Snowman Mason Jar Craft for Easy DIY Christmas Gifts with Printable Gift Tags

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November 16, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 1 Comment

Celebrate winter with this easy DIY snowman mason jar craft. It’s perfect for easy DIY Christmas gifts. Simply fill the completed snowman mason jars with white chocolate covered pretzels -recipe included! – peppermint bark, chai tea mix or your favorite small seasonal toys or gifts. Then print out the free printable labels for an easy, affordable DIY holiday gift idea for Christmas!

A Celebration of Winter Snow

I love snow. And really, snow is probably the only thing I actually like about winter. Fashion choices aside, of course. Granted, I do live on the line between what’s considered the North and the South. So it’s not often we get snow, much less get buried underneath of it. Which means, the threat of snow, brings with it the joy and excitement of a possible snow day. One that hasn’t diminished at all even after completing school and sending a child out the nest and into the world.

I remember one year we somehow magically got three feet of snow. It was my first year of college (so well over twenty years ago if you’re counting.) The city was not equipped to handle it. And unlike many of your snowfalls, there was no warming period afterwards. The city literally shut down for ten days. Everything was closed. On day five you could walk to the post office and pick up your mail. I took the two mile walk to help curb the boredom. The only person I saw was a man riding down the street on a snowmobile. It was the most bizarre thing I’ve probably seen in this town. And almost apocalyptic. (Except there were no zombies obviously. I’m sure you would have heard about that one.)

The entire family got creative with snow as a medium that year. I dug an igloo (that was mighty warm inside) out the snow my dad had shoveled off of the driveway. While my dad and brother built a snow woman holding a baby and a lowrider truck that you could actually sit in.

It’s been a few years since we’ve had a decent snow – meaning one to two feet. However, they’re predicting that Southwestern Virginia is in for a very wet and snowy winter this year. And while being cold is not my thing, I figure if it’s going to be cold, then it might as well snow.

Easy DIY Christmas Gifts: Snowman Mason Jar Craft (with Chocolate Covered Pretzels)

If you love snow as much as I do, or maybe you just need a winter craft to keep you from going stir crazy, this snowman mason jar craft is the perfect fit. It’s absolutely wonderful for DIY Christmas gifts for teachers, friends, neighbors – pretty much anyone. (I tell you how to make easy white chocolate covered pretzels to stash inside.) Plus, I’ve also included free printable “Merry Christmas” gift tags to make gifting even easier. However, don’t feel boxed in by the whole idea of chocolate covered pretzels. You could also put homemade marshmallows, peppermint bark, a chai tea mix or pretty much any type of treat inside. Or skip the food idea all together and fill this snowman mason jar craft with small toys or other seasonal surprises.

Ready to get started on this easy snowman mason jar gift for your DIY Christmas gifts this holiday season? Keep reading for the tutorial, my easy white chocolate covered pretzels recipe and the free printable labels!

Snowman Mason Jar Craft Tutorial

Supplies & Materials:

Mason jar
Large round red buttons
Black & white plaid ribbon
White cardstock
Black craft paint
Craft glue
Twine

Tools:

Hot glue gun
Hole punch
Paint brush
Scissors

Instructions:

Start by painting the lid of the mason jar with the black paint. Set aside to dry.

While the mason jar lid for your snowman mason jar craft dries, glue the three red buttons in a vertical row on the front of the mason jar.

Once the paint and glue have both dried, fill the mason jar with white chocolate covered pretzels (see recipe below) or other DIY Christmas gifts of choice.

Screw the lid onto the mason jar.

Then, tie the black and white plaid ribbon into a bow onto the top of the mason jar. You can use a dab of glue to secure the ribbon in place.

Next, print out the printable gift tags here onto cardstock. Use scissors to cut out the gift tags. Then, use a hole punch to punch a whole into the top of each gift tag.

Run a piece of twine through the hole in the gift tag and cut to desired length.

Tie the gift tag to the mason jar using the twine.

Your DIY snowman mason jar craft is now ready to gift. Make as many snowman mason jars as needed for easy DIY Christmas gifts. These are perfect to gift to teachers, friends, family, coworkers and even neighbors throughout the holiday season.

