Bourbon Balls Recipe with Woodford Reserve: No Bake DIY Holiday Gifts

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October 19, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

Make this easy gluten free, no bake bourbon balls recipe with Woodford Reserve (or rum if you prefer!) for the ultimate last minute DIY holiday gifts!

This no bake bourbon balls recipe with Woodford Reserve allows you to create the ultimate no bake last minute DIY holiday gifts. These easy bourbon balls not only taste delicious, they’re also gluten free. So everyone can enjoy the delectable taste of chocolate and bourbon this holiday season. A delightful no bake dessert for Christmas, these bourbon balls can also be made with rum or customized with your favorite ingredients whether it be coconut or dried raspberries for a flavorful holiday treat!

How to Make No Bake Bourbon Balls

Whether you need a last minute gift to bring to a holiday party or a super last minute gift on Christmas Eve, these homemade bourbon balls are the perfect choice! Not only is this recipe for bourbon balls super easy to make, there’s also no baking required. Basically that means they are pretty fool proof. Even if you’re a slacker in the kitchen like I am. While this recipe for bourbon balls calls for nuts, you can easily omit them from the recipe if you have nut allergies.

Ingredients for Making Gluten Free Bourbon Balls

This easy bourbon balls recipe can be made with either vanilla wafers or ginger snaps. For my first batch of homemade bourbon balls, I used gluten-free Mi-Del’s Ginger Snaps. They crush really easily which makes them worth the extra $1.50 even if you don’t need gluten free bourbon balls. However, one bag will only make you one batch. For my second batch I used regular grocery store brand gingersnaps and had a heck of a time crushing them. I actually took a hammer to the outside of the bag at 9am the first year I made these. However I still ended up with some whole cookies left in the bag and lots of large chunks.

I also used baking nuts for my recipe for bourbon balls. They were significantly cheaper than buying whole nuts from the nut aisle, especially as I wasn’t going to use an entire can. Plus it was the only way I could find them unsalted at the time. Finally, I recommend that choose your bourbon wisely. The better the booze, well, the better the ball! I specifically used Woodford Reserve for my recipe.

If you aren’t a huge fan of bourbon, you can simply swap out the bourbon with your favorite rum. These would actually be amazing with a spiced rum or a flavored rum that accents the ingredients that go into the recipe.

Easy Bourbon Balls Recipe with Woodford Reserve

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups ginger snap cookies, crushed
1/2 Cup pecan baking chips, optional
1/2 Cup confectioners sugar
1/4 Cup Woodford Reserve (or rum of choice)
2 Tablespoons baking cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons raw local honey
1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Shredded coconut, chopped for dusting

Instructions:

Crush the ginger snap cookies as much as possible then combine in a large bowl with the other ingredients. Mix well with a spatula then place in freezer to chill for about an hour.

Once your bourbon balls have chilled, roll into about 3/4″ balls and then roll in shredded coconut to coat thoroughly. (Alternately you can use confectioner’s sugar or even dried raspberries, as pictured, instead.) Keep at it until all dough has been used.

Easy Packaging Idea for Gifting Your Bourbon Balls

For easy DIY holiday gifts, I placed about 8 balls each in a zipper sandwich bags. I then place the balls inside glassine bags for presentation and labeled them with holiday stickers. You can even add a strip of washi tape to each of your gifts with the “eat by” date.

Once made, cover and refrigerate your bourbon balls. They will keep for a week in the refrigerator so don’t make these too far ahead. Otherwise you’ll have to freeze them.

You’ll also want to keep them refrigerated when you’re not binging on them during yet another seasonal rerun of A Christmas Story.

Yield: About 42 bourbon balls

Bourbon Balls Recipe with Woodford Reserve

Name: Bourbon Balls Recipe with Woodford Reserve
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: About 42 bourbon balls
Cuisine: cookies
Ingredients: 1 1/2 Cups ginger snap cookies, crushed; 1/2 Cup pecan baking chips, optional; 1/2 Cup confectioners sugar; 1/4 Cup Woodford Reserve (or rum of choice); 2 Tablespoons baking cocoa powder; 2 Tablespoons raw local honey; 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract; Shredded coconut, chopped for dusting

Make this easy gluten free, no bake bourbon balls recipe with Woodford Reserve (or rum if you prefer!) for the ultimate last minute DIY holiday gifts!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups ginger snap cookies, crushed
1/2 Cup pecan baking chips, optional
1/2 Cup confectioners sugar
1/4 Cup Woodford Reserve (or rum of choice)
2 Tablespoons baking cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons raw local honey
1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Shredded coconut, chopped for dusting

Instructions

Crush the ginger snap cookies as much as possible then combine in a large bowl with the other ingredients. Mix well with a spatula then place in freezer to chill for about an hour.

