Cinnamon Sugar Bath Fizzies

These sugar bath fizzies really scream the Christmas holiday season. If you are looking for something to give as gifts but are low on cash, why create these Cinnamon Sugar Bath Fizzies.

Anne-Marie (aka The Soap Queen) kindly posted the recipe on her blog Soap and the Finer Things in Life. If you need something to package these bath fizzy bombs, you can get some festive holiday cellophane bags which you can purchase at Michaels. If you want to take it a step further you can purchase some colorful take out food containers which can also purchase at Michaels.

Happy Holidays!

How to Make Decorative Christmas Soaps

How to Make Decorative Christmas Soaps by Dale Devries, eHow Contributor is an unique way of making your own holiday soaps to give to your friends and family. You can make these soaps and decorate the tree. When the day arrives you can get them out to your guests. These soaps are so beautiful that they can be used for decorating the guest bathroom and kitchens. They are so unique that your guests will not realize that they are soaps that can be used. But they just might not use them and put them out each Christmas holiday season.

Peppermint Ice Melt and Pour Soap

A wintery wake up for your shower that's cool to look at and cool to wash with, this melt and pour soap making project uses clear soap base with blue and pearlescent colorants to make a nifty icy bar of soap. David Fisher's (of About.com) Peppermint Ice Melt and Pour Soap recipe fills my head with imagines of a winterland. Hope it does for you when you create this melt and pour soap projects for your friends and family.

Holiday Woodlands Soap

If you are a cold process soap maker and are looking for a different soap recipe to make this holiday season, check out ths Holiday Woodlands Soap recipe is from Skincare Naturals . The reason why the scenting is called Angel Wings is because the author describes the scent as delicate, light and pretty scent, just right for Christmas. She says that the batch comes out more beige than white. She suggested trying using some vegetable lard but I think that using titanium dioxide or zinc oxide may be a better suggestion. Does anyone out there have any other suggestions?

BreakAway Soy Tarts Recipe

I have heard of Wax Melts or Tarts, but I have learned a new term for these particular candle items and that is "wickless candles". The great thing about Wax Melts/Tarts/Wickless Candles according to Alison Kontur of BathbodySupply.com that can be safer than traditional candles that require lighting a wick to melt the wax and they release the scent. Wax tarts are placed into a special wax tart burner which relies on electricity to melt and disperse fragrance throughout the room without a flame.

It is easy and inexpensive to make your own soy wax tarts to scent your home or to give as gifts to friends and family. If you would like to learn how to make this delightful item, you can check out the recipe/instructions on how to make Breakway Soy Tarts which appears on Alison's blog DIY Skincare. Now remember, Alison has mentioned a particular color and scent in this recipe. Just remember you can subsitute the actual fragrance and color to match your liking, but

you may have to make adjustments on how much you use. There are some fragrance oils or essentials oils that are stronger or weaker than others so keep notes so that you will know the next time what you need to do.

Tree-Shaped Candles from Martha Stewart

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it is time to bring out the Christmas decorations. Now that you have them out, you are thinking that I would like to add something different? Why, not try this Tree-Shaped Candles project from Martha Stewart? This winter wonderland candle project would be the perfect candlescape to add to your Christmas festivities. What is really great about this it can be left out all winter long. To me it does not look too Christmasy that someone who does not celebrate the holiday can decorate their buffet table with this beautiful landscape.

Soothing Salve Recipe

What is a salve? According to Alison Kontur of Bath Body Supply says s salve is an oily, adhesive substance for application as a skin barrier. Salves are her preferred topical treatment when the weather gets cold and skin has a tendency to be drier and more receptive to oil-based products. Now I wonder what the difference between a salve and a body balm is? Does anyone out there know? At any rate if you would like to make Alison's Soothing Salve recipe check out her blog DIY Skincare.

Soapy Candy Canes

Candy Canes are one symbol of the Christmas season. How would you like to create these in a soap version? Anne-Marie (aka The Soap Queen) has posted instructions on her blog Soap and the Finer Things on how to create these Soapy Candy Canes.

Do you know what I am thinking? These would make adorable addition to your gift wrap as toppers for those presents under the tree. Or how about putting these in the minature stockings and give them out at the holidays. The ideas are limitless. Have I sparked your creativity? You better get started because the holidays are just around the corner.

