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Treat Yourself This Valentine’s Day

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February 8, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 3 Comments

Four unexpected yet easy ways to treat yourself this Valentine’s Day! (Because not every love affair needs to be about someone else.)

I’m not the biggest fan of winter. Granted, snow is fun – to a point. But we’ve just not had enough snow to hoot and holler this winter. And that polar vortex that dipped super south this year? It left me huddled inside feeling the full force of those winter blues. While Valentine’s Day is on the horizon, it’s not really a day I’m looking forward to with any sort of zeal. To be truthful, I’d rather stay inside where it’s warm and cozy until spring. So in addition to – or perhaps just instead of – celebrating Valentine’s (or Galentine’s Day) why not simply treat yourself with one of these easy self care ideas?

4 Ways Treat Yourself for Valentine’s Day

#1 Treat yourself with a gift on your wish list.

When was the last time you spent money on you? As women, I think we’re conditioned to look out for the needs of others first. So instead of buying something for someone else, why not treat yourself? Buy something that sparks your creativity. Or splurge on that new pair of shoes or that eyeshadow pallet you’ve been dying to buy, but simply can’t justify. (I’m thinking about buying this linocut printmaking kit right now.)

#2 Treat yourself by making more time for the things you love.

You can also invest more time in your passions, by skipping those last minute trips to the store. Whenever we even get the threat of snow here in Southwestern Virginia, everyone freaks out. This makes going to the grocery store for a regularly planned trip to pick up toilet paper feel like you wandered into a madhouse. Everyone else is cleaning out the milk, eggs and bread. And all you want is few extra rolls of toilet paper because you’ve been using yours as tissues for the past week. Why torture yourself?

Sign up for Grove and get your everyday products delivered monthly right to your door – all when you need them! I love that I also have the option of receiving the things I need early – or simply skipping a month – depending on what I may need or my financial situation. Plus, right now, Grove is sending out some pretty incredible freebies for new customers. Things like treeless toilet paper and paper towels as well as dish and hand soap and scrubber sponges. Practical items – all shipped free with your first order of $20 or more. (I like to throw in holistic immunity boosters this time of year as well.) So you can take back that hour of chaos and bank that time to do something you actually enjoy. Check it out!

#3 Treat yourself with the gift of knowledge.

If you have a love of learning, then there’s no better gift of give yourself than the gift of knowledge. The Herbal Academy just introduced their revised and expanded their herbalism courses for the new year. Not only are they coinciding this with an awesome spring sale, there are some super sweet freebies that come with select programs. They also now offer PRINTED course guides! (For those of us who are constantly mourning the loss of paper books.) You can take advantage of sale pricing at The Herbal Academy through February 20th. New students will receive a $25 discount off registration through February 20th. Plus you’ll receive a free herbal goodie bag ($70 value) with any textbook package order! Sign up here.

#4 Treat yourself by supporting your ECS.

Last year I learned that our bodies have an entire system that supports everything from pain sensation and pregnancy to fertility, mood and appetite. It’s call the endocannabinoid system (ECS.) Voluntary exercise naturally boosts our ECS which can lead to exercise induced euphoria. (Source.) With winter here, however, staying active can be a challenge. But with the legalization of CBD oil across the country (with some restrictions) we are now able to turn to healthier options for chronic pain like arthritis and fibromyalgia in addition to our overall health and emotional well being. Don’t like the taste of CBD oil tinctures? You can now support your body’s endocannabinoid system with natural CBD oil infused treats!

For more lifestyle and wellness ideas, as well as natural beauty recipes, sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter so you never miss a post. You can also follow me on Pinterest, facebook and instagram.

Filed Under: Handmade Home, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: emotional health, health and wellness, healthy homemaking, healthy living, herbs, learning, life tips and tricks, lifestyle, self care, Valentine's Day

DIY Air Fresheners with Essential Oils – Unicorn Style!

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January 23, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 7 Comments

We don’t need a guy to remind us how awesome we are just because it’s Valentine’s Day. However, sometimes it’s nice getting that extra bit of reassurance from our friends. Remind your BFFs how magical they are with these wax unicorn DIY air fresheners for Galentine’s Day. Scented with natural essential oils, these unicorn air fresheners are perfect for musty closets or to use as drawer sachets. Or hang them in a sunny kitchen window.