Once made, cover and refrigerate your bourbon balls. They will keep for a week in the refrigerator so don’t make these too far ahead. Otherwise you’ll have to freeze them.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

3 balls
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 200 Total Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 150mg Carbohydrates: 30g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 14g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g

More Holiday Dessert Recipes & Food Gifts

If you like my recipe for bourbon balls, then you may also want to try some of these other dessert recipes.

Or learn how to make these other boozy Christmas treats.

For more last minute DIY holiday gift ideas, be sure to follow my boards on Pinterest! You can find and follow Soap Deli News on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: Food Recipes, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: christmas, Christmas gift, cookies, dessert, food gift, food recipe, gift idea, holiday gift, last minute gift, no bake, treat, winter

Pumpkin Spice DIY Body Spray Recipe with Essential Oils for Fall

October 3, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 3 Comments

Enjoy the scent of fall whenever and wherever you like with this easy essential oil DIY body spray recipe that smells like seasonal pumpkin spice! It’s a simple way to create your own custom fall fragrances for yourself or to gift as easy DIY holiday gifts throughout the season.

Make Your Own DIY Body Spray for Fall

I love fragrances. Unfortunately, it’s rare that I can shell out $40+ for a designer fragrance. Body sprays, on the other hand, are a budget friendly splurge. Body sprays tend to cost less than designer perfumes. Therefore I’m comfortable with using them everyday. There’s no need to ration out my favorite scents so they last longer. However, as I often have an arsenal of essential oils stashed in a cabinet for my natural skin care recipes, I really enjoy making my own seasonal DIY body sprays.

Benefits of Making Essential Oil Body Sprays

There are a number of benefits to making my own custom scented DIY body sprays with essential oils. Obviously I don’t need to worry about the potentially toxic ingredients hidden in proprietary perfume formulations made with fragrance oils. Instead, I’m able to create unique scents using plant-based essential oils.

Custom DIY body sprays with essential oils are also incredibly easy to make. Plus, with the holidays quickly approaching, I’m able to make multiple body sprays at once. One for me, and then several more to gift to friends and family. All at the same time and all in under 15 minutes.

I also love that I can use my favorite essential oil diffuser blends and recipes in my body spray recipes. So rather than hunting for essential oil blend recipes all over the internet, I’m able to work with what I have on hand at home.

How to Make A Pumpkin Spice Body Spray

While this easy pumpkin spice DIY body spray is perfect for fall, it also make a great DIY gift idea throughout the entire holiday season. Once you’ve made my pumpkin spice scented body spray, be sure to try it with other essential oil blends as well. It also works great with your favorite knock off designer fragrance oils!

You can find more fragrance ideas and essential oil blend recipes for your custom DIY body sprays here. (I even give great tips on how to make your custom fragrance blends last longer!) Or try one of fourteen other amazing fall essential oil blend recipes that can be used not just for your DIY body spray, but for homemade soap recipes as well! See those custom blend recipes for your DIY body spray here.

Pumpkin Spice Body Spray Recipe

Ingredients:

4 oz. jojoba or fractionated coconut oil
12 drops cinnamon leaf essential oil
12 drops ginger essential oil
12 drops nutmeg essential oil
9 drops clove bud essential oil
3 drops cardamom essential oil

Instructions:

Measure out your choice of carrier oil into a 2 oz. glass or aluminum container. Then add the essential oils. Shake to combine.

To use your pumpkin spice DIY body spray, simply mist onto your body as desired. Or lightly spritz onto hair to add both fragrance and shine.

More Ways to Make DIY Body Sprays

If you enjoyed my pumpkin spice DIY body spray recipe with essential oils, then be sure to try some of my other recipes for creating custom body sprays and perfumes.

Custom Dry Oil Body Spray Recipe for Soft Skin
Mermaid Shimmer Body Spray Recipe with Shimmering Mica
DIY Dry Oil Body Spray Recipe with Camellia Seed Oil
Shea Butter Body Spray Recipe with Shea Nut Oil
Aromatherapy Essential Oil Body Spray DIY for Sleep
Caramel Coffee Dry Oil Body Spray Recipe for Fall

Not quite ready to start making homemade body spray recipes? Need to save my pumpkin spice body spray recipe to craft DIY holiday gifts later on? Then be sure to pin my essential oil DIY body spray for later!

