DIY Plaster Aroma Stones for Essential Oils (That Double As Kids Sidewalk Chalk)

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April 2, 2020 By Rebecca D. Dillon 6 Comments

Learn how to make DIY plaster aroma stones for a quick and easy essential oil diffuser. This easy DIY craft project is perfect for the kids to make for Mother’s Day gifts. Plus they can create extras to use themselves. Turns out these essential oil aroma stones actually double as kids sidewalk chalk. So it’s the perfect 2-for-1 activity when you need things to do when bored, or are looking for creative kids crafts to keep your little angelic demons out of your hair. Keep reading to discover how to make my DIY plaster aroma stones for essential oils. Plus easy DIY ideas for kids crafts and activities that I loved as a child.

Last week I got into a groove and started getting crafty. I was going to rock being stuck at home. Unfortunately, it turns out that adult fears outweigh that childhood boredom that kept me entertained as a Gen X latchkey kid. Because my increasing anxiety kicked everything up a notch, including the fibro. And there’s no amount of knocking boots or edibles that can get me back into my magic zen zone.

Everyday is just one day at a time right now. Slowing down and a lot of self care. Hoping things don’t get worse. Worrying that no one I know gets sick. Crossing fingers, legs and toes that my friends who’ve lost their jobs are going to pull through this with some hope (and sanity) left intact. It’s crazy out there. And I’m worried. But I think it’s important to remember that we are not alone. If we stick together as a community and look out for each other, we’ll all be okay. In the meantime, get back to basics by crafting! It’s basically art therapy for stress. (Plus it’ll likely help you cope better than day drinking. Those cortisol spikes cause some pretty wicked insomnia.)

Unplugged Kids Crafts & Activities

I know some of you still have kids at home bored out of their minds. So it can be hard to drag them away from video games and the internet. Since I’m apparently old enough to now be confused with a boomer (Um, hello. My PARENTS are boomers. They are in their 70s.) I have all kinds of ideas for unplugged kids crafts and activities that I did as a child. Because Atari was about as good as it got back then. And I was never great about the whole hand eye coordination thing.

Mix dirt with grass and water to make pinch pot pottery.
Learn about edible weeds and herbs by foraging for salads.
Create an at home restaurant with food, menus and money hand drawn onto paper, then cut out with scissors.
Bake cookies and brownies and grilled cheese.
Make paper dolls.
Attach multiple sheets of paper together with tape, then draw roads on them for toy cars.
Dig up the yard to make roads for toy cars.
Use kids sidewalk chalk to draw roads on the cul-de-sac for biking.
Play dress up with other family members’ clothing, complete with a photo shoot.
Make furniture for dolls using upcycled cardboard and other found materials.
Write a zine or start a journal.
Craft a wearable mermaid’s tail from newspaper, tape and aluminum foil.
Slam your brother’s finger in a door. When he gets you back, compare blood blisters.
Make a terrarium with dirt and moss from the great outdoors.
Use scraps of paper to create mosaic art.
Sew easy felt finger puppets.

Build a teepee or fort.
Craft a diorama with fish or dinosaurs.
Use paper clay to make a giant volcano for some vinegar and baking soda action. (Complete with red food dye, of course.)
Learn how to crochet.
Make a woven wall hanging using a handmade weaving loom.
Cross Stitch.
Use leftover fabric to sew a quilt by hand.
Read a book.
Forage and identify the leaves of 40 different trees. Press them between wax paper and create a book.
Make flower necklaces and bracelets with dandelions and clover blossoms.
Craft friendship bracelets using embroidery thread.
Make melt and pour soap.
Learn real life skills through The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs.
Make solar prints.
Use fabric crayons or markers to make custom t-shirts.
Decoupage empty cigar boxes with Mod Podge and scrapbook papers.
Paint pictures using watercolors.
Make homemade candles.

They can also make this awesome kids sidewalk chalk. Or DIY plaster aroma stones. Whatever you prefer to call them. Simply whip them up in a fun mold (I used my soap making molds) and have at it.

What Are Aroma Stones?

You may be wondering, what is an aroma stone? An aroma stone is basically just unglazed pottery. It’s used as a fragrance diffuser for fragrance oils or essential oils by simply adding drops of your scent of choice to the stone. You can make aroma stones using air dry clay. You can also make DIY plaster aroma stones using plaster. By adding colored mica powder, you can easily add fun colors to your aroma stones. And utilize them as kids sidewalk chalk as well. Here’s how it’s done.

DIY Plaster Aroma Stones (Or Kids Sidewalk Chalk)

Ingredients:

1 cup plaster
3/4 cup water
2.5 grams mica powder

Materials:

Silicone mold
Mixing bowls
Mixing utensils
Measuring cup

Directions for Making DIY Plaster Aroma Stones:

I made my DIY plaster aroma stones the same way I did my essential oil ornaments. There’s not a huge difference in the process. I used four parts plaster to three parts water with a full size sample package of mica powder for color to create these.

