Teacup Lights
Antique teacups that have lost their saucers still make sweet gifts when fitted with candles.
Tools and Materials
Nested pans
Partially burned candles
Candy or candle thermometer
Tongs
New wicking
Teacups
Wick sustainers
Wooden skewers
Teacup Lights How-To
1. In a small pan set over a larger pan of simmering water, melt down old candles; clip the thermometer to the upper pot, and keep temperature at about 185 degrees. Remove old wicks with tongs.
2. Cut a piece of wicking to the cup's height plus 2 inches. Clamp one end to a wick sustainer; tie the other end around a skewer. Dip wicking and sustainer into melted wax to coat them. Remove and stick sustainer to cup's bottom.
3. Pour in the wax, stopping 1/2 inch below the cup's rim. Allow wax to set, about 1 hour. The candle will harden with a well in the center. To even it out, use another skewer to prick a circle of holes about 1/16 inch deep around the wick. Pour in melted wax until surface is 1/4 inch below rim. Cut wick.
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Table Decorations: Cinnamon Candle
Look for 8-and 16-inch cinnamon sticks at floral-supply stores.
Tools and Materials
Pillar candle, at least 3-inches in diameter
Cinnamon sticks
Floral shears
Hot-glue gun
Dish or coaster
Cinnamon Candle How-To
1. Measure candle height; cut cinnamon sticks to size with floral shears. You'll need about 20 lengths per candle.
2. Run hot glue along cinnamon stick; affix it vertically to side of candle. (Use low-temperature setting to minimize melting.)
3. When first stick is dry, glue next stick snugly against it; repeat to cover candle.
4. Place finished candle on a dish or coaster.
Return to Table Decorations.
Homemade Bath Salts
Turn a plain old soak into a real retreat with bath salts you make yourself. Start with about 4 cups of sea salt or kosher salt. Mix in several drops of an aromatic bath oil (available at bath and beauty stores) and, if you wish, dried fragrant plants, such as lavender or eucalyptus. Pour into a jar for yourself or to give as a gift. Use a few spoonfuls of salts per bath; to keep herbs from floating, spoon the mixture into a spice sachet (available at gourmet grocery stores).
Candy-Shop Gifts
The sweets are nestled all snug in their jars; soon they'll be given to friends near and far. Before delivering these playful presents, you can set them out for all to see in a candy-counter-style display. Collect peanut-butter, jelly, and olive jars -- or buy inexpensive containers at a discount store -- and fill them with treats for loved ones. Soon visions of sugar will dance in their heads.
Select peppermint sticks, jelly beans, chocolate straws, jawbreakers, foil-wrapped chocolates, and other colorful candy. Layer them in a jar or arrange them to form patterns. Coat metal lids with red spray paint (working in a ventilated area); cover plastic tops with decorative paper. Finish packages with ribbon and gift tags.
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Natural Beauties
Spa-inspired presents, including these handmade lip balms, can be created from basic kitchen ingredients and craft materials.
Getting Started: Essential Oils
To scent homemade bath and beauty items, you'll need essential oils, available at health-food shops and online.
There are dozens of scents on the market, but we've listed some of our favorites. You might also come across fragrance oils.
Unlike essential oils, which are extracts of plants and fruits, fragrance oils may be made with synthetic compounds. That said, either type of oil is suitable for these projects. Use scents alone or in combinations: If mixing scents, add the oil with the less-intense scent first, followed by the stronger kind, one drop at a time.
Eucalyptus
Strong intensity. A powerful, clear aroma that pairs nicely with lemon. Use sparingly.
Geranium
Strong intensity. A sweet floral scent that mixes well with peppermint or lemon.
Grapefruit, Lemon, or Tangerine
Medium intensity. Citrus oils can be used individually, but because they're so lively and adaptable, they lend themselves naturally to combinations.
Peppermint
Strong intensity. Refreshing on its own but also a fine partner for many other oils. A little goes a long way.
Rosemary
Medium to strong intensity. Herbal, woodsy aroma. Especially good with lemon.
Star Anise
Medium intensity. Warm, almost wintry fragrance. Excellent with tangerine.
Carrier Oils
Two projects, the lip balm and the body scrub, call for a carrier oil. Chances are, you already have one of these oils in your kitchen. Their job is not to add scent but to create a smooth texture and also help distribute the essential oil.
Grapeseed Oil
Lightweight, easily absorbed, and virtually odorless.
Olive Oil
A natural moisturizer. Use the lightest grades so that the scent wont mask that of the essential oil.
Sunflower Oil
Odorless and inexpensive.
Vitamin E Oil
Has a soft, light body. It can be expensive, so use it in small quantities in combination with another carrier oil.
Projects
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Bath Fizzies
Ice-cube trays serve as molds, giving the fizzies their shape. Using a flexible silicone model lets you slide the cubes out smoothly without breaking them.
Show off the colors of the bath fizzies in glass jars with screw tops, the kind used for storing sugar and flour. Pack each type of fizzy in a separate jar so the scents won't meld. Write the name of the scent on a vellum tag (choose a shade that matches the fizzies), and punch a hole in the top. Thread the tag with ribbon, and tie it around the jar.
Citric acid, a common food additive, is available at wine-making-supply stores, some spice shops, and online. When citric acid is combined with baking soda and placed in water, a chemical reaction creates bubbles.
Makes 1 dozen (use 2 per bath)
Tools and Materials
1/2 cup citric acid
1 cup baking soda
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
About 6 drops food coloring
10 to 15 drops essential oil(s)
Special equipment: 2-ounce travel-size spray bottle, plastic pipette, silicone ice-cube tray, storage jars
Directions
1. Stir together citric acid, baking soda, and cornstarch in a glass measuring cup.
2. Pass mixture through a fine sieve or a flour sifter into a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar.
3. Fill spray bottle with water, and add food coloring. Spritz mixture lightly (it should become damp but not fizzy) until you can pack mixture with your hands.
4. Using pipette, add oil, 1 drop at a time, until strength of scent is to your liking. Using a metal spoon or your hands, mix ingredients until color is even throughout (mixture will begin to dry out; when this happens, spritz until packable again).
5. Spoon into ice-cube tray, pressing firmly. Let dry at room temperature overnight. Pop out of tray gently. Transfer to jars.
First Published: December 2008