For more DIY ideas for fall fragrances and natural skin care recipes be sure to follow Soap Deli News across your favorite social media channels. You can find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, pinterest, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: bath and beauty, bath and body, body spray, dry oil body spray recipe, essential oil blend, essential oil recipes, essential oils, fall, fragrance, gift idea, holiday gift, perfume, perfume oil, pumpkin spice

Father’s Day Gifts from Kids (That Anyone Can DIY)

June 3, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 1 Comment

There’s nothing better than giving the gift of handmade. Something you made with your own two hands for someone special in your life. However, it can be challenging to come up with gift ideas for men. Especially when you’re hunting for Father’s Day gifts from kids that they can either make themselves, or with a little help. Since dads, in particular, can be a challenge to craft for, I’ve put together a roundup of my favorite DIY Father’s Day gifts that just about anyone can DIY.

I still remember the delight I felt when I first discovered fabric crayons. We were asked to bring in a white t-shirt to class so we could make Father’s Day gifts. We drew designs representing our families in crayons onto white paper. Then they were ironed onto the t-shirts we’d brought to class. Houses, rainbows, stick figures and dogs were common themes. And of course beautiful fluffy blue clouds and birds in the sky chasing through them. Far superior to the clay ashtrays of the previous year, these t-shirts allowed us to express our love for family through pictures. And besides, my parents didn’t smoke anyway.

Coming up with fresh new ideas for Father’s Day gifts from kids year after year however can be a challenge. So this year, I’ve put together a collection of Father’s Day gifts that anyone can DIY as a special gift for Dad. Grown ups included. So whether you’re five or forty five, or somewhere in between, you can create the perfect DIY Father’s Day gift. (Although younger kids may need a little extra help from Mom.)

Father’s Day Gifts from Kids (to DIY)

One of my most popular Father’s Day gifts from kids comes from a project my son completed six years ago. He upcycled a soda carton and its empty bottles to make a custom six pack of his Dad’s favorite snacks. The bottles are filled with things like pistachio nuts, Skittles and M&M’s. While the carrier is painted with chalkboard board paint so a personalized message can be added to this Father’s Day gift from kids. Learn to make it here.

My suncatcher DIY has also been trending on Pinterest this month. It’s another great gift idea for Dad. Simply upcycled old CD’s and trace on images with marker that you can then fill in with paint. A motorcycle suncatcher – or another image of something representing Dad’s loves or hobbies – is perfect for his office or the patio door of his man cave.

Tweens and teens will have a blast crafting these handmade candles for Dad. Scented with a leather fragrance oil, this candle making project makes another easy DIY Father’s Day gift from the kids. And one they aren’t embarrassed about being shown off to his friends and coworkers. (Plus, hello. Moms will love this gift idea too! Not only will his man cave no longer be tinged with the scent of man sweat and stout beer, he won’t yell about you coming through during the game with the freshness of Febreeze.)

These DIY pasta planters from Handmade Charlotte are another great Father’s Day gift idea. The perfect gift from kids of all ages, these planters are not only easy to make, they’re the perfect gift when paired with Dad’s favorite herbs for his famous chili or pizza recipes. I also like this “Me and My Peeps” flower pot craft from Me and My Inklings.

Older kids will delight in making these DIY Star Wars inspired soaps for Dad. Plus they’ll learn a few soap making tricks. Like how to make their Millennium Falcon soaps look like painted metal. These fun Father’s Day gifts from the kids can be customized with Dad’s favorite cologne by simply using a fragrance oil dupe. Or use essential oils like pine or patchouli for a natural scent.

They can also further explore their creativity by making galaxy soaps if you’ve already taken them under your ~~mother hen~~ soap making wing. It’s just a matter of melting soap base and swirling in different colors.

Or combine a variety of soap shapes to make this Cool Water dupe scented soap DIY that resembles pebbles in a stream.

Other easy soap gift ideas for Dad this Father’s Day include this simple moisturizing body wash recipe and this DIY hand milled coffee & bourbon soap.

Beard oil is another equally awesome handmade gift idea for Father’s Day. Plus it’s super easy. This natural beard oil recipe from Beauty Crafter uses volume measuring so you won’t need a skill. Simply measure out the carrier oils with measuring spoons and add in drops of essential oil as called for in the recipe. If this isn’t quite what you were looking for, Mountain Rose Herbs has three additional beard oil recipes you can try.