This recipe always works for making kids sidewalk chalk, however, the colors are pretty pastel. For bolder colors, if you’d like your DIY plaster aroma stones to double as kids sidewalk chalk, simply double or triple the amount of mica powder used.

You can also easily increase or decrease the size of my recipe for DIY plaster aroma stones simply by resizing it as needed. Just adhere to the four parts plaster to three parts water ratio. The addition of mica won’t make any difference in the outcome of your DIY plaster aroma stones as far as them holding together.

Once you’ve gathered all the supplies and materials you need to make your DIY plaster aroma stones, use a measuring cup to measure out the plaster and water into separate containers.

Add the mica powder to the dry plaster and mix well.

You want the color to be evenly incorporated throughout the plaster.

Once you’ve mixed the plaster and mica powder for your DIY plaster aroma stones, stir in the water. Continue mixing until there are no clumps and the plaster is completely fluid.

Now pour the colored plaster into your silicone mold. I used these silicone flower molds. The smaller of these two molds will make three DIY plaster aroma stones or kids sidewalk chalk in a single color.

Now use your finger, a spatula or another utensil to pop any air bubbles that may be present. You can also try tapping the mold lightly on your surface area to remove air bubbles. However, I found this challenging as the mold isn’t sturdy.

Allow the DIY plaster aroma stones to set up completely. It will take them about 20 minutes or so to fully harden. Once hardened, you can unmold them.

To make additional DIY plaster aroma stones or kids sidewalk chalk in more colors, simply repeat the process using a different color than the first.

How to Use Your DIY Plaster Aroma Stones:

To use your DIY plaster aroma stones, add about 20 drops of your favorite essential oil blend to the tops of the stone. One of my favorite blends right now is Simply Earth’s Tranquility essential oil blend. I find this blend especially helpful during times of stress. (Especially when I can’t find TP anywhere! Am I right?)

You can also create an aromatherapy essential oil blend to reduce stress and promote relaxation for your DIY plaster aroma stones. Simply combine 10 drops manuka essential oil, 10 drops bergamot essential oil and 2 drops lavender essential oil in an amber glass bottle. Then swirl to combine. Then add the blend to your plaster aroma stone to help ease away stressors and promote calm.

(If you’d like to discover more about essential oils, try out new recipes and learn about aromatherapy, then sign up for the Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box. Not only will you receive a coupon for $40 off your next purchase on ANYTHING you like, you’ll also get a free bonus box of ingredients and supplies at no additional cost with your first box. Simply use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE at checkout. You can find reviews and essential oil recipes from past boxes here.)

How to Use Your Aroma Stones as Kids Sidewalk Chalk:

Using your DIY Plaster Aroma Stones as kids sidewalk chalk is a snap. Simply add additional mica, if desired, when making your stones for that extra color pop. Then give your kids some chalk to play with and enjoy! It works great on streets, sidewalks and paving stones. And, of course, parents and adults can join in the fun too! (You’re never too old to be creative.)

You can find some great ideas for sidewalk chalk art here. Or check out these sidewalk chalk games.

Like my project for making DIY plaster aroma stones? Then make sure you pin this project to Pinterest for later!

If you love home fragrances, then also be sure to try out my DIY reed diffuser with essential oils as well as my DIY wax melts with beeswax.

For more great essential oil recipes and easy DIY ideas, be sure to follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram for more beauty recipes and ideas for a spa day at home. As well as sign up to receive an email whenever I share a new post!

Filed Under: DIY Craft Project, Handmade Home, Health & Wellness, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: crafts, diffuser blends, diy, easy, essential oil blend, essential oils, gift idea, gifts for women, handmade home, healthy homemaking, home fragrance, homemaking, kids, kids project, Mother's Day, Mother's Day gifts

Play Dough Soap DIY: A Fun Kids Activity That Encourages Hand Washing

March 17, 2020 By Rebecca D. Dillon 13 Comments

Encourage hand washing and make bath time fun with this play dough soap recipe, made with liquid Castile soap. This DIY play dough bath soap is easy to make, and older kids can even make it themselves. Don’t have liquid Castile soap on hand? Try it with body wash or baby shampoo. You can even scent these with kid safe essential oils for aromatherapeutic bath time fun! A creative, kid-approved project to try when you’re stuck indoors, this project is perfect for those who homeschool or have bored children at home.

Growing up, my son used to spend hours playing with Play-Doh at the table. He would squish, squeeze, and mold the dough into different shapes and then smush it into a ball and start over again. This play dough soap recipe feels just like Play-Doh, but it’s made with the same liquid castile soap you use to wash your hands and body.

Older kids can help make this play dough bath soap recipe, too, and it’s a fun sensory activity. Just be careful that they don’t touch the melted coconut oil, as it is hot. You’ll also want to take care that the oil has cooled before they start kneading the soap play dough.

