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.

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