Yield: 1 Snowman Mason Jar

Snowman Mason Jar Craft for Easy DIY Christmas Gifts

Celebrate winter with this easy DIY snowman mason jar craft. It’s perfect for easy DIY Christmas gifts. Simply fill the completed snowman mason jars with seasonal food gifts. Then print out the free printable labels for an easy, affordable DIY holiday gift idea for Christmas!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

Mason jar
Large round red buttons
Black & white plaid ribbon
White cardstock
Black craft paint
Craft glue
Twine

Tools

Hot glue gun
Hole punch
Paint brush
Scissors

Instructions

Paint the lid of the mason jar with black paint. Set aside to dry.
Glue the three red buttons in a vertical row on the front of the mason jar while the paint on the mason jar lid dries.
Once the paint and glue have dried, fill the mason jar with white chocolate covered pretzels or other holiday food gift of choice.
Screw the lid onto the mason jar.
Tie the ribbon into a bow onto the top of the mason jar. You can use a dab of glue to secure the ribbon in place.
Print out the gift tags here onto cardstock. Use scissors to cut out the gift tags.
Now use a hole punch to punch a whole into the top of each gift tag.
Run a piece of twine through the hole in the gift tag and cut to desired length.
Tie the gift tag to the mason jar using the twine.

White Chocolate Covered Pretzels Recipe

Ingredients:

Package of white melting chocolate
Package of pretzels

Tools & Materials:

Double boiler
Utensils for stirring
Wax or parchment paper

Instructions:

Melt the white chocolate according to package directions.

Dip the pretzels into the melted chocolate one at a time, placing them onto the wax or parchment paper after dipping.

Allow the chocolate to cool completely. Once cooled, fill your snowman mason jar craft with pretzels for easy DIY Christmas gifts.

Printable Snowman Mason Jar Craft Gift Tags

The free printable gift tags for your snowman mason jar craft make gift giving even easier. These printable gift tags say “Merry Christmas” and print four to a sheet for easy DIY Christmas gifts.

They come in two colors, red and green. You can use these Christmas gift tags for your snowman mason jar gifts as well as other handmade gifts for the holidays. You can download and print these free printable Christmas gift tags here.

If you love my DIY snowman mason jar craft for making easy DIY Christmas gifts for the holidays, then be sure to pin this project to Pinterest for later. (You can also follow me on Pinterest here.) Also be sure to check out these other DIY food gifts and DIY mason jar gifts for Christmas on my DIY gifts for the holidays Pinterest board.

More Easy DIY Christmas Gifts

For more easy DIY Christmas gifts and ideas, be sure to try one of my other holiday themed projects.

Vanilla Chai Tea Mix Recipe for DIY Christmas Gifts
Easy No Bake Bourbon Balls Recipe with Woodford Reserve
Foaming Peppermint Sugar Scrub Recipe
Mason Jar Cranberry Body Butter Recipe
Cranberry Chutney Solid Lotion Bar Recipe
Cardamom & Pumpkin Spice Solid Coffee Scrub Recipe

Vanilla Fig Mason Jar Body Butter Recipe
Non-greasy Cinnamon Sugar Body Butter Recipe
DIY Mason Jar Solid Sugar Scrub Snowballs
DIY Mason Jar Gifts for Bath & Beauty Lovers
Chocolate Orange Sugar Scrub & Body Butter Gift Set DIY
Starry DIY Etched Mason Jar to Fill with Homemade Food Gifts

You can also learn how to make easy DIY washi tape mason jar gift tags here. These simple gift tags fit right onto the tops of the mason jar lids of your food gifts for Christmas.

For more easy DIY Christmas gifts from Soap Deli News, make sure to follow me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: DIY Craft Project, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: 30-minute crafts, chocolate covered pretzels, christmas, Christmas gift, crafts, diy, easy, food gift, gift guide, gift idea, holiday gift, holiday gift giving, holiday labels, holidays, homemade gift, mason jar, snowman, winter

Vanilla Chai Tea Recipe: Make This Easy Spice Mix for DIY Holiday Gifts

November 11, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

Whether you enjoy the delicious flavor of a vanilla chai tea latte or need ideas for DIY holiday gifts, this vanilla chai tea mix is the perfect recipe to spice things up this winter. Keep reading to learn how to make your own easy vanilla chai tea mix for lattes for a cozy winter treat or to package as budget friendly DIY Christmas for friends, family and coworkers.

DIY Holiday Gifts: Vanilla Chai Tea Mix

I first discovered loose leaf tea during my first marriage. Once I’d tried tea this way, it was over. There was no looking back. I soon had an entire shelf in my pantry that was nothing but flavored loose leaf teas. Once I tried my first chai tea, well. That was the ultimate luxury. And truth be told, I wasn’t even a coffee drinker at this point. That came years later.

While my vanilla chai tea mix is a powdered mix, not a loose leaf tea, it’s still as yummy as the real deal. The advantage of the powdered mix however is that it travels well, it’s super quick, there’s less waste and it’s easy to gift. Simply package your chai tea mix in a mason jar to give as holiday food gifts or for easy storage in your pantry.

