Doing the happy dance – weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Hopefully this time I’m back to stay. As I’m sure you have already gathered, things are a bit crazy here with our internet cables this week but I’m keeping everything crossed that our technical problems are all fixed this time.
How lucky am I to have such great blogland buddies!! Once again the lovely Kris from Tag Along Teddies has popped in to keep the Simply Christmas ball rolling and even stayed long enough to share one of her favourite Christmas recipes. Those sugar coated nuts look delicious and I have to admit that even though I am a nut lover, I don’t think I have ever had them sugar coated. Well, I love nuts and I love sugar, so this recipe is definitely going in my Christmas recipe file. Thanks Kris!!
The Simply Christmas timetable is all out of kilter this week, but I recon we can squeeze another tutorial in. Today’s tutorial is a recipe for Lip Balm and some creative options for packaging. Females of all ages (and some males) use Lip Balm and with this easy and inexpensive recipe you can be whipping up dozens of personalised lip balm sticks and pots to give as gifts this Christmas. They make great stocking stuffers, or packaged in their little wallets they are a lovely small stand alone gift for family, friends or even teachers.
I’m sure you will find lots of homemade lip balm recipes online but this is my tried and tested all natural basic recipe, which I add scent and colour to as needed. Not only do my teenage daughters enjoy making and using these lip balms, their friends love them too!! There are only a few ingredients, which you’ll be able to get at your local health food store, craft store or online. I buy mine here and pay about 16 cents for the plastic pipettes and between 35 – 40 cents each for lip balm tubes and pots.
Tools and materials
· 2 tablespoons beeswax pellets or shavings, (see note), 4 tablespoons carrier oil – I use Sweet Almond Oil, several drops of essential oil, lipstick shavings if you want a coloured balm.
· Heatproof glass jar, metal spoon, small saucepan, plastic pipette, plastic lip balm tubes or pots.
Note: I use a chunk of natural beeswax rather than pellets and shave off what I need with a potato peeler.
This recipe will fill approximately 8 lip balm containers or pots.
Directions
1. Put beeswax and carrier oil (I use Sweet Almond Oil) in jar and close lid. Heat the jar in a saucepan of water over medium/low heat until wax has melted. Remove jar from saucepan with a protective oven mitt or glove. Children will need supervision for this step.
2. Stir the melted mixture with a metal spoon. Add essential oil one drop at a time until you have achieved the desired scent. Our favourite at the moment is Lime essential oil and I add about 3 – 4 drops.
3. If you want a coloured lip balm, add lipstick shavings one at a time, stirring in between each addition.
4. Using the plastic pipette, transfer lip balm to containers. Allow to set for one hour.
The options for packaging are endless. I like to cover my tubes with a piece of pretty paper (4.5 cm x 5.2 cm) and put them in these little cardboard folders. The downloadable instructions for making these folders and the lip balm recipe can be found here.
For those of you clever enough to crochet, check out Carina’s tutorial for these gorgeous little crochet lip balm holders at Carina’s Craft Blog. Thank you Carina for letting me share this link with my ‘Simply Christmas’ participants.
I hope you have fun trying out this recipe for all the little and not so little girls on your gift list.
SO, now on to Friday’s GIVEAWAY.
The winner of the hand painted Christmas Planner is Selina from Selina’s Vintage. Congratulations Selina – I’ll be getting your giftie off to you ASAP so you can start planning for the festive season.
Don’t forget, you are welcome to print off my Christmas Planner list pages here.
I’ll be back on Monday with a new GIVEAWAY and from next week, there will be several giveaways of beautiful handmade goodies drawn each week until Christmas.
Happy crafting,
Kerryanne