These DIY air fresheners are super easy to make. They’re also the perfect reminder that, yes, we DO sparkle every single day! (Even if we don’t always realize it.)

Do you believe in (YOUR) magic?

I was the lucky girl who got an awesome unicorn mold for Christmas from my boyfriend. While my first thought was to make unicorn soap, I’m excited that my first project for this mold was actually for Galentine’s Day gifts. Of course, actually completing this project didn’t go off without a hitch. The one day I’m ready to put this project to paper (or wax in this case) I realized that I wasn’t able to dig my beeswax out of storage.

We are currently living in a shoebox, as I like to call it. Therefore, most of my craft supplies are stacked in crates. These crates are pretty heavy. They are also stacked in pairs of two on top of our kitchen cabinets. Because of their height and weight, my stash of beeswax was completely unattainable. And my boyfriend, of course, was at work. So I did what every crafty girl does. I improvised.

I still had a bit of white cosmetic beeswax leftover from last month’s Simply Earth box within easy reach. So I used the rest of that beeswax for this project. I also grabbed the only other workable ingredient I had within reach – stearic acid.

Similar to a wax, stearic acid is a solid saturated fatty acid obtained from either animals or vegetable fats. This waxy substance is a common ingredient in soaps, cosmetics and detergents. In my case, I keep vegetable-based stearic acid on hand to use as an emulsifying agent for lotions, creams and deodorants. Luckily, it also worked well as an ingredient for my wax-based DIY air fresheners.

While you can create my DIY air fresheners with simply essential oils and beeswax, the stearic acid does raise the melting the point slightly. This in turn allows you to use a bit more in the way of essentials oils to scent your DIY air fresheners if you’re so inclined.

Waxes and their melting points.

Beeswax has a melting point of around 144°F. While stearic acid melts at about 150°F. However, if you prefer to make vegan DIY air fresheners, you can substitute the beeswax in this recipe for candelilla wax, which melts at around 154°F. Just keep in mind that candelilla wax is yellow. Therefore its natural color will have an impact on your finished DIY air fresheners.

Alternately carnauba wax, which is also yellow, has a melting point of 180°F, and can be used in place of the beeswax. Just keep in mind that the pour and cleanup may be a bit trickier due to its higher melting point.

Get your glitter on.

Of course, you can’t have unicorn air fresheners without some sparkle and glitter! I used a purple mica to tint my DIY air fresheners. I also included both electric blue and chunky bubblegum eco-friendly glitter to give these wax unicorn air fresheners some bling. A bit of star ribbon that I scored from the Target Dollar Spot over Christmas then gave my DIY unicorn air fresheners that extra bit of magic.

Wax Unicorn DIY Air Fresheners

Supplies & Materials:

Rainbows & Unicorns Silicone Unicorn Mold
.75 oz. white cosmetic beeswax
.75 oz. stearic acid
.35 oz. essential oil, of choice
mica powder, to suit
eco-friendly glitter, to suit
ribbon, of choice
chopsticks

Tips & Tricks:

Keep in mind that the color of your DIY air fresheners will appear darker when the wax is melted. Once the wax air fresheners solidify, the white color of the wax will lighten the final color.
The mica and glitter you use for this project will sink somewhat toward the bottom of the mold. This means that the front and back of your wax unicorn air fresheners may be different shades. In my case, the front of my unicorn air fresheners were purple, while the backs were a more subdued pink.
Because most of the glitter will sink to the bottom of the mold, you may want to sprinkle a bit of glitter onto your DIY air fresheners once you’ve poured them into the mold. This will give the backside of your wax air fresheners that extra bling they won’t have otherwise.
You can use your favorite essential oil or essential oil blend for your DIY air fresheners. I recommend cedarwood essential oil for closets. Or try lavender essential oil for the unicorn drawer sachets. Want to hang your unicorn wax air fresheners in your kitchen? Try a bright, fresh fragrance like lemongrass! Alternately, you can also use your favorite fragrance oil.
Depending on what you have on hand, you can use all beeswax, all stearic acid or all some other wax. Mixing wax with stearic acid isn’t the only way to make these.