While I prefer to brew fresh assam tea for my chai latte recipe, an easy alternative is to mix an instant tea into vanilla chai latte spice mix. (I give directions for both ways.)

Want to know why you should drink chai tea? Learn about the natural health benefits of chai tea here.

Vanilla Chai Tea Mix Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons cardamom powder
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon allspice powder
1 Tablespoon nutmeg powder
3 Tablespoons ginger root powder
2 teaspoons clove powder
2 teaspoons sweet cinnamon powder
1 whole vanilla bean pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened black instant tea, optional (see below)

Directions for A Making Vanilla Chai Tea Mix:

To make this vanilla chai tea mix, begin by scraping the vanilla beans out of the vanilla bean pod, if using. Then measure out the remaining spices, and instant tea if using, into a glass bowl. Mix well.

Evenly divide the vanilla chai mix between three 4 oz. mason jars for gifts. Alternately you also use a large jar for your own personal storage.

Alternate directions for DIY Vanilla Chai Tea Mix:

If you prefer to brew fresh assam tea for your vanilla chai lattes, then omit the instant tea. Instead, increase amounts of the spices to fit inside mason jars in your choice of size. Then gift the mix with a box of Assam tea bags. Alternately you can also gift your chai tea mix with loose leaf Assam tea or vanilla black assam tea (and omit the vanilla from the spice mix recipe.) Just be sure to include a tea strainer or disposable tea bags with your gift if you opt for gifting loose leaf tea.

(You can store your vanilla chai latte mix in an airtight container for up to a month.)

Don’t forget to include instructions with your DIY holiday gifts on how to use the vanilla chai tea spice mix to make the lattes! You can find the directions for brewing a latte (with dairy or non-dairy milk) using my spiced tea mix below.

Vanilla Chai Tea Latte Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (or dairy free coconut milk or almond milk)
organic sugar, coconut sugar or maple syrup, to taste
2 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla chai tea mix (or 1 Tablespoon if you omitted the instant tea)
2 Assam tea bags or 2 teaspoons loose leaf assam tea, optional (dependent on mix)

Directions with instant tea:

If you included instant black tea in your vanilla chai latte mix recipe, you’ll need to follow these directions for making your latte.

Mix 2 1/2 Tablespoons of the chai latte mix with two cups (or 8 oz.) of warm milk or a dairy free alternative.

Mix well with an immersion blender, then sweeten to taste.

Directions with loose leaf tea:

Add the milk or milk alternative to a double boiler or small saucepan. Then add one Tablespoon vanilla chai tea mix. Mix with an immersion blender.

Heat the milk and spices over low until the milk reaches 130°F, stirring often to avoid scorching.

Next, add the chai tea bags (or loose leaf tea in a strainer or disposable tea bag.) Steep the tea in the milk and spices for 5-minutes or to desired strength.

Then strain the tea bags and add your choice of sweetener to suit. Mix again for good measure.

Now pour the latte into an 8 oz. mug. Then sip and enjoy.

Yield: About 2 cups vanilla chai tea latte spice mix

Vanilla Chai Tea Recipe (A Spice Mix for Lattes)

Spice things up this winter with a delicious vanilla chai latte recipe for a cozy winter treat. Or make a vanilla chai tea mix for easy DIY holiday gifts.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons cardamom powder
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon allspice powder
1 Tablespoon nutmeg powder
3 Tablespoons ginger root powder
2 teaspoons clove powder
2 teaspoons sweet cinnamon powder
1 whole vanilla bean pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened black instant tea

Instructions

Scrape the vanilla beans out of the vanilla bean pod.
Measure out the remaining spices and combine in a glass bowl with the instant tea. Mix well.
Place the vanilla chai mix in a large mason jar.

Notes

To brew, mix 2 1/2 Tablespoons of the vanilla chai tea latte mix with two cups (or 8 oz.) of warm milk or a dairy free alternative. Mix with an immersion blender until the ingredients are evenly dispersed, then sweeten to taste.

This vanilla chai latte mix can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 9 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 2mg Carbohydrates: 2g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 0g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 0g

Vanilla Chai Tea Mix Recipe for Lattes: Make this easy DIY chai tea spice mix recipe for DIY holiday gifts. Spice things up this winter with a delicious vanilla chai latte recipe for a cozy winter treat. Or make an easy DIY vanilla chai tea mix for easy DIY holiday gifts for friends, family, teachers, neighbors and coworkers. The perfect homemade holiday gift for Christmas. Learn how to make DIY holiday food gifts now.

If you love my easy latte mix recipe, then don’t forget to pin this spicy, winter holiday drink recipe to Pinterest for later.