What is Play Dough Soap?

Play dough soap feels just like real Play-Doh, but it’s a soap. It lathers and washes your hands and body just like soap, but it’s also fun for kids to play with.

You can mold it into shapes and let it air dry for a custom bar of soap. Or you can store it in an airtight container to use it as a dough. Kids like playing with squishy dough, so they will probably like the softer soap better.

You can also use this play dough bath soap to make shapes to place on top of your melt and pour soap or cold process soap. They don’t get as hard as soap, so they may get dinged up if you are shipping them or transporting them to shows to sell.

How Do You Store Play Dough Soap?

If you keep your play dough soap stored in an airtight container, it will last for a few months. You can pinch off some as needed to use as a soap or to mold into fun shapes.

Keep in mind, however, that play dough soap will dry out if it’s not covered. You can shape it and let it dry if you want. When you want to use it, you’ll just need to get it wet and pinch off a piece to use.

How to Make Play Dough Soap

Making DIY play dough bath soap is really easy and only requires a few ingredients — many of which you probably already have in your kitchen pantry. The must have ingredients for this soap play dough recipe are cornstarch, liquid soap and coconut oil. Mica powder, which is used as a colorant, as well as essentials oils to scent your soap play doh are completely optional.

Liquid Castile Soap

The liquid Castile soap in this recipe is what really washes your or your child’s skin. I recommend using Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure Liquid Castile Soap.

You can use your favorite baby wash or body wash. If you use a scented one, omit the essential oils. Using a body wash will probably give you more lather since they have additives to create more suds.

A true liquid castile soap made with olive oil won’t have a lot of lather. Depending on the brand that you use, there may not be a lot of lather. That’s okay. You don’t need lather to get clean.

Coconut Oil

I added some coconut oil to make this play dough bath soap recipe more moisturizing. Since coconut oil is a solid at room temperature, it also firms this soap so it’s more like a dough. Coconut oil melts at 76 degrees, so the soap will soften as you play with it.

You can add another carrier oil or omit it completely. If you do add a liquid carrier oil, you may need to add more cornstarch. I recommend sweet almond oil, fractionated coconut oil, or grapeseed oil. They are all dry oils that will soak into the skin quickly.

Mica Powder

I used mica powder to color my play dough soap recipe because it won’t stain your hands or skin. Food coloring can also be used, but it will stain your hands as you make the soap dough and when you use it. It can also stain your sink or bathtub when you use the soap.

Mica powder also has a wider range of colors. I wanted the scents to mostly match the colors, and that can be difficult with food coloring.

Essential Oils

If you’re making this soap play dough recipe for kids, it’s important to use only kid safe essential oils. Essential oils are generally safe for kids over two or kids over ten.

Some fun essential oils for kids are:
Lime essential oil (10+) for alertness
Lemon essential oil (2+) for clarity
Sweet Orange essential oil (2+) is uplifting
Lavender essential oil (2+) is relaxing
Frankincense essential oil (2+) to clear the mind

I specifically used Simply Earth essential oils for my soap dough recipe. They offer quality essentials at great prices. And I’m a huge fan of their monthly essential oil recipe box! (Use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE when you subscribe to the box for a coupon for $40 off your next purchase. You do NOT have to subscribe to buy individual oils.)

Ready to get started? You’ll find the recipe for making DIY soap dough for your kids below!

Play Dough Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup cornstarch, plus more for kneading
½ cup liquid Castile soap
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Mica powder
8-9 drops kid safe essential oil

Directions:

To make DIY play dough soap, place the cornstarch in a medium sized bowl. Then add the liquid Castile soap the same bowl with the cornstarch.

Now melt coconut oil in the microwave for 20 seconds. Pour the melted coconut oil over the cornstarch and soap mixture. Stir the ingredients together until the mixture is thoroughly combined. It will be runny.

If you want to make several colors of soap dough, separate the dough into two or more bowls.

Then add mica and essential oils, as desired. You want to use 9-10 total drops of essential oils for the entire batch of soap dough. I made three colors, so I used 3 drops per color. If you make four colors, use two drops per color.

Next, put some cornstarch down on a clean surface. Place the soap dough on the cornstarch and start kneading until it turns into a shapeable dough. You can add more cornstarch as needed. I added about 2 tablespoons for each of the three colors.

How to Use Play Dough Soap:

To use your soap dough, pinch off a small amount and use like soap. It will fully dissolve and disappear in the water.

Storing Play Dough Bath Soap:

You can store this soap dough recipe in an airtight container to keep it soft. It will stay soft for several days, depending on how much it is exposed to the air.

You can also make shapes with it and let it air dry. It will soften once it gets wet again.

I don’t recommend letting your kids play with this in the tub. If it gets wet for long enough, it will dissolve.