I also love this Father’s Day gift idea for making faux wood burned signs. Because this project doesn’t require a wood burning tool, this tutorial for a faux wood burned sign and wood slice coasters from Printable Crush is safe for all ages.

There are also a number of free printables that are perfect for last minute Father’s Day gifts. The kids can help shop for the ingredients and assemble these gifts at any age. Tried and True blog has a free popcorn printable for an easy popcorn Father’s Day gift from kids. She also has an easy idea for a DIY Father’s Day gift can with a printable label. Or consider the printable Father’s Day bottle tags from Skip to My Lou for Dad’s favorite soda, beer or hard cider.

If your kids love Legos, have them put their block building skills to good use with this DIY Father’s Day gift from Laly Mom. Kids will love making this rad DIY pen holder for Dad’s desk. Not only is it the perfect place for him to stash his pens, they can also add their favorite photo of a special memory together.

More Great Kid Made Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Need even more ideas for DIY Father’s Day gifts from kids? Keep reading to discover just a few of the Father’s Day gift ideas that I’ve compiled on my Father’s Day Gift Ideas Pinterest board.

This shaving cream recipe from The Nourished Life contains witch hazel so it’s perfect for Dad’s sensitive skin.

Print a hugs and fishes gift tag to pair with a fishing lure box and colorful Swedish candy fish at Eighteen 25.

This marimo moss ball aquarium is super easy to make and the perfect accessory for Dad’s desk.

A mechanic’s hand scrub is a great gift for the car hobbyist. This DIY from Everything Pretty is the perfect gift!

Crafty Staci has a tutorial for a Dad inspired BBQ towel to keep by the grill this summer.

Learn how to create a DIY shaving kit for Dad over at one of my favorite blogs, Hello Glow.

If Dad’s a gardener, then he’ll love this DIY garden tool bag from So Sew Easy filled with gardening tools.

Toddlers can get their craft on with this Father’s Day gift idea for a handprint baseball with printable poem from Sunny Day Family.

Young children can also make this cute Father’s Day handprint craft from The Best Ideas for Kids.

What’s your favorite kid-made Father’s Day gift idea? Be sure to share your ideas for Father’s Day gifts from kids in the comments. Then don’t forget to follow me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up to receive my semi-weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Gift Guides, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: crafts, diy, easy, Father's Day gift, gift idea, gifts for dad, holiday gift, kids project

Best Mother’s Day Gifts & Ideas to DIY

May 7, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

I seriously got the best Mother’s Day gift EVER this year! So I wanted to ~~share~~ mom brag about my son’s gift to me. Plus share a few DIY ideas for the best Mother’s Day gifts you can make for your mom this Mother’s Day.

I got my Mother’s day gift early this year. Words cannot even explain how amazing it is! My son, Cody, graduated valedictorian from my alma mater, Roanoke College, this past Saturday. He’s the first on our side of the family to be headed to grad school.

Cody will be working on a research grant when he starts his major in clinical health and research in the fall at UNC Charlotte. His end goal is to be able to help those in need so they can lead happy and fulfilling lives. I feel so blessed to have a son who cares so much about others and the world around him that he wants to make it his life’s work.

While you may not be in a stage in your life that you can wow your mom with your achievements, I can help you out with a collection of 18 handmade gifts that she’ll totally love. Keep reading to explore the best Mother’s Day gifts & ideas that you can DIY for your Mom this May – even if it’s last minute.

Best Mother’s Day Gifts & Ideas to DIY

Blueberry Thyme Bath Salts Recipe

If you’re looking for an easy Mother’s day gift to make last minute, then try this simple homemade bath salts recipe! It’s formulated with Epsom salt and magnesium flakes to ease your mom’s sore muscles and reduce stress. Plus it smells amazing! Get the recipe.

Rose Essential Oil Bath Bomb Recipe

Another of the best Mother’s Day gifts you can DIY, these fragrant rose essential oil bath bombs make a lovely DIY Mother’s Day gift. Made with natural rose essential oil and fragrant roasted cocoa butter, these bath bombs ar the perfect bath time treat to help Mom unwind and relieve stress. Get the recipe.

Easy DIY Succulent Soaps

These adorable succulent soaps from Everything Pretty are guaranteed to delight your mom this Mother’s Day! Perfect for homemade gifts, these DIY melt and pour soaps look like little potted succulents ready for a sunny windowsill. Learn to make them.

Essential Oil Rose Bath Truffles Recipe

Help Mom take a time out for self care with these skin softening DIY rose bath truffles from Country Hill Cottage. Made with six natural ingredients, these beautiful bath treats infuse bath water with nourishing oils and butters to moisturize Mom’s beautifully maturing skin! Get the recipe.