More DIY Holiday Food Gifts

What are some other ideas for making DIY holiday food gifts for friends and family? There are so many options for gifting food throughout the holiday season. Here are more of my yummy recipes for your DIY holiday gifts this winter. Also be sure to check out these homemade food gift ideas on Pinterest.

For more recipes from Soap Deli News, follow me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: Food Recipes, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: artisan tea, black tea, chai tea, christmas, diy, drink, drink mix, drink recipe, easy, food, food gift, food recipe, gift idea, holiday gift, organic, recipe, spice, tea

Essential Oil Ornaments: DIY Scented Christmas Ornaments for the Holidays

November 7, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 6 Comments

Learn how to make these DIY essential oil ornaments in about 30-minutes to add a natural fragrance to your tree this holiday season. These quick & easy ornaments can be scented with your favorite holiday essential oil blend and make lovely DIY holiday gifts too! Keep reading to learn how to make your own easy essential oil ornaments. Plus discover my favorite holiday essential oils blends and recipes!

Making Handmade Christmas Ornaments

Handmade ornaments were a family tradition when I was growing up. Every year my brother and I would would make a new Christmas ornament to put on the tree. And every year my mother would safely tuck the new additions away to go onto the tree yet again the following year. So by the time we were both married and out of the house, she had a full box and was already collecting new handmade Christmas ornaments from my son, and then later, my niece.

Every year, even if it’s on Christmas Eve, she puts up her artificial Christmas tree and trims it with those same ornaments. These days, there’s also a Christmas pickle hiding somewhere in the mix – I still haven’t figured out what the “prize” is if you find it first – but my brother always seems to win. Still, all the handmade Christmas ornaments, from two generations, are always on display. Even with that crazy Christmas pickle hidden among them.

This year was the first year in a quite a while I made a handmade Christmas ornament for my mother’s tree. I’m in my mid-forties now and she in her seventies. So if it was going to happen again, now was as good a time as any! She actually came home from volunteering the day I made these DIY essential oil ornaments and exclaimed how beautiful they were. Then she asked if she could have them for her tree. “Of course!” I exclaimed. “Who else would they be for?”

DIY Essential Oil Ornaments

My DIY essential oil ornaments will not only look amazing on your Christmas tree this year, they also make beautiful handmade gifts. What’s most surprising however, is how incredibly easy these Christmas ornaments are to make. Plus they’re ready to use in about a half an hour from start to finish!

So just what makes my essential oil ornaments so quick and easy to make? Unlike other craft tutorials for essential oil ornaments, I use plaster rather than clay. Plaster is not only cheaper, it also dries a lot faster! And, because plaster starts out fluid, you can not only customize the colors of your essential oil ornaments, you can also use molds, instead of cookie cutters, to get detailed shapes. So in reality, the possibilities are endless. Even if you have zero artistic talent. (But come on. EVERYONE has some creativity hiding inside. You just have to find it!)

Following is my tutorial for crafting your own homemade plaster essential oil ornaments. Learn where to get everything you need to make these delightful Christmas ornaments. You’ll also discover some tips and tricks that I learned along the way while making my own! (Plus don’t forget to check out my favorite holiday essential oil blends to make for your holiday ornaments after the project.)

Materials & Tools Needed:

Plaster of Paris
Christmas Ornament Silicone Molds, two sets
Mixing Bowl
Utensils for Stirring
Mica Powder or Other Powder Colorant
Craft Glitter, optional
Bakers Twine or Ribbon
Essential Oils

Tips & Tricks for Making Your Essential Oil Ornaments:

Plaster starts to harden in 3-4 minutes, so you’ll want to mix your colorant and glitter in with the plaster before adding the water.
If you want to save money, you can use unwanted eyeshadow colors from your eyeshadow palettes instead of using mica powders or other colorants such as oxides or ultramarines.
Unlike soap making, less is not more. As plaster is white, you’ll want to add more colorant for a darker colored ornament as the plaster makes the colors pastel.
While you can use glitter inside your Christmas ornaments, they don’t show through all that well. To save glitter and get more sparkle, dust the inside of your silicone molds before pouring the plaster. Or dust glitter on the backs of your ornaments as soon as they’re poured.
Be sure to scrape off any excess plaster from the molds after pouring. Your ornaments will come out of the mold more easily, and there’s less “excess” to remove once unmolded.
Try other ornament silicone molds for your Christmas ornaments for more designs. But be sure to avoid molds with thin sections as they’ll break coming out of the mold. If there’s no hole for the ribbon on your other molds, simply use a pencil or chopstick to make one once the plaster starts to harden.
You can easily resize your recipe for these essential oil ornaments to make the exact amount you need. Simply mix four parts plaster with three parts water.