Sole Scrub Recipe

Winter will be here sooner than you think! Your feet will be wearing boots or something elso to protect them. So when spring arrives you will want your feet to look fantastic, so you need to exfoliate them until sandle weather arrives. The best thing to exfoliate your feet is with this Sole Scrub Recipe from
Do It Yourself Skincare.

This recipe contains the following great ingredients Refined Shea Butter, Fractionated Coconut Oil, and Pumice Powder, Deindritic Salt to make your feet feel great. Alison recommends as an option to add a preservative if you wish. Adding the preservative is up to you.

Cold Process Soap Article

I just got back from a visit to Barnes and Noble. I had an interesting visit. During this visit I happened to browse the magazine aisles to find a magazine called Handmade Living. It is from the same publisher as Making Sense (which is no longer being published).

In the November 2011 issue of Handmade Living had an article on making cold process soap by Emma Heathcoat James. I have taken cold process soap making class previously but have not made my own batches as of yet, I was interested in reading the article. What I found interesting and want to through out there to the experienced cold process soapmaker two points maybe you can clear up for me. The first one is adding the essential oils last and stirring in only enough to disperse into the recipe because if you stir too long can result into a discolored bar of soap or an uneven texture in the finished bar of soap. And the second is covering the mold and insulating it with a towel or blanket for 18 to 24 hours. The author says that this is a myth. That if you have the correct ratios you should not have to cover your soap batches. The soap will continue to saponify and generate heat whether you insulate or not. The author says that she does not cover hers.

So I am going to through these two issues out there for all of those experienced cold process soapmakers out there to shed some light on this. IF you can clear this up for me that would be great.

Candy Cane Sugar Scrub Recipe

This recipe for Candy Cane Sugar Scrub is the most popular Natural Beauty Workshop recipe ever! And it would be perfect for the holiday season. This scrub yields about 4 ounces of scrub. So make as many presents you severalgifts.

For this recipe you will need to purchase the following ingredients Shealoe Butter, Red Jojoba Wax Beads and White or Pale Yellow Beeswax (which can be purchased through From Nature with Love ), Peppermint Essential Oil** or Fragrance Oil and grainulated white sugar.

If you find it difficult to make this as a dual colored project, you can keep it simple and make it in one color. Instead of mixing two separate bowls, you would simply mix all of your ingredients in one bowl and spoon into a clear jar. Since this makes 4 ounces you can make a single color or you can strip it just like the instructions states.

If you would like to add a preservative it added to this recipe at your own discretion. For information on preservatives. If you want to add a preservativem make sure to check out their informational library. Without a preservative, this product should be used up as soon as possible, ideally within 3 weeks. If it not preserved, or if it is preserved with a natural agent, please handle this product with care. Keep the jar closed and in a cool, dry area. Do not bring the jar into the shower or bath. The author suggests using a clean spoon or popsicle stick to scoop single portions into a paper or plastic cup.

Soap Queen TV Holiday Special Edition: Gingerbread Man Soap

Do you love the smell of gingerbread cookies baking? This is the time of the year when this lovely smell is rampant throughout the house. How would you like to duplicate your favorite scent into a soap? Here is a special holiday edition from Soap Queen TV. Learn how to make your very own Gingerbread Man Soap. Mmm! It is really making me hungry! I love the aroma of gingerbread man cookies baking in the oven at this time of the year!

In order to make these adorable soap, you will need to purchase supplies. Brambleberry sells kits with all of the supplies you need or you can purchase the supplies individually. The supplies you need are: Gingerbread Man Soap Mold, Clear Melt & Pour soap base, White Melt & Pour soap base, Merlot Mica, Cappuccino Mica and Gingersnap fragrance.

To see how to make these adorable soaps, check out this video clip on how to do it. Making these soaps are fun and would make fantastic gifts!




Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/soapqueentv#p/u/1/KLr_3CLqir8

Shea Shine Lip Butter Recipe

Looking for an unique way to soften your lips from the harsh winter season? Why not try making this Shea Shine Lip Butter recipe from The Bare Budget Beauty. This simple recipe combines beeswax, extra virgin olive oil, castor oil and shea butter that takes hardly anytime at all to make - 15 mins. I think anyone can spare 15 to make this recipe. Once completed, recipe makes 1 1/4 ounces of lip butter which is enought to fill about 5 1/4 ounce lip balm tubes or jars and has a shelf life of 6 months.