Instructions:

Weigh out the beeswax and stearic acid using a digital scale. Combine in a double boiler and heat over medium-low heat until melted. Once melted, weigh out the essential oil and stir into the melted wax. Remove from heat, then stir in your choice of mica and glitter.

Evenly pour the melted wax into two cavities of the unicorn mold. Wait about 30-60 seconds. Then position a chopstick in the wax of the first wax air freshener toward the top of the unicorn’s head. Hold the chopstick in place, pushing the chopstick toward the bottom of the mold. Do this for about 15 – 30 seconds or until the chopstick stays in place of its own fruition. Then repeat this process with a second chopstick for the other wax unicorn air freshener.

Once the wax has solidified and starts to pull away from the edge of the mold cavities, remove the air fresheners from the mold.

Push the chopsticks forward through the front of the unicorn air fresheners, if needed, so the hole goes completely through from front to back.

Then remove the chopsticks.

Now thread ribbon through the holes of your DIY air fresheners. You can use a chopstick to help push the ribbon through the hole.

Your wax unicorn DIY air fresheners are now ready to scent your home or to gift to your BFF for Galentine’s Day!

More Galentine’s Day Gift Ideas

If you’re looking for more Galentine’s Day gift ideas, be sure to check out these other home inspired scent ideas that your friends will love!

DIY Vanilla & Rose Reed Diffusers

These DIY vanilla rose diffusers with essential oils from Country Hill Cottage are the perfect way to fragrance a room and they make adorable gifts for your BFF. The indulgent scents of rose and vanilla create a romantic and relaxed atmosphere and will lift your mood. The best part is that DIY diffusers are only made with natural ingredients and you have full control over what goes into them. So you can feel good about this unique DIY Galentine’s Day gifts. Learn to make them here.

DIY Soy Wax Dipped Roses

These soy wax dipped roses from Everything Pretty make a great Galentine’s Day gift for your gal pal that’s allergic to the real deal. These are popular around Valentine’s Day, but they can be displayed at any time. Dipped in naturally scented soy wax, these faux flower roses have a natural fragrance that lightly scents any room. Learn to make them here.

Chocolate & Roses DIY Room Spray

Your BFF will go gaga over this natural DIY room spray from A Life Adjacent for Galentine’s Day! (And don’t forget to make extra for yourself!) This chocolate and roses room spray captures the romantic scent of roses and chocolate – without any artificial scents. Your entire home will be filled with the delicious, fragrant aroma of dark chocolate and fresh roses. Learn to make it here.

Now that you’ve made something amazing for your gal pals, learn how to make more great giftable crafts and bath and beauty recipes! Sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to receive updates when new projects are available. You can also follow me on Pinterest, facebook and instagram.

Filed Under: DIY Craft Project, Gift Guides, Handmade Home, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas, Lifestyle Tagged With: air freshener recipe, beeswax, crafts, diy, easy, essential oils, Galentine's day, gift idea, gift ideas for teens, gift ideas for women, homemaking, sachet, stearic acid, unicorn, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day gifts

Homemade Laundry Stain Remover Recipe for Laundry Stains & Delicates

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January 18, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

No one wants to deal with dirty laundry – and especially not laundry stains. This homemade laundry stain remover recipe is a great way to tackle your tough laundry chores. Keep reading to learn how to make a natural laundry soap that makes stains vanish. Plus it’s perfect for handwashing your favorite delicates!

Let’s Tackle Your Tough Laundry Stains!

Around five years ago I was inspired to create a homemade laundry stain remover recipe – soap style! Inspired by The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar, my own version of this natural laundry soap recipe was suitable for both stains and hand washing those delicate laundry items. However, now that some time has passed, and I’m no longer using palm oil in my homemade soap recipes, I thought a revised version of my homemade laundry stain remover recipe was in order.

Like The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar, my laundry bar soap recipe does contain borax. (I mean there’s a reason it’s included in all those powdered laundry detergent recipes. It gets stains out.) However, my new version of this recipe is made using only one soapmaking oil – coconut oil – for its highly cleansing properties. It’s then combined with borax and natural lemon essential oil, for a simple homemade laundry stain remover recipe that not only eliminates stains but is also great for handwashing or laundering when you travel.