Holiday Ornament Instructions:

In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine four Tablespoons of plaster with a teaspoon or more of mica or pigment powder and glitter, to suit, if desired. Mix with a fork to fully incorporate the dry ingredients together.

I used a small amount of indigo powder to color this plaster essential oil Christmas ornament. It made the ornament look about the same color as concrete, but with tiny blue flecks of color inside.

Then add three Tablespoons of water. Mix well.

Working quickly, pour the plaster mixture into three of the silicone molds. You’ll want to use the Christmas tree shape mold and the ornament shape mold. Use a fork or a chopstick to make sure the plaster is evenly distributed throughout the mold and there are no air bubbles.

Side note: The snowflake mold that comes with this set is too delicate to get the plaster out in one piece. I tried twice. The second time, the snowflake Christmas ornament broke worse than the first. However, you can use it for other holiday projects to make resin Christmas ornaments.

If desired, you can dust the back of your DIY essential oil ornaments with glitter or decorative confetti.

After 30-minutes have passed, carefully unmold your essential oil ornaments from the silicone molds.

Then tie thin ribbon or baker’s twine through the hole in the top.

You’re now ready to gift your handmade Christmas essential oil ornaments. Simply pair the ornaments with a bottle of essential oil or a holiday essential oil blend.

Or add your own favorite holiday essential oil blend to your ornament and hang on your tree. You can also use this ornament in your car or another room in your home as an air freshener. They look great in a sunny window! (You can discover my favorite recipes for holiday essential oil blends below.)

Yield: 3 Christmas Ornaments

Essential Oil Ornaments

Prep Time 2 minutes

Active Time 3 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

Plaster of Paris
Mica Powder or Other Powder Colorant
Craft Glitter, optional
Essential Oils

Tools

Mixing Bowl
Utensils for Stirring
Bakers Twine or Ribbon
Christmas Ornament Silicone Molds, two sets

Instructions

In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine four Tablespoons of plaster with a teaspoon or more of mica or pigment powder and glitter, to suit, if desired. Mix with a fork to fully incorporate the dry ingredients together.
Then add three Tablespoons of water. Mix well.
Working quickly, pour the plaster mixture into three of the silicone molds. You’ll want to use the Christmas tree shape mold and the ornament shape mold.
After 30-minutes have passed, carefully unmold your essential oil ornaments from the silicone molds.
Then tie thin ribbon or baker’s twine through the hole in the top.

Holiday Essential Oil Blends

If you already have a collection of essential oils at your disposal, you may want to create your own custom holiday essential oil blends, rather than buying them ready made. Here are some of my favorite recipes for holiday essential oil blends you can use with your essential oil ornaments.

If you love my project for making DIY essential oil ornaments, then don’t forget to pin this tutorial to Pinterest to save for later. You may also want to check out my tutorial for making DIY alcohol ink ornaments. It’s another fun and easy holiday project the kids can join in on. And I’ve even shared the video tutorial from the craft class I took when I learned how to make alcohol ink ornaments for the first time!

More Scented DIY Holiday Gifts

For more fragrant, scented holiday crafts and skin care recipes, be sure to check out these other amazing projects!

DIY Air Freshener with Essential Oils

Learn how to make DIY air fresheners with essential oils, beeswax and soy wax at Everything Pretty. These easy homemade essential oil air fresheners are perfect for closets, drawers, or anywhere that needs a little freshening up.

Honey and Goat Milk Soap Recipe

This honey and goat milk soap recipe from Life-n-Reflection is one of the simplest melt and pour soap recipes you’ll ever make! Not only does it make easy DIY holiday gifts for friends and family, but the rich lather and sweet scent make them irresistible not to keep one for yourself. The finished soaps have a classic bumblebee and honeycomb shape that makes each look expensive and elegant. Make these simple honey and goat milk soaps for DIY holiday gifts today!

DIY Christmas Ornament Bath Bombs

Handmade bath bombs always make for a fun gift, but turning them into DIY bath bomb ornaments make them the perfect holiday gift. Scented with the smells of the season and made festive with red and green sprinkles, these Christmas ornament bath bombs from Lydi Out Loud not only make a perfect holiday gift, but a full sensory experience.

8 Holiday Room Spray Recipes

Essential oil rooms sprays are so easy to make, smell amazing, and have aromatherapy benefits for you. During the holidays, it’s fun to switch the sprays out for a more festive scent. Check out these 8-holiday room spray recipes from Our Oily House to help you get into the Christmas spirit.

DIY Holiday Cupcake Bath Bombs

Get into the holiday spirit with this festive holiday bath bomb cupcake DIY from Tweak and Tinker. With two designs to choose from – one candy cane peppermint and one Christmas tree – this easy holiday skin care recipe contains nourishing oil, clay and essential oils and makes for a pretty DIY holiday gift.