Baby Soap: Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar

What is bastille? According to Amanda of Lovin' Soap says that Bastille is a term affectionately coined by soapers for soap that is made with a high percentage of olive oil. Castille is 100% olive oil soap and bastille is soap made with 70% (or more) olive oil but contains other oils or butters.

Amanda also says that Castille on its own is not very bubbly but if you add a bit of coconut oil and buttermilk you can boost the bubbles a bit but keep the mildness of the high olive oil content. Buttermilk contains sugar which helps boost the bubbles as well.

If you would like to learning how to make Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar, check out her guest blog post on Soap and the Finer Things in Life.

How to Make Beeswax Votives

How to Make Beeswax Votives by Cathy Herold, eHow Contributor instructions you how to make votive candles from Beeswax sheets. According to Cathy Beeswax votives made from 100 percent pure beeswax produce negative ions that clean the air of toxins, such as bacteria, dust, mold and other pollutants. Burning beeswax votives not only cleans the air, but also gives off a soft glow and a sweet honey smell. Besides being an attractive and calming addition to any home or office, handmade beeswax votives also make nice personal gifts. Making beeswax votives is fairly easy and quick.

Butter Blend Ingredients

I was surfing the Wholesale Supplies Plus website for some info on a particular ingredient. And I came across some interesting butter blends that I wanted to share. I am really interested in the blueberry and cranberry and was thinking of getting some to try in Erin's lip scrub recipe from her class. Maybe I was subsitute the mango butter for one of these. The cranberry would be interesting because I am thinking that it is already has red tint to it that one would not have to add any additional coloring. So if you were thinking of changing out a particular butter for another, you may want to check out one of these:

Crafters Choice™ Acai Butter Blend
Proprietary blend of Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil and Acai Fruit which has 20 times the amount of anti-oxidants found in red wine. This product allows you to add nutrient and anti-oxidant rich attributes to your formulations! Popular Products That Use This Ingredient:Cold & Hot Process Soap. Lotions. Lip Products.

Crafters Choice™ Pomegranate Butter Blend
Proprietary blend of Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil and Pomegranate Fruit which consumers recognize as a "super fruit". Super fruits are thought to combine exceptional nutrient richness and antioxidant qualities. Common Uses: Cold & Hot Process Soap. Lotions. Lip Products.

Crafters Choice™ Blueberry Butter Blend
Proprietray blend of Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil and Blueberry Fruit which is rich in anthocyanins, thought to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Popular Products That Use This Ingredient: Cold & Hot Process Soap. Lotions. Lip Products

Crafters Choice™ Cranberry Butter Blend
Contains a proprietary blend of Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil and Cranberry Fruit which has one of the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity)...this means it is VERY high in anti-oxidant properties!! Popular Products That Use This Ingredient: Cold & Hot Process Soap. Lotions. Lip Products.

Crafters Choice™ Hemp Seed Butter Blend
Contains Hemp Seed Oil, thought to have the highest amount of polyunsaturated fatty acid contents of all natural oils. Considered a one of the "driest" natural oils as it absorbs quickly into the skin. Provides excellent lubricity without being greasy. Popular Products That Use This Ingredient: Cold & Hot Process Soap. Lotions. Lip Products.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

Heidi, the author of the site, Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom posted this recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub. She originally found the recipe on the Bath and Body Recipes website but included her own notes on what she did. Her personal notes may make it easier to create this recipe on your own. If you or know someone who is sensitive to gluten and suffer from celiac disease, you may want to check out the rest of Heidi's site because you may find some recipes, menu plans and other information to help you with this.

Holiday Soap Cubes

Do you know that Brambleberry has a new cube mold for sale? Well, Anne Marie has been using this new mold to make cold process soap for the holiday season and has posted a recipe for Hoiday Soap Cubes on her blog Soap and The Finer Things in Life.

This recipe is for the intermediate soap maker and should take 45 minutes plus curing time to create this project. This recipe allows you to make 36 cubes. If you want to make this recipe for gifts, you will need to start now in order to allow curing time.

