Its that time of year again, holiday time! It is a time of joy for sure, but for those of us trying to live in simplified and frugal life it can also be a time of stress. My husband and I began our simplified, DIY way of life in January of 2013, and while I did attempt to make a handful of gifts that previous Christmas it wasn’t quite to the level that I have undertaken in these Christmases since. If all goes as planned this Christmas I will be making/assembling all but two of the gifts I plan to give between now and Christmas. I have a moderately sized family and family in-law, a few close friends, and three birthdays that fall in that time frame to prepare for. So, without further ado I will be sharing my journey and products with you. (My family has been instructed not to read my blog between now and Christmas so that their gift surprises are not spoiled… I’m not kidding, I sent out a family wide email)
The first installment of our DIY gift series is peppermint lip balm. Honestly, you could flavor it any number of ways this is just a favorite flavor of mine so its one that I chose. I also did some other flavors as well. This project could not be easier and the result is great. The only down side is that was difficult to find some of the ingredients needed in small amounts, so if you have friends that are interested in making some lip balms as well, team up and purchase your ingredients together and it will be much more cost effective.
DIY Peppermint Lip Balm:
makes approx. six 1oz containers
Ingredients:
1/4 Cup of Pure Beeswax Pellets (buying pellets makes this much easier. I bought a block from Michael’s and it was surprisingly hard to cut and grate)
3/4 Cup of Coconut Oil
Contents of 1 Capsule or Approximately 1/4 tsp of Vitamin E Oil
Six 1 oz Lip Balm Pot Containers
Directions:
Mix your beeswax, coconut oil, and vitamin e oil in a glass container, preferably one that can be set aside for projects like this so that you don’t have to try and clean it. I used a large mason jar with no lid. Microwave everything in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the beeswax has melted and everything is combined. Then, add your flavor oils. If you want to make more than one flavor, separate the melted ingredients into two containers. Add enough flavoring so that you can taste it when you rub some on your lips, but know that the taste will be stronger when it cools. Then, pour the melted ingredients into your 1 oz jars and allow them to cool and harden. Then decorate the containers however you please and enjoy how impressed people are that you made them store-quality lip balm with all simple, natural ingredients that they don’t have to worry about ingesting!
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