Mocha Mint Cupcake Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

This mint chocolate cupcake soap recipe from Total Wellness Choice is easy to make with melt and pour soap. These soap cupcakes are adorable and are scented with a natural mocha mint fragrance oil. The unique soap mold makes the process easy. They make a great DIY holiday gift for friends, teachers or anyone who loves fun soaps.

Holiday Stovetop Potpourri Gift Ideas

See how to make a DIY stovetop potpourri gift with Country Hill Cottage! These simmering potpourri recipes make your house smell like Christmas and are wonderful DIY holiday gift ideas. The tutorial comes with free printable labels and gift tags for packaging and gifting.

You can also discover more DIY holiday gifts and crafts by following Soap Deli News on social media. You can find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: DIY Craft Project, Handmade Home, Holiday DIY Tagged With: 30-minute crafts, christmas, Christmas gift, Christmas ornament, christmas tree, crafts, diy, easy, essential oils, gift idea, holiday gift, holidays, kids project, ornaments, winter

Easy Gourmet Caramel Apples Recipe with Crushed Cookie Toppings

November 6, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

Learn how to make delicious, homemade caramel apples. A favorite cool weather treat, this easy caramel apples recipe is the perfect way to enjoy apples when they’re in season. They’re perfect not just for after school snacks, but as fun party treats as well. Do you need party ideas? Try setting up a caramel apple bar! Or make these caramel apple pops with your favorite toppings as a fun family project with the kids.

The saying goes, as we know, that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. These days I’m more concerned about getting the right herbal supplements than eating apples. That said, however, I can’t resist a delicious, homemade caramel apple. Usually I’ll catch them on sale at Kroger and score a four pack. They’re the perfect mid-day snack when I’m craving something sweet. And, hey. There’s an apple hiding in there. So it’s still sort of healthy, right?

Making your own caramel apples, however, is relatively inexpensive. And that you can add your own favorite toppings is a huge plus. This caramel apples recipe is perfect for a weekday treat, an after school snack for the kids or a cake alternative at parties. (Although for a grown up holiday party, I totally recommend these bourbon balls for snacking.)

Gourmet Caramel Apples: A Quick & Easy Everyday Treat

These homemade caramel apples are made using packaged candy caramels. So they’re really quick and easy to make. I also included white chocolate then dipped it all into crushed Oreo cookies for the topping. If you really want to get creative with caramel apple toppings then go for it! You can literally use cookie sprinkles, candies, nut or anything else edible that brings a smile to your face.

While you can buy apples from the grocery store or farmers market, I highly recommend a drive to a local orchard. Not only are fresh picked apples more delicious than those that have been kept in cold storage, you also don’t have to worry about the wax they use on apples so they look shiny at the supermarket.

Caramel Apples Recipe with Crushed Oreo Cookies

Ingredients:

6 fresh picked apples
1 11 oz. package candy caramels
1 cup white chocolate chips
10 Oreo cookies
1 Tablespoon water

Tools & Materials:

Sticks for caramel apple pops
Paper straws to decorate the caramel apple sticks
Parchment paper
Spray cooking oil

Instructions:

Before you make your gourmet caramel apple pops, you’ll need to wash your apples. If there is wax on your apples, wash them first in warm water. Then chill the apples in your refrigerator for 1-2 hours prior to dipping them in the caramel, chocolate and toppings.

Combine the caramel candies and water in a pot. Heat over low to medium-low heat until the caramels have fully melted, stirring occasionally.

Next, melt the white chocolate chips either in a double boiler or using the double boiler method.

Place the Oreo cookies inside a zipper bag, then crush using either a rolling pin or the side of a glass.

Now insert the sticks into each of your apples.

Let’s get dipping!

Begin by dipping the apples into the caramel.

Follow with the white chocolate, then dip the caramel apples in the crushed Oreo cookies as the last step.

Lightly spray the parchment paper with cooking oil.

Now place the caramel apples on parchment paper. Then put the apples in the refrigerator until they set up.

Finally, cut decorative paper straws to the size of the caramel apple sticks. Then snip up one side of the straw so you’re able to open the straw up.

Wrap the straws on the sticks prior to serving.

Yield: 6 caramel apples

Caramel Apples Recipe with Crushed Oreo Cookies

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

6 fresh picked apples
1 11 oz. package candy caramels
1 cup white chocolate chips
10 Oreo cookies
1 Tablespoon water
Sticks for caramel apple pops
Paper straws to decorate the caramel apple sticks
Parchment paper
Spray cooking oil

Instructions

Combine the caramel candies and water in a pot. Heat over low to medium-low heat until the caramels have fully melted, stirring occasionally.