Marble Painting on Candles

The final marble technique Erica from Bath Alchemy discusses on her blog is painting. She says it is the easiest of all the methods and great for those who do not have blow torches lying around the house and prefer not to hammer their candles. In this final method, a different marbling effect is achieved using glass paints, which can be found at a craft store. If you would like to learn more about Marble Painting on Candles, I would suggest reading Erica's tutorial. This candle craft would be an unique accent to any decor, so get the materials and get started maaking these. Would make great gifts for any holiday.

Debbie's "Best Ever" Peppermint Scrub

Debbie's "Best Ever" Peppermint scrub recipe has been used by Debbie May from Wholesale Supplies Plus for over 3 years. It has been a proven best seller for private label customers and now she has made it available to YOU! Feel free to change the fragrance and color to your liking if you wish. For those that cater to the ice cream novelty industry, it makes the perfect scoop-able "ice cream style" scrub! FYI the base is premade, so if you are looking for all natural recipe you will have to look elsewhere. If you have not made a foaming bath whip before, then I would recommend purchasing the premade base.

Raspberry Lemonade with Wood Wick

Recently my local Michaels store started to sell the wood wicks in the candle making section of the store. I have heard of wood wicks but never tried them. I am really interested in trying them in this container candle project from Wholesale Supplies Plus. This Raspberry Lemonade with Wood Wick Project is perfect for the beginning candlemaker. The estimated time to make this project is under 6 hours and if you follow the directions, you should get 10 tins of candles.

MP Soap Project: Pumpkin Pie Squares

Do not leave these out or they will get gobbled up. They do look good enough to eat, don't they? The fragrance of these soaps are supposed to be irresistable. Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, you can give thanks to your family by making these Pumpkin Pie Squares M&P Soaps. This project will not take you very long - only about an hour and should produce 6 to 6.5 bars.

Sugar Scrub Cubes Recipes

In September 2010, I took the brand new sugar scrubs class at The Nova Studio in Point Richmond, CA. I really liked Erin's recipe but I was just wondering if there was any other recipes availble. Naomi Heck of Susquehanna Soaps has generously donated this single use sugar scrub cube recipe to the Wholesale Supplies Plus Library.

I really like her packaging, but I found some ingredients that were different from Erin's. I thought it was interesting that she had clay, e-wax, and phenonip (preservative). I am not sure why e-wax would be added to this recipe because I do not see anything in this recipe that needs emulisifying like you would in a lotion or cream recipe. But I did look over Erin's recipes and I found that e-wax and preservative was used in her whipped sugar scrub recipe. Not sure what the clay is for but if it was a colored clay, which the recipe does not indicate, to add color to the product but maybe. But in Naomi's recipe she is using a yellow liquid lake colorant. So I am wondering what the benefit of the clay is. But it seems to be an interesting ingredient I must say. Also I am not really sure why the preservative is added but just for the mirror fact to have the product last longer on the shelf.

Even though this is different from Erin's recipe, it is an interesting recipe that I may have to try. I think I will try cutting the recipe in half since it makes so much easier.

Bath Tub Fairy Dust

Love bath salts in your bath? Why not try this receipe for Bath Tub Fairy Dust from The Natural Beauty Workshop? Now I am not sure what makes this bath salt receipe into fairy dust, but there are 4 different recipes including White, Green, Blue and Pink. So you can create whatever fits your mood. But what is really great is that The Natural Beauty Workshop conveniently has a special button to printo out the recipes. So go ahead and get started on making batches because this would be a great gift for the holidays or any special occassion.

How to Make a Homemade Milk Bath

The first time I heard of a milk bath is when I took a class from Lori Nova from The Nova Studio in 2003. Her recipe is wonderful, but I was wondering how milk bath recipes would vary from creator to creator. There are many different milk bath recipes on the internet and they all have the same basic ingredient of powdered milk. In the tutorial, How to Make a Homemade Milk Bath by eHow Contributor, Fahlen Brown, uses alot of natural ingredrients like atmeal, dried orris root, cornstarch and almond meal.

