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| | LUXURIOUS BATH SALTS | - 5 lbs sea sale
- 1 oz. vegetable glycerin
- 1/2 oz fragrance oil
- food coloring (optional)
Combine glycerin with scent & color. Pour sea salt in a jar and add the glycerin mixture. Turn jar to mix. Fill containers--decorative or apothecary jars and scoop out with a seashell. | 
| | MOISTURIZING SOAP BARS | - 1 lb glycerin soap or castile soap
- 1/8 to 1/4 oz fragrance oil
- 1c boiling water + up to 1/2c botanicals such as powdered herbs or flower petals, oat, corn or almond meal, clay powders.
OR 1/4 to 1/2c herbal infusion ("tea")Melt cut-up chunks of glycerin and/or castile soap in a double boiler or in a microwave at 50% power, with water or herbal infusion--honey can be used as part of the liquid. If using botanicals, stir them in slowly, when soap has melted, in one direction (to avoid air bubbles) with a non-metallic spoon. Let cool slightly--but still pourable--add scent and optional color chip and stir slowly as above. Pour into molds or a box lined with Saran Wrap. To add to the translucency, add 1/8 to 1/4 oz of vegetable glycerin before pouring. OR Let cool 'til thick and use hands to make soap balls.
Let harden, cut into bars and bevel edges and rough spots with paring knife. The soap should be hardened and ready to wrap after setting at room temperature for about 15 minutes, in the freezer for another 15 minutes, and at room temperature again for about 30 minutes.
| | CANDLE MAKING TIPS | | Rolled Beeswax Candles -- Cut wick 3/4" longer than candle, center wick on edge of beeswax sheet, fold & press to secure wick & roll evenly. Cut sheet, for shorter candles or cut diagonally for cone-shaped candles. Poured Candles -- Make a small hole in the bottom of a juice can or milk carton, pull wick through, seal bottom with tape or clay, fasten other end of wick around pencil and rest pencil on top of mold to straighten and center the wick. Pour in melted wax, let harden a few minutes and fill center depression with more wax. Mold can be put in cold water to harden faster. Peel off cardboard mold for finished candle. Use a silicone mold release before pouring candles, to remove them easily when using metal and non-flexible molds. Aromatherapy Candles -- Use essential oils to scent wax. Gurjun Balsam is a good additive to fix the scent and add warmth. Scented Candles--1/4 to 1/2 ounce of fragrance oil scents 2lbs wax. Mix in scents when slightly cooled | | | FRUIT POMANDERS | - Your choice of fresh fruit: Orange, Apple, Lime, Kumquat, Quince
- Whole cloves
- Powdered or cut herbs, spices, flowers: Cinnamon, Lavender, Peppermint, Rose, Sarsaparilla Root, Sassafrass, Spearmint
- Powdered fixatives: Frankincense, Gum Benzoin, Orris, Sandalwood
Stud the fruit with whole cloves--use a nail to pierce the skins of citrus fruit then insert the cloves.