As my homemade laundry stain remover recipe does contain borax, I recommend wearing gloves when using this product to avoid skin irritation. Additionally, I also ever so slightly superfatted this laundry stain soap bar. I did this in order to account for any errors that are possible when weighing out the ingredients. This will ensure that there is no unsaponified lye that may be left in this soap otherwise. (However, if you’re extremely confident in your scale’s accuracy, you can make this natural laundry stain remover recipe with 0% superfat or 2.2 oz. sodium hydroxide.)

Finally, I also scaled this recipe back from the original version. Because honestly, unless you work in a laundry mat there’s not way you’re using 3 lb. of homemade laundry soap anytime soon.

Homemade Laundry Stain Remover Recipe

Ingredients:

12 oz. refined coconut oil (100%)

2.18 oz. sodium hydroxide/lye (1% superfat)
4 fl. oz. distilled water (33% of oil weight)

.25 oz. borax powder (sodium borate)
.15 oz. lemon essential oil

Getting Started:

I recommend you use a silicone soap mold with cavities for this recipe. My homemade laundry stain remover recipe creates an incredibly hard bar of soap. Therefore it’s likely that cutting the soap into bars will be a challenge is you use a loaf mold. (Square silicone ice cube tray molds would be perfect for this.) In addition, you will need a digital scale in order to weigh out the ingredients. (This digital bakers math scale is perfect for soapmaking.)

You can easily source 20 Mule Team Borax for this homemade laundry stain remover recipe in most grocery and big box stores. It can be found in the laundry aisle. However, you can also purchase Milliard borax powder online. This brand of borax is made from anhydrous pure powdered sodium borate with no additives or preservatives.

To make this natural laundry soap recipe, refer to my basic cold process soapmaking instructions. I recommended you take all safety precautions when working with sodium hydroxide (lye) to avoid accidental burns or unwanted chemical reactions. It’s important to be 100% sure that none of your containers or utensils are made from aluminum.

Instructions:

Measure out the distilled water in a heat safe container. Then, using a digital scale weigh out the sodium hydroxide (lye) into a separate container. Carefully pour the sodium hydroxide into the water in a well ventilated area. Then stir to combine, mixing until all of the lye has dissolved.

While the lye/water cools, weigh out the coconut oil called for in my homemade laundry stain remover recipe. Gently heat until melted, then set aside.

In the meantime, weigh out the borax and essential oil into two separate containers.

Wait for both the lye/water and the coconut oil to cool down to around 90°-95°F. (Additionally they should also be within 10°F with one another.) Now mix the lye/water into the melted coconut oil using an immersion blender.

Once the soap batter for this natural laundry soap recipe reaches a light trace, stir in the borax and lemon essential oil. (If you have sensitive skin, you may omit the essential oil. Or use another citrus based essential oil or essential oil blend of your choice.) Mix thoroughly until the borax and essential oil are fully incorporated. Once you reach a medium trace, pour the soap into your mold of choice.

Lightly cover the soap with parchment paper if desired, then set aside. You may unmold your natural laundry soap the next day. Allow the soap you crafted using my homemade laundry stain remover recipe to cure prior to use, approximately three weeks. However, as these homemade soap bars are not being used on skin, you can technically use your natural laundry soap after several days have passed. This will ensure all the lye is gone, having fully saponified all of the coconut oil, leaving no lye behind.

Alternate Version:

If you’re not quite ready to make cold process soap, there is an alternate version of my homemade laundry stain remover recipe. You make a natural laundry soap recipe for stains and delicates by simple rebatching ready made bars of 100% coconut oil laundry or all purpose soap.

To do this, grate 16 oz. (by weight) of 100% coconut oil laundry soap. Place into a medium saucepan or pot on the stove. Next, dissolve .25 oz. or borax (by weight) in 6 fl. oz. of water. Combine the water and borax mixture with the grated soap. Heat the ingredients at medium-low until the grated soap melts. Then add .15 oz. of the lemon essential oil. Stir to combine, then pour into molds and allow to harden. Unmold and use as you would the cold process soap version of my homemade laundry stain remover recipe.

How to Use Your Homemade Laundry Stain Remover:

To use simply your natural laundry soap bar, simply dampen the bar of soap and/or fabric and rub onto soiled or stained spots prior to washing. For deep set in stains allow to set several hours to overnight.