Although this soap recipe is natural, don’t let children who put things in their mouths use this soap unsupervised.

Since this dough will dissolve in water, I recommend setting it on a soap dish if you leave it out beside the sink.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups soap play dough

Play Dough Soap Recipe

Make hand washing and bath time fun with this DIY play dough soap recipe with kid safe essential oils. A kid-approved, DIY play dough bath soap kids craft project for family fun.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

1 cup cornstarch, plus more for kneading
½ cup liquid Castile soap
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Mica powder
8-9 drops kid safe essential oil

Tools

Glass bowls
Microwave

Instructions

Place the cornstarch in a medium sized bowl.
Add the liquid Castile soap.
Melt coconut oil in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Pour over the cornstarch and soap mixture, then stir until combined.
Separate the soap dough into three bowls, one for each color you are making.
Add the mica and essential oils. If you are making three colors, use 3 drops per color.
Place additional cornstarch onto clean surface. Place the soap play dough onto the cornstarch. Knead until it turns into a shapeable dough, adding more cornstarch as needed.

DIY Play Doh Soap for Kids with Kid Safe Essential Oils. A creative kids activity for bath time fun. Learn how to make DIY Play Dough Bath Soap for kids with this easy recipe that uses ingredients from your kitchen. This play dough soap recipe is a fun DIY kids crafts projects idea for kids bored at home. Make hand washing and bath time fun with this play dough bath soap recipe made with liquid Castile soap and essential oils for a safe natural fragrance. Get the play dough bath soap recipe now.

If you like my DIY soap play dough, then be sure to pin this fun kids activity to Pinterest for later. Or check out these other ideas for kids craft projects for when you’ve hit your limit. You can also discover more ideas for kids crafts on my Kids Crafts & Project Ideas Pinterest board.

Don’t forget to follow me on facebook, twitter and instagram for more great DIY ideas. You can also find me on Blog Lovin‘. Or sign up to receive an email whenever I share a new post!

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, DIY Craft Project, Soapmaking Tagged With: bath and body, crafts, diy, diy crafts, easy, family activity, family fun, family project, kids, kids project, soap dough, soap recipe, soap tutorial, soapmaking

How to Decorate Easter Eggs Without Dye: Creative Easter Egg Designs

March 5, 2020 By Rebecca D. Dillon 8 Comments

Learn how to decorate Easter eggs without dye for beautiful eggs without the mess. Explore beautiful, dye-free Easter egg designs you can create for the holiday to decorate your home for spring.

When my son was little, we decorated eggs every year. Every year, I held my breath as he dipped the eggs and pulled them out of the little cups, hoping he didn’t spill the dye all over my table and floor.

While I’m glad we made those memories, I do not miss the cups of egg dye. Now that he’s grown and in college, I still want to decorate for the holiday, but I don’t want to use dye.

How to Decorate Easter Eggs Without Dye

Learning how to decorate Easter eggs without dye isn’t just for adults. Older kids will have just as much fun with these ideas as the adults will.

You can decorate real hard boiled eggs, but I recommend buying white plastic eggs. They will last year after year, so you won’t have to make more each year. If you do have little ones decorating, it will be fun to see how their art skills progress with each passing year.

Keep these eggs away from young children because they won’t be edible if you use paint, glue, glitter, or paper to decorate them with.

Decorate Easter Eggs with Painted Easter Egg Designs

Paint is a fun and easy way to decorate Easter eggs. Here are some of my favorite painted Easter egg designs.

Sponge Painted Easter Eggs

Use acrylic paint to paint eggs a solid color. Then use a sponge to add a complementary color on top for some depth and contrast. Metallic or pearlized paints make really pretty eggs.

Paint Splatter Easter Egg Designs

Paint splatter eggs are very easy to make, but they are a mess. Make sure you cover the area with newspaper to catch the overspray.

Put a small amount of acrylic paint on a tray or plate. Dip a toothbrush into the paint. Then hold the paintbrush over the egg at a downward angle with the bristles over the egg. Run the fingers of your other hand over the bristles, pulling them back so they throw paint on the egg.

Let dry and repeat on the other side of the egg. You can mix two or more colors for a fun design.

Galaxy Easter Eggs

Paint your egg with acrylic paint. Use black for the background, then spong on blue and purple. Finally, splatter on white to make starts.

Polka Dot Eggs

This is another easy way to decorate Easter eggs without dye. Use a marker or paint to add polka dots all over the eggs. To make different sized dots with paint, dip the handle end of a paint brush into the paint and use that to dab a dot of paint on the egg.

Graphic Easter Egg Designs

If you’ve got a steady hand and some artistic ability, use markers or acrylic paint to make designs on your eggs.

You can make simple flowers, stripes, or polka dots. Be creative!