Next, melt the white chocolate chips either in a double boiler or using the double boiler method.

Place the Oreo cookies inside a zipper bag, then crush using either a rolling pin or the side of a glass.

Now insert the sticks into each of your apples.

Dip the apples into the caramel.

Follow with the white chocolate, then dip the caramel apples in the crushed Oreo cookies as the last step.

Lightly spray the parchment paper with cooking oil.

Now place the caramel apples on parchment paper. Place the apples in the refrigerator until they set up.

Finally, cut decorative paper straws to the size of the caramel apple sticks. Then snip up one side of the straw so you’re able to open the straw up.

Wrap the straws on the sticks prior to serving.

Notes

If there is wax on your apples, you'll need to prep them first by washing them in warm water to remove the wax. Chill the apples in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours prior to making the caramel apples.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 apple
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 629 Total Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 6mg Sodium: 185mg Carbohydrates: 124g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 91g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 3g

Caramel Apples Pops DIY with caramel, white chocolate & crushed Oreo cookie toppings. Learn how to make delicious, homemade caramel apples. A favorite cool weather treat, this easy caramel apples recipe is the perfect way to enjoy apples when they're in season. This caramel apples recipe is perfect for a weekday treat, an after school snack for the kids or a cake alternative at parties. #recipes #caramelapples #applepops #gourmet

If you enjoyed making my gourmet caramel apples recipe with crushed Oreo cookies, then be sure to pin this fun dessert recipe for later. Also be sure to try some of my other party worthy dessert recipes that I’ve shared below.

Party Dessert Recipes

For more dessert recipes and DIY party ideas, be sure to follow Soap Deli News blog on Pinterest here. You can also find and follow me across your favorite social media platforms. Follow me now on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: Food Recipes, Party Ideas Tagged With: 15-minutes or less, after school treat, dessert, easy, fall, family activity, family fun, family project, food, food recipe, holidays, kids project, party ideas, snack, treat, winter

Fall Soap Ideas: Creative Homemade Soap Recipes & DIY Ideas for Fall Soap Crafts

November 2, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 5 Comments

Looking for fall soap ideas? Whether you need soap making ideas for soaps to craft and sell, DIY ideas for autumnal make and take crafts or even seasonal homemade gifts, these fall soap making ideas are the perfect solution! Keep reading to discover a beautiful fall soap collection of creative homemade soap recipes for fall as well as DIY ideas for fall soap crafts. Many of these homemade fall soap ideas and recipes are easy enough for beginners. And they’re a beautiful way to decorate your bathroom sink for autumn as well as the holidays ahead.

Fall Soap Ideas for Therapy & Fun

As summer wraps up and fall takes hold, you’re probably finding that you’re spending more time indoors. Especially as the those nighttime temps begin to drop lower and lower. (Some of you were even getting snow in September!) I know that for me, as soon as Halloween is over, it feels like it’s full speed straight into the holidays. Literally, every single year, I blink and it’s suddenly Thanksgiving. Same with Christmas directly after.

It’s no wonder most of us feel stressed November through December. Everyone is demanding more time in one way or another and you can go broke just throwing a single holiday dinner. This is where soap making comes in for me. Studies show that art therapy, regardless of skill level, can really boost your mood. And it also helps with seasonal depression. So whether I take time out for self care and soap my little heart out solo – or with a few crafty divas I call friends – crafting soaps for fall throughout the holiday season is cheaper than therapy and way more awesome.

Here’s a brand new fall soap recipe I wanted to share. It uses the same silicone mold that I used for leaf embeds on my cold process soap recipe for fall, but with a melt and pour base instead. (Be sure to check out that post for some amazing fall essential oil blends for soap!) I then added jojoba beads to the main bar of soap for mild exfoliation and extra hydration for skin. (For super dry or eczema prone skin, also be sure to try this moisturizing triple Brazilian butter soap recipe.)

Once you learn how to make this fall inspired soap, be sure to check out the links to other fall soap ideas I’ve shared after the recipe!

Fall Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

Ingredients for Leaf Embeds:

2.5 oz. white melt and pour soap base, of choice
.05 oz. Honey Apple Champagne fragrance oil
red-orange or similar soap colorant of choice
biodegradable red or orange glitter, to suit

Ingredients for Round Soap Base:

30 oz. white melt and pour soap base, of choice
.6 oz. Honey Apple Champagne fragrance oil
green jojoba beads, to suit
gold or brass biodegradable glitter, to suit
liquid green soap colorant or mica, to suit

Tools & Materials:

Leaf embed silicone mold
Round soap mold
Large glass Pyrex measuring cups, or similar
Utensils for stirring
Chef’s knife or other sharp knife
Spray bottle with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
Digital scale

Fall Soap Making Tips & Tricks:

I used a white melt and pour soap base for this fall soap idea. However, you can change the final look of your homemade fall soaps entirely by simply swapping out the white base with a clear melt and pour soap base. Alternately, you can also use a suspension soap base to have the glitters and jojoba beads evenly embedded throughout your soap bars. It’s also important to note that the glitter will sink to the bottom of the mold as it’s heavier than the base. While the jojoba beads will rise to the top.