If you are new to a milk bath, according to Fahlen, a milk bath is a relaxing way to unwind and pamper your skin at the same time. While there are products you can use to create a milk bath, some prefer a milk bath with natural ingredients that can be made at home. This way, you can avoid any artificial ingredients and synthetic perfumes. Making your own milk bath is also less expensive than buying store-bought products.

If you have made milk baths in the past, I would like to have your input on whether or not to add a fragrance or essential oil. What is your preference fragrance or no fragrance? I often wondered would a fragrance oil make the powered milk go bad? I never tried it before so I was just wondering what the opinion was out there.

Burn Time of Candle Wax

There have been questions on how long particular candles burn once you make them. In my search I found some information that may help you with that question.

According to Cape Candle, Beeswax Honeycomb Candles are hand rolled and are the tightest rolled, longest burning in the industry. For pillars candles burn approximately 3 hours per inch.; tapers burn approximately burn 40 minutes per inch; beeswax solid tapers burn approximately 1 hour per inch.

As for soy candles, Joy Candles says that soy candle burn times by group. As a general rule soy candles burn about 8 -9 hours per ounce of wax. All burn times are approximate, they are affected by several factors, including drafts improper wick height, etc. For example, a 2 ounce votive candle will burn approximately 16-18 hours. I would say your times may vary. Soy will burn up to 30% to 50% of compariable paraffin wax candles.

If you would like more information on the burn rate of candles, here are some links that contain information that may help you:

Soya - Burn time of Soy Wax
Aloha Bay - Soy and Beeswax FAQ's

If you would like to learn how to figure out what the burn time of your candle then I recommend reading the following article, Calculate The Estimated Burn Time for a Candle
on Candle Tech's website.

If anyone out there has another site with good information, please let me know so that I can add it to the list.

How to Make Beeswax Votive Candles

According to Karen Curinga, eHow Contributor, thorough out history beeswax has been used as an ingredient in just about everything, from broth to skin softener, according to Pioneer Thinking. Today, beeswax is used in furniture polish and some automobile polishes, but one of the most beautiful and enjoyable ways to use beeswax is in candles. Beeswax candles are an all natural source of energy thanks to our bee friends. Candles add a touch of romance, elegance and warmth to any gathering. They also make a fantastic gift idea.

If you want to make a votive candle with beeswax instead of soy, then you should try Karen's tutorial on How to Make Beesewax Votive Candles on Ehow.com.

Beeswax Lanterns Project

Do you have leftover beeswax pastilles and looking for something unique to make with it? Why, not create these beautiful beeswax lanterns? These lanterns can make a unique flameless tealight candle or indoor/outdoor decoration. You can decorate the exterior with leaves, herbs like star anise or they can be painted with mica or other pigments to create holiday-specific designs.

Interested in learning how? Check out this Beeswax Lanterns Project from Allison B. Kontur of BathbodySupply and kindly shares her project on her blog - DIY Skincare. If you did not know that there are two kinds of beeswax pastilles - Natural and White/Unrefined. You will need the white/unrefined verision to make this project. The difference between the two is that the Natural will have the golden yellow hue to it while the white will have it taken out.

This project looks really easy and fun to make. I will have to go to the party store to get some balloons so I can get started.

What should I know about candle safety?

Did you receive a candle as a gift lately and do not know the safety guidelines you should follow? Or are you a seasoned candle burner and would like a review of practicing safety when burning candles? Safety is an important issue when burning candles. A little ounce of prevention as they say. So if you would like to learn or review candle safety I would recommend reading the article titled What should I know about candle safety? by Alison Kontur of BathBodySupply.com. Alison has kindly posted this article on her blog called DIY Skincare which she continually posts informative articles on bath and body products.

SoapyLove Sweet Soap Class

When I took my first melt and pour soapmaking class in 2002, I did not know the potential of how far I could take this soapmaking process in creating soaps. I found a variety of books on the subject and then I heard of Debbie Chialtas of Soapy Love fame who is best known for her glycerin soap pops. When her book "Soapylove: Squeaky-Clean Projects Using Melt-and-Pour Soap" came out in September 2009, I knew I had to have it. By this time, she started teaching classes at The Nova Studio I knew I wanted to take a class, but something seemed to happen that I was unable to take the class. But in August 2011, I was luckily enough and excited to take Debbie's Sweet Saturday Soap class. What prompted me to take this class was the different projects such as S'mores, Marshmallow, Sprinkles and Cupcake soaps which were not included in her book.