More Homemade Cleaning Recipes

If you’re looking for more simple ways to clean your home, then try one of these homemade cleaning recipes. Other Soap Deli News readers love my 3-Ingredient vinegar free all purpose cleaner recipe. Or give this no scrub deep shower cleaner recipe with essential oils oils a try for a clean shower with almost zero effort. Alternately, for tough household odors try my deodorizing room spray recipe with essential oils as well as this natural deodorizing beeswax candle recipe.

To discover even more new recipes from Soap Deli News, sign up my semi-weekly newsletter. You can also follow me on facebook and instagram.

Filed Under: Handmade Home, Lifestyle, Soapmaking Tagged With: cleaning products, cleaning recipe, cleaning solutions, diy, eco-friendly, green cleaning, green living, healthy living, laundry, laundry detergent recipe, laundry soap, lifestyle, non-toxic

Simple Essential Oil Recipes for Home, Health & Beauty

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January 10, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon Leave a Comment

Creating simple essential oil recipes for your home, health and beauty is easier than you think. And it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Keep reading to discover how you can get started making your own products at an affordable price with no special equipment to buy!

There’s a universal truth about soapmaking. And it’s not really one we’re aware of until we actually devote ourselves to becoming soapmakers head on. It’s not a cheap hobby. In fact, getting started can require a pretty hefty investment. Throw in beauty and skin care recipes and you accidentally blew your entire grocery budget for the month. Even those DIY kits from soapmaking suppliers can run on the high side. I’ve seen a few that were over $100. And they only make a single recipe. Add essential oils to the mix and it can get expensive AF pretty quickly.

So why can’t there be an affordable way to explore multiple arenas of making simple essential oil recipes for home, health and beauty?

There is. It’s called Simply Earth.

What is Simply Earth?

Simply Earth is exactly what its name implies. Simple, plant based ingredients for crafting simple essential oil recipes for home, health and beauty. A monthly essential oil subscription box, Simply Earth provides you with everything you need to make simple essential oil recipes when you join. From the packaging and containers – like roller balls and lip balm tubes – to ingredients and recipe cards. There are even stickers for your finished products!

If I were ever to do an unboxing video, Simply Earth would be the box I’d start with. My lack of patience for such things aside, the monthly essential oil boxes from Simply Earth are, well, simply stunning. Beautifully packaged for both presentation and care, Simply Earth is everything one can hope for in a DIY essential oil box. In fact, the very first time I learned about Simply Earth, I knew I had to get one for myself!

And here we are.

What makes Simply Earth so amazing?

I received the January box from Simply Earth and can’t say enough great things about it. What makes it so amazing? Well, I’ll tell you.

1. It saves space.

If you’ve ever purchased materials in bulk for a project you know how much space they can take up. Living in a tiny *almost* studio sized apartment, I understand how important it is to save on space. So if you end up with a massive amount of containers and ingredients for a project you only plan to make once, it’s a challenge to find room for the leftover supplies. With Simply Earth you get all the materials you need in a SINGLE box for multiple recipes. There are still ingredients like essential oils, carrier oils and even beeswax leftover to use in future essential oil recipes. However, they aren’t going to take up three shelves in your cabinet.

2. You save money.

As previously mentioned, getting started with essential oils as well making natural home, health and beauty recipes can be costly. With Simply Earth, your up front costs are minimal. And with each new monthly essential oil box, you can make multiple new projects. All for an affordable price that fits most budgets. So creating your own simple essential oil recipes is fun, affordable and easy. It also makes it easy to grow your essential oil collection over time. Plus, all of the essential oils from Simply Earth have been tested and proven pure. So you know you’re getting a quality product.

3. You don’t need to buy any special equipment.

Most of my own natural beauty and skin care recipes require you purchase a digital scale for weighing out ingredients. Or you may need a special mold. However, if you aren’t a serious soapmaker, or just want a basic introduction to new ingredients, Simply Earth gives you just that. Everything you need to get started with no special equipment to buy. Plus there are six, brand new simple essential oil recipes to make each month.

4. It makes learning accessible.

Most of us have busy lives. And while we love learning new things, sometimes starting a new hobby or project can seem overwhelming – as well as time consuming. The essential oil boxes from Simply Earth introduce you to new essential oils slowly over time. So it’s easy to build on your knowledge and learn about the health and beauty benefits of essential oils. Plus, each of the simple essential oil recipes found in Simply Earth boxes can be made in around ten minutes or less. This allows you to take time out for self care while also creating something new that fits perfectly into your healthy lifestyle.

5. There are lots of recipes to get you started.

Want to make something new? Simply visit the Simply Earth website for a wide range of simple essential oil recipes for home, health and beauty. The Simply Earth blog offers simple essential oil recipes on how to make bath bombs, essential oil diffuser blends, body butter, sugar scrubs, face masks, candles, cold support chest rubs, natural germ cleaners, essential oil fruit & veggie wash – even essential oil jewelry diffusers!

6. Simply Earth boxes are fun for everyone.

Not only is Simply Earth fun for you, it’s also fun for the family. Their products are suitable for most ages including tweens and up. So you can enjoy learning about new essential oils as a family. Or, explore your new essential oil box from Simply Earth with friends or coworkers. (These boxes make great gifts too!)

7. They donate to charity.

Finally, Simply earth donates 13% of their profits to organizations that work to end human trafficking.

Inside my Simply Earth essential oil box.

I received Simply Earth’s January essential oil box for my very first box along with a free big bonus box. Inside were the ingredients and essential oils to make the following products (along with recipe cards.)

Confidence Diffuser Blend
Skin Renewal Sugar Scrub
Relaxing Textured Massage Bars
Lip Rejuvenating Lip Balms
Skin Healing Booster Roll On
Calming and Uplifting Body Butter

The ingredients included coconut oil and fractionated (liquid) coconut oil, sweet almond oil, tapioca pearls, cosmetic beeswax and a silicone soap mold. I also received multiple, empty essential oil bottles with droppers, glass amber bottles with metal roller balls, an amber glass jar and lip balm containers. Additionally, my box also included the following essential oils:

Ravensara Essential Oil
Bergamot Essential Oil
Farewell Scars Essential Oil Blend
Myrrh Essential Oil

My favorite essential oil recipe for January from Simply Earth is the relaxing textured massage bar with tapioca pearls. While my favorite essential oil this month is the Farewell Scars essential oil blend. (I love that information about the benefits of each essential oil or essential oil blend can be found on the back of the recipe cards!)

Get your essential oil box from Simply Earth!

I can’t wait to receive next month’s essential oil box from Simply Earth! The theme for February is natural makeup. Not only will this box contain six simple essential oil recipes for natural makeup, it will also include the following essential oils and blends: Beauty Within, Geranium, Coffee and Copaiba. Plus there are bonus items like eye makeup containers and natural colorants!

If you’re excited as I was when I first learned about Simply Earth, then make sure you start your monthly subscription! Not only will you receive a free bonus box, you’ll also get a gift card $40 off your next order when you use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE If a monthly box doesn’t fit your budget, no worries. You can opt in to receive a quarterly essential oils box with six simple essential oil recipes instead. Or, it’s easy to skip a box or cancel your subscription for any reason! Get started now!

For more simple essential oils recipes, sign up my semi-weekly newsletter to discover more of my original beauty and skin care recipes and projects to try throughout the new year! You can also follow me on facebook and instagram.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Handmade Home, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: aromatherapy, beauty box, beauty kit, beauty recipe, beauty recipes, essential oil blend, essential oil recipes, essential oils, handmade home, health and wellness, healthy homemaking, natural beauty, natural skin care, self care, simply earth

Alcohol Ink Ornaments DIY (Video Tutorial for the Holidays)

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

December 18, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon Leave a Comment

Alcohol ink ornaments are not only a beautiful way to decorate your Christmas tree or winter wreath, they’re also incredibly quick and easy to make. Keep reading to learn how to make your own DIY alcohol ink ornaments. Plus a fun video tutorial on how to make alcohol ink ornaments from my fellow friend, artist and teacher, Hillary Hardison.

Alcohol ink ornaments are so beautiful. So I assumed they would be a challenge to make. I was SO wrong. Truth be told, you can actually make your own DIY alcohol ink ornaments from start to finish in just 10-minutes or less. So if you block out just an hour or two over the weekend, you can create a dozen of your own unique alcohol ink ornaments for your Christmas tree or winter holiday wreath.

