candy Cane fragrance oil
• Candy cane cookie cutters**
• Wax paper lined pan or tray

Suggestion: You could also use the Wilton mini
cake pan candy cane mold.

Melt the soap base and Stearic acid seperately. Combine them when they are both liquefied. Whisk well. Add the fragrance oil and pour into a wax paper lined pan or tray. Take a bit of red coloring (just a bit on the tip of the toothpick) and swirl into the soap until it is marblized. When it is firm enough, take cookie cutter and cut out candy cane shapes. These are great for Christmas!!!


SOAPSICLES (for kids)

• 8 oz. Unscented, Clear Glycerine Soap
• 1/4 teaspoon each Cherry, Lime, Grape and Orange Fragrance Oil
• Red, Orange, Green and Blue Food Coloring
• Popsicle molds (available in grocery stores, drug stores and places like Target, K-Mart and Wal-Mart)
• Popsicle sticks (available at most craft stores - called craft sticks)
• Piece of cardboard (the kind they use in shirts is fine)
• Paper clips

Cut pieces of the cardboard a bit larger but the same shape as the Popsicle mold (round or oblong) and cut a slit in the middle (for the stick). Now divide soap into 4 equal parts (2 oz each), melt one at a time in a small pan over low heat or in a glass cup in the microwave. Add cherry fragrance oil and 2 drops of red food coloring. Stir gently and pour into Popsicle molds. Take one of the cardboard pieces you cut and put a stick thru it, using the paper clip so that the stick stops at the cardboard and doesn't fall all the way thru. Make the rest of the soapsicles in Orange, Lime and Grape (using 1 drop of red and 1 drop of blue food coloring) or make all the same 'Flavor', using 1 teaspoon of your favorite fragrance oil 'flavor' and 8-10 drops of coordinating food coloring. Put molds in freezer, when frozen remove from molds. Store in cellophane candy bags with a ribbon or a twist tie. Be sure these are marked NOT EDIBLE !!

SOAP CRAYONS (for kids)

• 1 cup soap flakes
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• Food coloring
• Ice cube tray

Drop the water into the flakes, one teaspoon at a time, stirring constantly. It will be thick and hard to stir. Spoon some of the soap into different bowls and color each with the food coloring until it has the consistency of thick paste. Press spoonfuls into the ice cube trays and microwave on lowfor 15 minutes to dry the crayons out. Let them dry at room temperature for several days and give it another day after unmolding. The kids will love these!!

SPARKLING SNOWBALL SOAP

• 6 oz. unscented white soap, grated
• 1/4 tsp. Candy Cane Fragrance Oil
• 1/2 tsp. Ultra Fine Fabric Glitter
• 1/2 cup Water or Milk

Bring water to a boil and add soap and reduce heat. Mash and stir soap until water disappears and mixture becomes a sticky mass (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in fragrance oil and glitter until well blended. Reserve a little glitter for later. When soap is cool enough to handle, divide in half and form into balls with your hands. Sprinkle reserved glitter on the surface of the balls and continue to shape into snowball like soaps. Allow to air dry at least 12 hours. Wrap individually in cellophane and tie with ribbon and a bow.

Project submitted by Cake Works Central. For more fun projects visit http://www.cakeworkscentral.com/ ]]> Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:37:46 Soap Making Crafts Soap Making Crafts admin en http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/bath-bombs-2-17/ http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/bath-bombs-2-17/
Combine wet ingredients and borax in a jar. Cover tightly and shake vigorously. Drizzle onto dry ingredients and blend thoroughly.

Pack tightly into molds and slide out. They should release easily. Allow to dry overnight. (this mixture is very crumbly till dry)]]> Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:35:38 Soap Making Crafts Soap Making Crafts admin en http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/bath-bombs-16/ http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/bath-bombs-16/
Add fragrance and colorant.

In a small glass bowl combine oil then add fragrance
and colorant.

Slowly add oil mixture into dry ingredients and blend well.

Take truffle sized scoops of the mixture and shape into balls. Balls should be about 1" in diameter.

Let balls rest on a sheet of waxed paper for 2 - 3 hours. Let the bombs dry and harden for 24 - 48 hours.

Pack each bomb into its own candy cup. Store bombs in a closed container.

To use drop, 1 -3 into warm bath water.]]> Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:33:00 Soap Making Crafts Soap Making Crafts admin en http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/candlelight-rose-craft-project-5/ http://crafterscommunity.com/crafts/soap-making-crafts-9/candlelight-rose-craft-project-5/ Attachment 22
Remove rose from stem and separate petals. Cut petals apart and sort according to size.

Begin at top of glass to glue smallest petals around candle holder with tips extending just above rim and petals slightly overlapping.

Note: Glue base of petals only letting tips curl outward. Continue to glue rows of graduated-size petals to cover glass with tips of petals centered between two petals in prior row.

Cut and glue a small circle from a rose petal to cover bottom, then glue calyx over circle.

To finish, refer to the photo to arrange and glue leaves around bottom of candle holder.]]> Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:28:28 Soap Making Crafts Soap Making Crafts admin en