What was really great about this class was the fact that we learned to make all of the soap projects from clear glycerin soap base. This was a surprise to me that not one ounce of white opaque soap was used. Debbie showed us how to use the appropriate type of colorant to turn clear glycerin soap base into opaque soap. It is so amazing on how we created soap that looks like delicious desserts. Even when I showed friends and family the S'mores soap they could not believe how cute they were.

In 3 of the projects (Cupcake, S'mores and Marshmallows) we learned how to take clear glycerin soap and make it to three different consistencies to make frosting, melted marshmallows and regular marshmallows. The concept for this is very simple, but it can get tricky. You think that the consistency is not quite there, and then you find yourself going just alittle to far. But no fear! The beauty of this is that you can pop it back into the microwave and start over again. The fourth project, is learning how to make sprinkles. These are perfect to put atop of your cupcake soap or even on a muffin bath bomb. If one finds these to be too difficult to make, you can purchase jojoba beads in a variety of color and put them on your cupcake soap instead. I saw this option being done by my partner.

In this class brand new class, there were only 8 students in the class which made the seating arrangements really comfortable. Luckily there was an even number in the class because we worked in pairs on each project, which means that we got hands on practice but also had the added comfort with working with someone.

I would highly recommend this class. It was fun and educational. I was sorry to miss the Spooky Halloween Sunday Class. But I was luckily enough to purchase the e-class handout directly from The Nova Studio website. It was well worth it and I am looking forward to creating the exploding soap project. Always check The Nova Studio website for new class offerings from Debbie and other teachers.

Cranberry Lip Scrub and Body Butter

Love lip scrubs? Want to an easy way to create your own? This Cranberry Lip Scrub and Body Butter recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus is a really easy one since you will be purchasing a pre-made base directly from WSP. If you are concerned with the ingredients in the pre-made base and have your own recipe because you may want to consider adapting it to this one.

If you decide to follow WSP's recipe, it will take about a 1/2 hour to complete the project and you should be able to make 10 lip tubes and 5 jars of butter.

Note: This recipe is made with a pre-made base. If you have a recipe for a lip scrub, you may want to adjust it to accomodate some of the ingredients.

Recipe: Christmas Ale Botanical Salt

If you want to give a special holiday give this Christmas holiday season you may want to make this Christmas Ale Botanical Salt recipe from DIY Skincare.  You ca really get creative packaging this bath salt.  The author suggests packing the salt in a cello bag and tie off with a holiday themed ribbon.  Then you can place the cello bag inside an empty beer mug or stein and label it with a holiday tag.

Pumplin Pie Wax Tarts

Now that Halloween is over for this year, Thanksgiving will be coming up fast. If you are not a baker, how would like like to make your house smell like a freshly baked pumpkin pie? Then check out this project from Wholesales Supplies Plus on how to make Wax Melts: Pumpkin Pie Tarts.

Estimated tme to complete this recipe is 2 Hours and yields: 18 - 2.5" tarts in 2 batches. In order to make this fragrant wax tarts you will need to purchase the following ingredients (available through Wholesale Supplies Plus):

• 2 Pound(s) Eco Soya Pillar Blend Wax , 2 Ounce(s) Crafter's Choice Brown Liquid Candle Color, 2 Ounce(s) Crafter's Choice Tangerine Liquid Candle Color, 4 Ounce(s) Crafter's Choice Perfect Pumpkin Fragrance Oil. 2 Ounce(s) Crafter's Choice Vanilla Buttercream Fragrance Oil, 9 Crafter's Choice 2.5" Metal Tart Molds, 9 Crafter's Choice Crystal Cello Bags 2.5"x2"x6", 2 Plastic Beakers and 9 Crafter's Choice Tart/Melt Warning Labels.

The equipment you will need to complete this project are a Candy Thermometer, Cookie Sheet, Pan of Water (to make double boiler), Spoon, Stove Top, Wax Melting Pot .

These would make a great gift, but I would suggest that you package them with a wax melter in order for this receiptant to enjoy them.