Posts by Rebecca D. Dillon

About Rebecca D. Dillon

Rebecca D. Dillon is a soapmaker, DIY-er and blogger whose life is controlled daily by a dachshund. You can learn more about Rebecca by checking out her bio. Or discover more great skin care & beauty recipes by subscribing to Soap Deli News blog via email.

How to Make Melt and Pour Soap Recipes for Beginners: A Modern Guide to Natural Soapmaking

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November 20, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 5 Comments

Wondering, how do I make melt and pour soap recipes for beginners? I’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn how to make easy melt and pour soap recipes with this modern guide to natural soapmaking that incorporates natural melt and pour soap bases with with natural botanicals, colorants and essential oils.

How to Make Melt and Pour Soap Recipes for Beginners

Traversing the soap-iverse for the right information.

There is SO much information on the internet, and Pinterest especially, on how to make melt and pour soaps for beginners. Some of those so called easy melt and pour soap recipes are spot on. The recipe works exactly the way it should and you’re presented with all the right information from the start. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot of bad soap recipes mixed in. And if if you’re a beginner soapmaker, incorrect recipes or flat out bad information can be costly as well as discouraging.

The first few times I made homemade melt and pour soaps, well, I messed up. One, I had no idea that using lavender buds in a melt and pour soap base would eventually turn the entire bar of soap brown! Not only did it not look pretty, but what was actually happening was that those botanicals were rotting. Can you imagine gifting a bar of homemade soap to a friend and then realize later on they’re slathering decaying plant matter on their skin? How embarrassing!

I learned from that mistake pretty quickly, thank goodness. However, it still bothers me, that close to twenty years after that incident, there are still bloggers sharing recipes with botanicals that just don’t work with melt and pour soap recipes.

Not long after my first major mistake making melt and pour soaps, I had another. (I mean, that’s how many of us learned prior to the youtube era. So PLEASE don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Occasionally it leads to a happy accident.) I bought a (way back) organic soap base that I decided to add cocoa butter too. The soaps looked great. I wrapped them in scrapbooking paper and gave them as gifts to family one Christmas. Unfortunately, I didn’t test my homemade soap bars before I gifted them. (I know. I know. But to err is human.)

Shortly after gifting my bars of homemade soap, I was told they didn’t lather. At all. (Scented paperweight, anyone?) Back then there weren’t really guides on how much of an additional ingredient you should add to your melt and pour soap bases. Luckily, that information is out there now. Along with insight on where and how to select the right melt and pour soap base for your needs. But where can you find all the information your need to make melt and pour soap recipes for beginners? And how do you know that it’s the right information?

Where do I learn how to make melt and pour soap recipes for beginners?

Are you a beginner soapmaker? Or do you simply want to learn how to start making homemade soaps using melt and pour soap bases? Then this is the perfect place to start your soapmaking journey! The new book, Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps, by Jan Berry (which you can purchase here) is a modern guide to navigating the world of soap crafting and learning how to create custom natural soaps using botanicals, essential oils, natural colorants and soap bases. The latest addition to Jan’s collection of books, which also includes Simple Natural Soapmaking, this guide is the perfect way to learn how to make melt and pour soap recipes for beginners!

I received an advance copy of Jan Berry’s new book today to review. For those of you who don’t know, Jan and I are *almost* neighbors. She lives about an hour and a half north of me right here in Virginia! I’ve long been a fan of her blog, The Nerdy Farm Wife, and I have to tell you – her books are just as amazing. The photos inside her new book, Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps, are absolutely dreamy! I especially love all the information on natural colorants for melt and pour soaps. Along with the RIGHT way to use those botanicals you now have a slew of and just realized they’re not going to look as pretty as you thought they would a few weeks down the road.

There’s really so much more to this soapmaking book than just the easy melt and pour soap recipes! By the time you’ve worked your way through the book, you’ll have some pretty solid knowledge on how to formulate your own custom soap recipes. And you definitely won’t feel like a beginner soapmaker anymore!

What’s Inside Easy Homemade Melt and Pour Soaps?

This book is divided into three parts. Each part combines for in depth information on making herbal soaps with natural botanicals, colorants and essential oils for successful products. There are also tips and tricks so you know the best way to make natural soaps without making the same mistakes I did.

Part 1: Getting Started

Everything you need to know about the different types of melt and pour soap bases, melting points and the ingredients. There’s also information on how to infuse soaps with herbs and flowers as well as the basic soapmaking tools and equipment you’ll need to get started. In addition, this section also includes a brief overview of tips for successful melt and pour soapmaking for your easy melt and pour soap recipes along with a basic melt and pour soapmaking tutorial to get you started.

Part 2: Melt and Pour Soap Recipes for Beginners

Part two of the book, Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps, is filled with fifty amazing melt and pour and pour soap recipes for beginners. These easy melt and pour soap recipes are divided into six separate sections:

Nourishing Infusions
Spa Day Luxuries
Springtime Delights
Sunlight & Seashore
Field & Forest
Desert Inspiration

Recipes in the Nourishing Infusions section feature easy melt and pour soap recipes made with classic, skin soothing flowers and nourishing green herbs. The recipes include chamomile honeycomb slices (soap bars) infused with chamomile flowers and naturally scented with lavender and orange essential oils as well as facial soaps infused with thyme and rose.

In the Spa Day Luxuries section, you’ll discover melt and pour soap recipes for beginners that are designed to polish, cleanse and pamper skin. Highlights include charcoal & sea salt spa bars, adzuki bean & rhassoul clay bars, moringa detox bars and mocha mint massage bars. While the chapter on Springtime Delights includes easy melt and pour soap recipes for a spring weeds gardener’s soap, aromatherapy soap dough, floral bouquet (flower shaped) soaps and herbal soap favors perfect for weddings.