Choose any combination of powders and mix well. Roll the pomanders in the powder mixture, sprinkle the tops with some of the powder, then store in a covered container in a dry location for two to four weeks. Dust the powder off the pomanders. Display in bowls or baskets alternating with colorful fruit OR to hang... Tie a long ribbon (about a yard long) around it, knotting at the top of the fruit. Fasten or tie the two loose ends together to make a hanging loop. Wrap another ribbon around the other two sides, making four equal sections and tie a bow through the bottom of the hanging loop. KISSING BALLS: Use a shorter version of the above ribbon, and tie a sprig of fresh mistletoe* into the bottom bow. *Mistletoe is poisonous, so if there are small children around, use artificial mistletoe. | | . | | | CINNAMON ORNAMENTS - 1 lb Cinnamon Powder
- 1/2 c Orris Root Powder (optional)
- 2 c Applesauce, warmed
Mix ingredients and roll out, between 1/4" and 1/2" thick. This doesn't stick like dough. Use cookie cutters, cut-out patterns or cut your own shapes in the cinnamon dough with a butter knife. Use a straw to make a hole for hanging in the top of each one. Dry overnight in a dehydrator or up to a week, air-dried. Decorate with acrylic and 3D paint, thread a ribbon or gold cord through hole and hang on tree or make garlands. These will scent at least one whole room and will last for years if stored in a dry place. They will crumble if moist. SCENTED BEESWAX ORNAMENTS - 1 lb Beeswax
- 1/2 oz Fragrance Oil
- narrow ribbon, thread, string or gold cord for hanging
- molds (can use candy molds or beeswax molds, available at crafts stores or our small seashell soap molds)
Melt beeswax in a double boiler or in the microwave, on low heat. Spray molds with vegetable oil, cut the ribbon or cord, make a loop and dip ends in wax. Stir scent into melted wax and pour into molds. A small funnel helps. Add the waxed ribbon to the top of each mold. Let them set at room temperature. When hardened enough to pull away from the sides of the molds, they can be removed and decorated with sprigs, spices, lace or beads. Store in a cool place. | | FLOWER DRYING | | Many flowers can be air-dried by hanging them upside-down. Roses and peonies dry well this way. Make sure the flowers are not fully opened when you dry them--by any method. Silica gel is great because it helps preserve the shape and color of many flowers such as daffodils, narcissus and zinnias. Using a microwave with silica gel is quicker on thicker-petalled flowers and foliage, but use low heat and remove to finish the drying process (not good for preserving color in zinnias). A flower press works well for delicate flowers such as pansies and forget-me-nots. |
| | POTPOURRI | The four basic elements for potpourri are - Aroma
- Fixative
- Color
- Shape & Texture
Botanicals can be used for all four, or fragrance oils can be used for aroma and/or a fixative. Using the oils will usually produce a stronger scent and adding them can revitalize older potpourris. When adding liquid scent to potpourri, mix it separately with either the fixatives- orris root, oak moss, vetiver, cellulose, orange or lemon peel, etc. or drop it on other absorbent, sturdy pieces such as cones, pods, allspice, cloves or cinnamon chips, and then combine with the more delicate botanicals. If you have the time, "age" the potpourri in a tightly sealed container for two weeks or longer to allow the scents to combine, turning or mixing it occasionally. | | RED WINDS POTPOURRI | 2 c Peony Flowers
1 c Rose buds and Petals, Red
1 c Larkspur Flowers
1 c Jasmine Flower Petals
1 c Curly Pods, Gold
1/2 c Kesu Flowers, Burgundy
1/2 c Bora Flowers, Cranberry
1/2 c Palbosa (Cupid Pods) Cranberry 1/2 c Sandalwood chips, yellow (fixative)
1/8 oz Ylang Ylang fragrance oil or 10 to 20 drops of Ylang Ylang fragrance oil Mix the fragrance with Sandalwood chips, and let it blend overnight, covered. Combine the dry ingredients, and add the Sandalwood/Ylang Ylang mixture. | | PINE CONE POTPOURRI | 8 lbs (approximately) Pine Cones (any type of cones or pods)
3/4 oz Bayberry Fragrance Oil
1/4 oz Cinnamon Fragrance Oil
1/4 oz Clove Fragrance Oil
1/4 oz Orange Fragrance Oil
1/8 oz Bay Fragrance Oil Use a 30 gallon trash bag 3/4 full with cones. Sprinkle the oils over the cones, mixing them so that the oils are distributed evenly. Fasten shut near the top of the bag, leaving room to jiggle and mix the cones around occasionally, for a few days 'til the scents are blended. Display in decorative baskets or bowls along with, for color and variety, long cinnamon sticks, tangerines or pomegrantes, cedar chips, tips, or your own cut evergreen tips. Or keep by the fireplace and toss in for a quick burst of scent. | | PUMPKIN SPICE POTPOURRI | 3 c Windmill Pods, Orange
2 c Kesu Flowers, Natural
2 c Chili Peppers(dried)
2 c Spina Crisit
1 c Tilia Flowers
1 c Curly Pods, natural
1 c Lotus Pods, mini
1 c Acorns & "hats" (optional)
1 c Corn Husks, torn into narrow strips, 1 to 3" long (optional)
1 c light-colored seeds (pumpkin seeds, pistachio shells)
1/2 c Mace, whole
6 whole Nutmegs, cut in half 1/4 c Ginger Root Slices or Pieces
12 Tonka Beans, 6 cut in half
1/2 Vanilla Bean or 10 drops of Vanilla Fragrance Oil or French Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil. 10 to 20 3" or 6" Cinnamon Sticks
10 to 15 Chinese Lanterns (sometimes called Japanese Lanterns)
Slit Vanilla Bean piece and scrape out the tiny seeds. Combine with Tonka Beans and Ginger Root slices in non-metallic container. Add the oils and mix well, cover and set aside or overnight to blend the scents. Add first potpourri ingredient to a large non-metallic container, add fixative/scent mixture and mix well. Add each ingredient, mixing with hands after each one, to distribute the scent. Top with Cinnamon Sticks and Lanterns. Keep covered when not "in use". | | PEACH POTPOURRI | 2 c Bay Leaves
2 c Blue Larkspur (Calcatrippae) Flowers
1-1/2 c Mace
1 c Uva Ursi Leaves
1 c Windmill Pods, Orange
1 c Kesu Flowers, Natural
1/2 c Ginger Root Pieces or Slices 1 c Oak Moss
1/2 c Deer's Tongue Leaf
3/4 oz Peach Fragrance Oil 8 Cinnamon Sticks, 6"
6 Preserved Magnolia Leaves
1 Peach, sliced and dried (cut a peach in half, remove pit, slice thinly, then air dry or use a dehydrator) Combine Moss, Deer's Tongue Leaf and add Peach Fragrance. Cover and set aside for several hours to absorb the oil.
Combine first 7 ingredients and add the fixative/fragrance mixture, mix well and age for a week or two.
Display suggestion: Pour into a large clear glass bowl and arrange the Cinnamon Sticks, Magnolia Leaves and dried Peach slices on top. To preserve the scent, cover with Saran wrap when not using. | | MORNING DEW SACHET | 1 c Jasmine Flower Petals
1/3 c Coriander Seed, ground (can use mortar and pestle)
2/3 c Peppermint Leaves, crushed 2 T Vetiver Root
2 T Calamus Root
2 T Oakmoss, cut
1 T Benzoin Gum Powder
10 to 20 drops of Orange Fragrance Oil ( Sweet Orange, Grapefruit, Tangerine, Mandarin, Lemon may be used. Combine and let the fixative and oil mixture blend overnight. Combine with the first three ingredients and fill sachet bags.
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Catalytic Essential Oil Lamp Fuel 12 ounces rubbing alcohol Footnote on type of alcohol: 91% isopropyl-alcohol/rubbing alcohol Do not use "ethyl" or any other type of alcohol. 91% works too. 99% burns hotter. The 70% isopropyl alcohol contains way too much water in the solution and will not burn. You can find the 91% strength at grocery stores, drugstores etc on the same shelf next to the 70% solution. 1/2 teaspoon fragrance scented oil ( I prefer scented over essential because of cost factor) Use the best undiluted quality oil as you can. Open the bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol. Add the scented fragrance oil. Screw the cap back on. Shake to mix, there's nothing more to do. Don't use over a teaspoon because it will clog your wicks. Sometimes there's a need for 15-20 drops of an oil because it's thicker, sometimes less. You will have to gauge this by experience. Get the 99% ISOPOPYL-ALCOHOL at grocery stores, drug stores etc. even though 91% works too. 99% burns hotter. When changing scents REMEMBER to clean your wicks by soaking them in a jar with 91 or 99% alcohol with lid where it doesn't evaporate at least 24 hours and then let air dry. This should clean your wicks. You will notice your alcohol will be yellow when dirty. That's a sure sign to that you need to change your alcohol jar..
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