Easter Egg Design Ideas with Alternative Mediums (Other Than Paint)

You don’t have to paint your eggs to create fun Easter eggs designs. You can use any number of various mediums to add a decorative design to your eggs for spring. Things like temporary tattoos, ribbons, gold leaf, glitter and even paper napkins are the perfect craft supplies for creating fun and unique Easter egg designs.

Decorate Easter Eggs with Stickers, Decals or Temporary Tattoos

For a very simple way to decorate Easter eggs without dye, just use stickers. (I love these fun glasses and mustache stickers!) These are simple yet they look adorable sitting on a table. Set these on top of an egg cup to make a cute centerpiece for your table.

Ribbon Eggs

To decorate Easter eggs with ribbons, tie ribbon around the eggs and add a bow on the top. Set these simple yet cute eggs in a dish to make a centerpiece for the table or on a dish on a coffee table. You can easily match the decor in your room by changing the ribbon color.

If you want to dress it up a little bit, cut some burlap or fabric to wrap around the egg. Then tie a ribbon on top.

Marbled Eggs

Have you seen marbled nails? You can do the same thing to decorate Easter eggs. Fill a disposable cup with water and let it sit until it’s room temperature. Then drop nail polish on top of the water to create a film of polish on top. Use a toothpick to swirl the colors if you want.

Hold the ends of the eggs with two fingers then dunk the eggs into the cup. Let it sit for a few seconds then pull back out. Set the egg in an egg carton to dry.

Decoupage Eggs

If you don’t have a steady hand or don’t want to paint, try decoupaging a napkin onto the egg. You can use the entire napkin or cut out a design and just glue that on the egg. You can also use paper or fabric, but it won’t lay as flat as the napkin will.

Paint a thin layer of white glue or Mod Podge on the egg. Press the napkin, paper, or fabric down on the egg and use your fingers to smooth it down. Then seal with another layer of glue or Mod Podge on top.

Gold Leaf Easter Eggs

For a more elegant look, use gold leaf sheets to decorate Easter eggs. You can cover the entire egg or cut or tear small pieces to attach to the egg as shown in the photo.

Cut the gold leaf sheet to size. Then run your fingers through your hair to get some static on your hands. Static helps keep the gold leaf on the egg so it doesn’t shift. Then use a cotton ball to smooth the foil and remove air bubbles.

Glitter Eggs

Glitter Easter eggs are messy, but they are really pretty. To decorate Easter eggs with glitter, spread white glue or Mod Podge over half of the egg. Sprinkle glitter on top and gently tap off excess glitter. Let dry and repeat on the other half of the egg.

You can seal them with another layer of Mod Podge or glue to help contain the glitter. If you don’t want them completely covered in glitter, you can use glitter Mod Podge on the egg.

I hope you found some inspiration here to decorate Easter eggs without dye for your home spring decor! If these Easter egg designs aren’t quite what you had in mind, give one of these Easter crafts a try instead.

Alternately, should you decide you’d like to dye your Easter eggs, consider using a natural, plant-based Easter egg dye. You can learn how to dye Easter eggs naturally here.

Also be sure to check out these fun DIY ideas for Easter basket fillers. Or make something fun for Easter like my Easter egg bath bombs, these painted Easter egg soaps from Everything Pretty, or my moldable chick and bunny Easter sugar scrubs.

For more great project ideas from Soap Deli News, make sure to follow me on facebook, twitter, instagram and Blog Lovin‘. Or sign up to receive an email whenever I share a new post!

Filed Under: DIY Craft Project, Holiday DIY Tagged With: craft tutorial, crafts, decor, decorating, diy, Easter, Easter eggs, easy, holiday, home decor

DIY Reed Diffuser with Essential Oils for Natural, Non-Toxic Home Fragrances

March 3, 2020 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

Wondering, how do I make DIY reed diffusers? It’s actually easier than you might think! Learn how to make a DIY reed diffuser with essential oils to naturally scent your home with your favorite, non-toxic fragrance. You can use any essential oil or essential oil blend of your choice with your homemade reed diffuser. It’s so easy!

Simply Earth offers so many great essential oil recipes for health, home and beauty. This month, Simply Earth has made it incredibly easy to use essential oils to create natural home fragrances. Their March essential oil recipe box contains the know how you need to make your own DIY reed diffuser along with the information needed for making reed diffuser essential oil refills.

There are even lava stone beads for making an essential oil lava rock diffuser bracelet or to use in decorative bowl or dish! I’m so excited to share what’s inside this month’s box with you. Plus, I’ll also give you the full instructions for making your own DIY reed diffuser and the recipe for making reed diffuser oil refills using essential oils, vodka and water.

What’s Inside the March Simply Earth Box

This month’s Simply Earth essential oil recipe box is all about mood and emotions! It’s filled with a number of essential oil diffuser blend recipes. Plus there are materials for making a lava rock diffuser, reeds for making a DIY reed diffuser, a persevere roll on (rollerball bottles are included in the bonus box) and an aromatherapy inhaler for grief relief. There are also four essential oils included in the box. They are:

The really exciting thing about this box is that, if it’s your first time ordering, you’ll score a big bonus box of ingredients and supplies you can use with future boxes. It’s a $40 value so it’s pretty sweet. You also get a $40 coupon off absolutely anything you want from Simply Earth to use on your next purchase. Just use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE when you order, so you score all the freebies.

If you love this month’s, just be sure to order it ASAP. Their monthly essential oil recipe boxes usually sell out by mid-month. Otherwise, if you miss out on the current month’s box, they’ll send you their super cool essential oil starter box in its place. That way you don’t have to wait for the next month to roll around before receiving your first box. Buy it now.

Ready to get crafty? Let’s get started making reed diffusers with essential oils!

Making Reed Diffusers with Essential Oils

Making DIY reed diffusers for essential oils to use at home is really simple. I used an upcycled, amber fragrance oil bottle from my DIY wax melts for this project. I then added a sticker I printed from clipart I had previously purchased.

However, you can use any glass container of your choice — and decorate your reed diffuser bottle or not. You just need to be sure it fits the size reeds you are using. I’m a huge fan of these amber glass, apothecary reed diffuser bottles. A nostalgic throwback to Victorian era chemist’s shops, they’re perfect if you’re looking for something to compliment your home decor.

Now let’s get started and make your home smell amazing! Here’s how to make your own easy, DIY reed diffuser with essential oils to add a natural fragrance to your home. Plus discover essential oil reed diffuser recipes from recipe formulator and certified aromatherapist, Katie, of Simply Earth. You can use these essential oil diffuser blend recipes in your DIY reed diffuser. Or simply add a few drops to your essential oil diffuser for a natural scent in your home.

All of these essential oil reed diffuser recipes include the essential oils from the March Simply Earth essential oil recipe box. However, you don’t have to subscribe if it’s not yet in the cards for you. All of the essential oils from Simply Earth can be purchased individually.

DIY Reed Diffuser with Essential Oils

Materials for Your DIY Reed Diffuser:

Ingredients for the Reed Diffuser Refill:

2 Tablespoons vodka
2 Tablespoons distilled water
25 drops essential oil or essential oil blend (see recipes below)

Essential Oil Reed Diffuser Recipes:

Whimsey Diffuser Essential Oil Blend:

15 drops Orange essential oil
10 drops Patchouli essential oil

Joy Diffuser Essential Oil Blend:

5 drops Energy blend essential oil
5 drops Cypress essential oil
5 drops Patchouli essential oil
10 drops Orange essential oil

Creative Zone Essential Oil Blend:

5 drops Cypress essential oil
15 drops Orange essential oil
10 drops Energy essential oil blend

Anxiety Relief Essential Oil Blend:

18 drops Orange essential oil
8 drops Energy essential oil blend

Persevere Essential Oil Blend:

12 drops Energy essential oil blend
12 drops Cypress essential oil

It’s Okay to Grieve Essential Oil Blend:

10 drops Cypress essential oil
10 drops Orange essential oil
5 drops Patchouli essential oil

Directions for Making Reed Diffusers with Essential Oils:

To make your DIY reed diffuser, add the vodka along with 25 drops of the essential oil reed diffuser blend of your choice to a glass bottle or jar.

Swirl the ingredients for your reed diffuser refill for at least 30 seconds to mix.

Once combined, add the water to the jar.

How to Use Your DIY Reed Diffuser:

Allow the reeds to soak in the container for two hours, then flip the reeds to the opposite end of the bottle.

Now place the DIY reed diffuser in a small space, such as your office or bathroom. Anywhere you want a fresh scent!

Flip the reeds every few days or so to reinvigorate the scent.

After two weeks, replace the mixture with a fresh reed diffuser refill.

Discover More from Simply Earth

Interested to learn more about Simply Earth essential oils and their amazing essential oil recipe box? You can check out reviews and essential oil recipes for home, health and beauty from past boxes via my archives here.

Or simply sign up for the Simply Earth essential oil recipe box now! You’ll save big while growing your collection of quality essential oils. And, you’ll feel great about knowing that Simply Earth donates 13% to organizations that right to end human trafficking. Don’t forget to use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to score your free bonus box and $40 off coupon.

More Ideas for Naturally Scenting Your Home with Essential Oils

If you loved making reed diffusers with essential oils to naturally scent your home or office, then be sure to try these ideas for naturally scenting your home with essential oils.

If you like my post on how to make a DIY reed diffuser with essential oils, then follow Soap Deli News more healthy homemaking projects! You can find and follow me on facebook, twitter, instagram and Blog Lovin‘. Or sign up to receive an email whenever I share a new post!

Filed Under: DIY Craft Project, Handmade Home, Health & Wellness Tagged With: 5-minute crafts, crafts, diffuser blends, diy, easy, essential oil recipes, essential oils, handmade home, healthy homemaking, healthy living, home decor, home fragrance, homemaking, simply earth

Soap Sponge DIY: An Easy Way to Exfoliate Skin & Reduce Plastic Waste

February 20, 2020 By Rebecca D. Dillon 6 Comments

Learn how to make a soap sponge to use as part of your daily skin care routine. These soaps are dual purpose with an exfoliating sponge and a soap in one product. With proper care, your homemade soap sponges will last about two months. And they offer a number of benefits, not just in skin care, but for the environment as well. Keep reading to discover the benefits of soap sponges, plus how to make your own with just two simple ingredients and a sponge.

The first time I saw a soap sponge in a soap making group on Facebook, I was intrigued. Was it a solid bar of soap with a sponge inside? Would that even be comfortable to use? How do you make one without making a mess?

Since I love playing with all things soap, I decided to take on the challenge and teach you how to make a DIY soap sponge without making a mess.

I was pleasantly surprised that a DIY soap sponge wasn’t messy or hard to make. It was actually one of the easier melt and pour soap making projects that I’ve done.

Unlike DIY loofah soap, which is a loofah embedded inside melt and pour soap, a soap sponge is a sponge that is infused with soap. It’s still soft and squishy, so it feels like and works like, well, a sponge.

Why Use a Soap Sponge?

First off, you may be wondering, what is a soap sponge? A soap sponge is exactly what the name implies. It’s soap in a sponge. So like body wash on a loofah, soap sponges lather and cleanse skin when used. But what are the benefit of using a soap sponge over traditional body wash?

They help reduce plastic use.

Going completely zero waste is nearly impossible. Everything comes in packaging even if it’s just the supplies for production. While bar soap and even syndet shampoo bars are a great way to reduce waste in your daily bath and beauty routine, not everyone loves bar soap.

There are a lot of body wash fans out there. This can make reducing plastic waste even more of a challenge. However, an easy way to ditch your plastic body wash bottle is by using a soap sponge! What makes this even more amazing, is that you can make your own DIY soap sponges yourself, at home.

Once the soap is gone from your soap sponges, you can reuse the sponges for household cleaning, such as tackling your grungy toilet or shower door.

They offer gentle skin exfoliation.

Another benefit of soap sponges is that they offer the added benefit of daily skin exfoliation without any extra steps.

Every day, skin cells die and rise to the surface of your skin before they eventually fall off. These dead skin cells make your skin look dull and sometimes feel itchy. The sponge I used exfoliates the skin to remove this top layer of dead skin cells.

Unlike a body scrub, this sponge is a gentle exfoliant. It’s safe for both kids and adults, even for sensitive skin. It gently removes dead skin cells without causing redness or irritation.

You won’t notice a big difference the first time you use it, but after several uses your skin will start to look brighter and healthier.

How to Make a Soap Sponge

The Best Sponges for Making Soap in a Sponge

I bought a set of 5 soft sponges to make my soap sponges. They are made with natural fibers and soft to the touch. They also have a rope in them so you can hang the sponges to dry after you use them.

These sponges are shipped in a vacuum sealed bag. As soon as I cut open the bag, they puffed up but they were deformed. I soaked them in water and squeezed them, and they looked great. Let them dry completely before dipping them in the soap.

The sponges I used measure 5.12 inches x 3.5 inches x 2 inches. If you use smaller or larger sponges, you may need to adjust the amount of melt and pour soap that you use.

Choosing Your Melt and Pour Soap Base

Since my sponges were multicolored, I decided to use a clear melt and pour soap. I didn’t add any colorant, but you can if you use a solid color sponge.

I used Crafter’s Choice clear melt and pour soap. Their clear soap is very clear and doesn’t set up too fast. It gives a decent lather for a melt and pour soap, so it makes a good soap for the bath. This brand also offers a number of options, including all natural options as well as bases with additives like aloe, shea butter, goat milk and even oatmeal.

While Stephenson’s also offers natural melt and pour soap bases, their bases tend to cool and set up more quickly. Therefore, I do not recommend their bases for this particular project.

Add a Natural Essential Oil Blend

Because I shower in the mornings, I wanted a fresh scent that would lift and lighten my mood. What better way to start a day, right? So I used the Happy Joy blend from Simply Earth. (It’s a recent, and one of my favorite additions, from their monthly essential oil recipe box.)

A blend of geranium, sweet orange, grapefruit, and ylang ylang, this natural essential oil blend works wonders at helping to get me motivated to start my day! It’s a light and fun scent. Plus, it’s also a synergy that can help boost your mood and uplift your spirits. I have a roller with this blend as well, and I keep it by my desk so I can use it while I’m working.

The Happy Joy essential oil blend is only kid safe for children over 10. Therefore, if you’re giving your DIY soap sponges to a child, try a kid safe essential oil blend. Alternately, you can also use a fragrance oil instead.

Ready to make your very first soap sponge? You can find the tutorial for making soap sponges below. But first, I wanted to share a few soap making tips before your get started.

Tips for Making Soap Sponges

I used sponges with a rope in them. The rope got dipped in the soap with the sponge, and it was fine. It got firm, but it wasn’t completely hard. The soap will dissolve the first few times you use it anyway.

You should be practicing safe soap making even with melt and pour soap. Always use heat proof gloves and eye protection when making a soap sponge because the soap is hot and can splatter. These gloves are PVC coated and liquid and heat resistant.

I put a clothes hanger on my cupboard knob and used S hooks to hang my soap sponges after they were done. They didn’t drip much, but I had newspapers on the counter to catch drips.

You will have some soap left over. Pour it into a small mold to use as a hand soap or save it for the next time you make soap sponges.

Unlike cold process soap, melt and pour soap doesn’t need time to cure. It’s ready to use as soon as it’s cool.

Soap Sponge Recipe

Ingredients:

2 sponges
8 ounces clear melt and pour soap
½ teaspoon Happy Joy essential oil blend

Instructions:

Use a digital scale to weigh out the melt and pour soap base. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the melt and pour soap into one inch cubes.

Next, combine the melt and pour soap cubes in a heat safe container. Melt the soap in the microwave in 30 second bursts until melted. You’ll want to stir the soap between each interval to help the soap melt faster, and ensure even heating.

Once the soap base melts, carefully remove the soap from the microwave. I recommend using a tea towel to handle the container as it may be hot.

Then, add the essential oil blend to the melted soap base. Stir well for at least 30 seconds to combine.

Now, while wearing heat resistant gloves, dip each edge of the sponge into the melted soap. Then dip the top and the bottom.

Squeeze gently to remove excess soap.

Repeat the process until the sponge will no longer hold any additional soap. Each sponge should soak up about 4 ounces of the melt and pour soap base.

If necessary, gently reheat the soap if it starts to solidify during the process.

Once you’ve completed making a soap sponge, hang to dry.

Your DIY soap sponge is ready to use once it’s cooled and hardened completely. However, I recommend waiting a day prior to use.

How to Use A Soap Sponge

The soap sponge isn’t a solid piece of soap, so it feels more like a sponge than a bar of soap. To use, just wet it and squeeze it to make a lather. Then use it like you would any soap.

How to Care for Soap Sponges

Water is the enemy of melt and pour soap. If you let this sit in water, the soap will dissolve quickly. To help it last longer, set it on a soap dish or hang it where it won’t get hit by water.

If you hang it up between uses, it should last about two months.

Yield: 2 Soap Sponges

DIY Soap Sponge

Make a dual purpose DIY soap sponge to use as part of your daily skin care routine to exfoliate and cleanse skin in one easy step for beautiful, glowing skin. An easy melt and pour soap recipe for beginners.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Active Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Difficulty Easy

Materials

8 ounces clear melt and pour soap
½ teaspoon skin safe essential oil blend

Tools

2 bath sponges with rope
heat resistant PVC coated gloves
knife to cut soap
scale to weigh soap
microwave
bowl

Instructions

Cut the melt and pour soap into one inch cubes.
Melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts until melted. Stir between each interval to help the soap melt faster.
Remove the soap from the microwave carefully. Add the essential oil and stir well for at least 30 seconds.
Wear heat resistant gloves and dip each edge of the sponge into the soap. Then dip the top and the bottom. Squeeze gently to remove excess soap. Repeat the process until you each sponge is filled with half of the soap.
Hang to dry.

Zero waste skin care recipe for a DIY soap sponge. Learn how to make a soap sponge to use as part of your daily skin care routine. These soaps are dual purpose with an exfoliating sponge and a soap in one product. With proper care, your homemade soap sponges will last about two months. And they offer a number of benefits, not just in skin care, but for the environment as well. Discover the benefits of soap sponges, plus how to make your own with just two simple ingredients and a sponge.

Love this easy melt and pour soap making project for making DIY soap sponges? Then be sure to pin this recipe to Pinterest for later. And check out my Pinterest board for Easy Melt and Pour Soap Recipes for Beginners.

More Melt and Pour Soap Projects

If you enjoyed this tutorial and recipe for making DIY soap sponges, then you may also want to explore some of these other easy melt and pour soap recipes for beginners.

Discover more of my soap making projects by following me across all your favorite social media platforms. You can follow Soap Deli News blog on facebook, twitter and instagram. You can also find me on Blog Lovin‘. Or sign up to receive an email whenever I share a new post!

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, DIY Craft Project, Soapmaking Tagged With: bath and body, crafts, diy, easy, eco-friendly, gift idea, melt and pour soap, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, natural skin care, skin care recipes, soap tutorial, soapmaking, zero waste