The Sunlight & Seashore section of the book highlights summer fun in the sun – and everything associated with that. Like the beach! Learn how to craft seashell mini soaps, sea glass guest soaps, ocean waves soaps, loofah soaps and mermaid tails soaps.

For those that love to forage, you’ll find the Field & Forest section perfect for your needs! There are melt and pour soap recipes for making pine resin infused soaps, a rustic woods shave soap, camping soaps and even a wildflower honey soap made from a goat milk soap base and scented with a natural blend of lavender and Peru balsam essential oils.

If aloe is your go to for soothing skin care, then the chapter titled, Desert Inspiration, may be your favorite. This natural skin care ingredient is key in these easy melt and pour soap recipes for beginners. Learn how to make triple aloe soap bars, cactus landscape soaps and even jojoba sage shampoo & body bars.

Part 3: Melt and Pour Soapmaking Information & Techniques Library

This section of the book, Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps, is a must for anyone looking not just to recreate melt and pour soap recipes, but to also harness the knowledge needed to develop your own custom formulations. This chapter alone is a must for any soapmaking library. You’ll find yourself referencing it time and again for information on natural ingredients you can use in your own homemade melt and pour soap recipes.

Discover details on natural colorants along with photos of the finished soaps and the amounts needed to achieve the same look. There’s also in depth information on the properties of essential oils used in soapmaking along with essential oil blend ideas and recipes. Plus information on exfoliants and other additives you can use when crafting your own easy melt and pour soap recipes. You’ll also learn the eco-friendly ways to package and store the melt and pour soaps you create.

If you want to get extra creative with your melt and pour soap recipes for beginners, this section also highlight various melt and pour soap making techniques. Discover how to incorporate soap curls, cookies cutter shapes and embeds into your melt and pour soaps as well as how to use soap stamps and create layers. Can’t quite figure out that pencil line? There’s detailed information on creating a pencil line in melt and pour soaps as well as step-by-step photos on creating visually pleasing diagonals and triangles as part of your soap designs.

And, for those times, that things don’t quite work out the way you expected, information on troubleshooting things like separating layers, a lack of lather, soap shrinkage and more is also included.

In addition, there’s also a list of fourteen soapmaking suppliers you can source ingredients from in both the USA and Canada. (She even included one of my personal favorite suppliers, Mountain Rose Herbs.)

You can purchase Jan Berry’s new book, Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps, on Amazon here.

To discover more from Soap Deli News blog, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter. Alternately, you can explore my own easy melt and pour soap recipes for beginners here.

Filed Under: Books & Reading, Soapmaking Tagged With: book review, easy, eco-friendly, melt and pour soap, melt and pour soapmaking, soap tutorial, soapmaking, soapmaking books

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

November 16, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

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

Posts by Rebecca D. Dillon

How to Make Melt and Pour Soap Recipes for Beginners: A Modern Guide to Natural Soapmaking

How to Make Melt and Pour Soap Recipes for Beginners

Traversing the soap-iverse for the right information.

Where do I learn how to make melt and pour soap recipes for beginners?

What’s Inside Easy Homemade Melt and Pour Soaps?

Part 1: Getting Started

Part 2: Melt and Pour Soap Recipes for Beginners

Part 3: Melt and Pour Soapmaking Information & Techniques Library

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

A Celebration of Winter Snow

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

Snowman Mason Jar Craft Tutorial

Supplies & Materials:

Tools:

Instructions:

Materials

Tools

Instructions

White Chocolate Covered Pretzels Recipe

Ingredients:

Tools & Materials:

Instructions:

Printable Snowman Mason Jar Craft Gift Tags

More Easy DIY Christmas Gifts

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

DIY Holiday Gifts: Vanilla Chai Tea Mix

Vanilla Chai Tea Mix Recipe

Ingredients:

Directions for A Making Vanilla Chai Tea Mix:

Alternate directions for DIY Vanilla Chai Tea Mix:

Vanilla Chai Tea Latte Recipe

Ingredients:

Directions with instant tea:

Directions with loose leaf tea:

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

More DIY Holiday Food Gifts

Essential Oil Ornaments: DIY Scented Christmas Ornaments for the Holidays

Making Handmade Christmas Ornaments

DIY Essential Oil Ornaments

Materials & Tools Needed:

Tips & Tricks for Making Your Essential Oil Ornaments:

Holiday Ornament Instructions:

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Holiday Essential Oil Blends

Spiced Chai Holiday Essential Oil Blend

Gingerbread Holiday Essential Oil Blend

Holiday Christmas Tree Essential Oil Blend

Holiday Spiced Cider Essential Oil Blend

Pumpkin Spice Essential Oil Blend

Holiday Eggnog Essential Oil Blend

Mulled Wine Essential Oil Blend

Mint Hot Chocolate Essential Oil Blend

More Scented DIY Holiday Gifts

DIY Air Freshener with Essential Oils

Honey and Goat Milk Soap Recipe

DIY Christmas Ornament Bath Bombs

8 Holiday Room Spray Recipes

DIY Holiday Cupcake Bath Bombs

Mocha Mint Cupcake Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

Holiday Stovetop Potpourri Gift Ideas

Easy Gourmet Caramel Apples Recipe with Crushed Cookie Toppings

Gourmet Caramel Apples: A Quick & Easy Everyday Treat

Caramel Apples Recipe with Crushed Oreo Cookies

Ingredients:

Tools & Materials:

Instructions:

Let’s get dipping!

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition Information:

Yield: