Christmas Gift: Homemade Bath Basket

Homemade Christmas gifts can be both affordable and thoughtful. One gift that's easy to make and would be appreciated by most of the women on your list is a homemade aromatherapy bath basket. I collect baskets throughout the year at thrift stores, which can be lined with colorful Christmas paper (or novelty print fabric in a Christmas theme) and filled with an assortment of relaxing homemade bath items. Decorate the basket with some holiday ornaments, Christmas cookies and such. With the stress of the Christmas holiday season a little unwinding is in order and aromatherapy is great for relieving tension.

All of the recipes below call for essential oils. Some to consider are: bergamot, chamomile, frankincense, geranium, lavender, mandarin, neroli (orange blossom), rose, sandalwood, and tangerine.

Bath Salts
6 cups Epsom salts
3 cups sea salt
Essential oils for scent
Food coloring

Mix the Epsom and Sea salts in a glass, ceramic or plastic bowl then add 6-12 drops of essential oil gradually as you stir the mixture around. Then do the same with the food coloring. Place in a plastic container with a snap on lid and place it in a dark cupboard, shaking the mixture once or twice a day to make sure the oil and color is thoroughly dispersed. A week later your mixture is ready. Place in containers. I save jars for this purpose and decorate the lids with fabric or hot-glued decorations. Christmas, holiday, or seaside themes can all be nice.

Fizzing Bath Bombs
1 cup citric acid
3 cups baking soda
Essential Oil
Water