You can control the suspension of the jojoba beads to some extent, however. By pouring the soap with the jojoba beads at a temperature between 120-125 °F, they are more likely to stay suspended than if you pour the soap hot. You do not want to add jojoba beads to your soap base at temps over 140°F as they will melt. Therefore, you may want to use a thermometer for this fall soap idea. (I love this digital laser infrared thermometer for soap making.)

Instructions:

You’ll want to make your leaf embeds for you fall soaps first. To do this, simply weigh out 2.5 oz. of melt and pour soap using a digital scale. Then, cut the soap into cubes with a sharp knife. (I like to use a Chef’s knife.)

Next, place the soap into a microwave safe container. I recommend a glass Pyrex measuring cup with a spout so your soap is easy to pour. Now melt the soap in the microwave in 20-30 second increments until melted. Be sure to stir the soap base after each heating.

Once melted, weigh out the fragrance oil and stir into the melted soap base.

Then, add the colorant to the soap. You can use any color you like as well as you choice of colorant type – whether it’s a soap color cube, liquid soap colorant or skin safe, cosmetic mica powder. Stir well to ensure the colorant is evenly incorporated throughout the soap. Be careful, however, not to go overboard. Less is more. So start with a little bit of color and work your way up. Otherwise your finished soaps may bleed color when used. If you’d like a really bold soap color, use a clear melt and pour soap base in lieu of the white soap base.

Now add the glitter to the melted soap base. Mix to combine. (You can also dust some glitter inside of the mold cavities, if desired.)

Slowly pour the soap into the leaf embed mold. The spritz the top of the soap you just poured with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Set the mold with the soap aside to cool and harden.

While the embeds for your fall soaps harden, you can get started on the round soap base. I made my soap base in two separate steps with less color the second go round. Therefore the bottom half of my soap was a different color green than the top half. You can make the base in two steps if you’d like to use alternating colors. Or you can make it all at once so the round soap bars are the same color all the way through.

Weigh out 30 oz. of the melt and pour soap base. Cube the soap using a sharp knife, then combine in a large glass Pyrex measuring cup. Heat the soap the same as you did for the leaf embeds, in 30 second increments until melted.

Now add the soap colorant of your choice along with your favorite biodegradable glitter or bioglitter. Stir well to combine. Once the soap cools to between 120-125 °F, weigh out the fragrance oil and stir in.

Next, divide the soap mixture pouring one third of the soap into a separate container. Then add the desired amount of jojoba beads to the larger container of the melted soap base. Stir well to recombine, then pour the soap base into eight of the cavities of your round soap mold. They should each be filled about two thirds to three fourths of the way full.

Then spritz the tops of the soap you just poured with isopropyl alcohol to remove any air bubbles and set aside to harden.

Once your leaf soap embeds have hardened, carefully remove them from the mold. You’re ready for the next step as soon as the soaps in the round mold have solidified as well.

If necessary, reheat the remaining soap base, then add the desired amount of jojoba beads once the temperature cools. Mix well to combine.

Now spritz the round soaps in your mold with isopropyl alcohol. Place a leaf soap embed on top of each of the round soaps in the mold. Then carefully add the remaining melted soap base to the mold around each of the embeds. Spritz the tops of the soaps with isopropyl alcohol again to remove any air bubbles. Then set aside.

Once your fall soaps with leaf embeds have hardened, they can be unmolded. Wrap the unmolded soaps tightly in foodservice film for storage or for gifting.

More Fall Soap Ideas to DIY

Now that you’ve made my Honey Apple Champagne Fall Melt and Pour Soaps, be sure to try out one of these other fun fall soap ideas.

If you like these DIY fall soap ideas, then be sure to pin this post to Pinterest for later. You can also find and follow Soap Deli News blog on Pinterest here. Alternately, you can also discover more fall soap ideas here. Or try one of my other easy melt and pour soap recipes.

For more homemade soap recipes and DIY gift ideas, be sure to follow Soap Deli News on social media. You can follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: autumn, cold process soap recipe, crafts, easy, fall, fall crafts, hot process soap recipe, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, soap tutorial, soapmaking

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