Not only will these handmade ornaments make your Christmas tree pop, they are also perfect to give as last minute holiday gifts. Simply customize them with the year or a family name using a paint pen for an easy keepsake ornament that can be treasured for years to come.

My friend Hillary locally teaches a once monthly class dubbed Wine & Art Wednesdays. She’s been teaching these classes for some time now. Her latest class, however, was the most popular ever!

For this class she taught a sold out crowd how to make alcohol ink ornaments. Hillary was kind enough to allow me to video the process for my readers so you can also join in the fun! Keep reading for written instructions on how to make DIY alcohol ink ornaments. Then be sure to watch Hillary’s video tutorial (from her class) on how to make alcohol ink ornaments at the end of this post.

How to Make DIY Alcohol Ink Ornaments

Supplies & Materials:

Alcohol Ink, In Colors of Choice
Clear Glass Ball Ornaments
Compressed Air Duster
Ribbon, Beads & Hooks, optional

Tips & Tricks:

You do need non-porous ornaments for this project. That means no plastic. Therefore, clear glass ornaments, like those found in craft stores, are perfect for making alcohol ink ornaments.

If desired, you may want to create color cheat sheets for your alcohol inks. Simply add a drop of each of your colors to a strip a paper. Then label the colors used. This helps you know exactly what the colors are going to look like out of the bottle as so many colors appear much darker while bottled.

Additionally, it’s important to know that unlike paint, alcohol inks do not blend with one another. So mixing two colors together inside of your ornament will actually cause the colors to push away from one another rather than combine.

Also keep in mind that less is more. You really only need a small amount of alcohol ink to coat the inside of your alcohol ink ornaments. However, there is a fix should disaster strike.

One of Hillary’s students ended with a small pool of ink in her ornament once she’d achieved a design she liked. To remove the excess ink, she thinly rolled up a small section from a paper towel. She then dipped the paper towel into the ornament to soak up and remove the excess ink from the bottom of her ornament.

Instructions:

Cover your workspace with a plastic tablecloth or paper to protect your work surface. If desired, you may also want to wear gloves and a craft apron to prevent staining clothing and skin. If desired, do as we did and pour yourself a glass of wine. And grab a friend too! They always make everything more fun.

Once you’ve gathered all your materials, you’ll begin by simply diving in! Take a sip of wine, cock a grin at your BFF, then ready your gun – er, compressed air. (Just don’t shake the can!)

Remove the top from a glass ornament. Now add a small amount of alcohol ink to the inside of your ornament. Using the compressed air, you’ll then spray air into the ornament in short bursts. You can direct where the ink goes by simply aiming the air in different directions.

Now add your second color and repeat the process. (Keep in mind, however, that the ink for alcohol ink ornaments dries very quickly.) Continue adding ink and air until you get the look you’re after. As there really are no rules, feel free to experiment your heart out!

Discover design ideas for your DIY alcohol ink ornaments here.

Place your finished alcohol ink ornaments back inside the carton they came in, or in another safe location, so they don’t accidentally roll off the table and break. (Wait.. did I suggest drinking wine and playing with glass at the same time? Whatever. You’re a grown ass woman. You’ll be fine.)

Once your DIY alcohol ornaments have dried completely, reinsert the tops. You can then add hooks to your ornaments and decorate them with beads or ribbon as desired.

Now, without further ado, Hillary’s awesome (and unedited) video tutorial on how to make alcohol ink ornaments! (I love this woman!)

To learn more about Hillary and her work you can find her on Facebook and via her website. Or, if you’re local or plan to visit the Roanoke Valley, you can find a schedule of events at the Aurora Artisans Studio & Frameshop here.

For more winter holiday ideas & crafts, be sure to check out this Pinterest board. Or discover more holiday DIY’s on the blog here. Also, don’t forget. If you’ve made a project from a tutorial or recipe on Soap Deli News, I want to see it! Simply tag your photos with #soapdelishowoff on instagram.

Filed Under: DIY Craft Project, Handmade Home, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: alcohol ink, art, art class, Christmas gift, Christmas ornament, christmas tree, crafts, diy, easy, gift idea, glass ornament, holiday gift, holidays, ornaments