Natural Magnesium Body Butter Recipe

My mom is embarking into her seventies. Unfortunately that means her arthritis is getting worse. If your mom also suffers from common aches and pains, then she’ll appreciate this natural magnesium body butter as much as my mother does! Made with natural ingredients like roasted cocoa butter and essential oils, this body butter recipe also contains magnesium flakes to ease sore muscle and joint pain. Learn how to make it.

Pineapple Hidden Color Bath Bomb Recipe

If your mom is on trend with the latest hidden color bath bombs, then she’ll love to receive these pineapple shaped bath fizzies. Formulated to stay together even in high humidity, these hidden color bath bombs will turn your mom’s bath into a rainbow of colors! See the tutorial.

Related: Explore more beautiful DIY Mother’s day gift ideas here.

DIY Crochet Coffee Sleeve

If your mom’s like me then she loves that morning cup of coffee or tea! This crochet coffee cup sleeve from Skip to My Lou is so beautiful. Your mom will use it everyday for that early cup of java. Making it one of the best Mother’s Day gifts you can DIY last minute. Learn how now.

DIY Seashell Wine Charms

What could be more perfect for moms who love wine and entertaining than wine charms? These super cute DIY seashell wine charms from Crafts By Amanda are super simple to make, but look amazing! Plus it’s a great use for those seashells you still have stashed from last summer. See the tutorial now.

DIY Mother’s Day Suncatcher Gift

This suncatcher craft project idea from Darice is super easy to make. It’s also small enough that it can be mailed to your long distance mom if needed. Each bead on this Mother’s Day suncatcher reflects a different child in her life. Learn how to make this memorable best Mother’s Day gift for your mom’s kitchen window. It’s a lovely reminder that you’ll always be in her heart. Learn to make it now.

DIY Solid Rose Lotion Bars

Lotion bars a great way to care for your mom’s maturing skin. Formulated without beeswax, these vegan friendly solid lotion bars are made with natural plant based ingredients for healthy skin care. Get the recipe and helpful tips for creating your own homemade lotion bars for gifts at A Life Adjacent. Get the recipe.

DIY Handwritten Recipe Tea Towel

A handwritten recipe tea towel is the best Mother’s Day gift idea for moms who love to bake! Learn how to transfer a handwritten recipe card from your mom’s recipe collection onto a tea towel with this tutorial from Lyndale Drive. Learn how now.

Hand Poured Citronella Candles DIY

With summer on the way, your mom will surely appreciate these beautiful hand poured citronella candles from Country Hill Cottage. Made using soy wax and citronella essential oils, these patio stable candles make the perfect gift for any mom who loves enjoying time outdoors. There are even printable labels to make this Mother’s day gift even better. Make them now!

Related: Make mom a DIY needle felted wine bag with this tutorial.

Hand Painted Rose Mason Jars

You can’t beat these lovely hand painted rose mason jars as another of the best Mother’s Day gifts & ideas to DIY. Not only are these mason jars beautiful, they also have a number of uses. Mom will love using these decorative jars as vases or to store kitchen staples! Discover the tutorial for making hand painted roses at It All Started with Paint. See the tutorial.

Foaming Salt Scrub Recipe

This homemade foaming salt scrub recipe is a great way to exfoliate, cleanse and moisturize skin in one simple step. A reader favorite recipe, this DIY foaming salt scrub has been reproduced numerous times over the years both to sell and give as homemade gifts. Another win as one of the best Mother’s Day gifts to DIY this spring. Get the recipe.

Natural Essential Oil Perfume Recipes

Essential oils are big right now and for good reason. They wonderful for crafting natural skin care products as well as for use in aromatherapy. In addition, essential oils are also perfect for creating natural gift worthy perfume. Learn how to make five essential oil rollerball bottle perfume recipes that mom will love. Get the recipes now.

DIY Terrazzo Triangle Trinket Box

If you’re lucky enough to have a 3D printer, then this trinket box is a must for a DIY gift for Mom. Gift it with a handmade felt brooch or a novelty enamel pin to customize it even further. Then decorate the outside with temporary tattoos. Don’t have a 3D printer? Try an upcycled cardboard box version instead! Get the pattern to make yours.

Cucumber Mint Sugar Scrub Recipe

Need even more Mother’s Day gift ideas? This cucumber mint sugar scrub recipe is another homemade gift idea that tops the list. Made with ingredients that skin loves like cucumber seed oil and aloe, this homemade body scrub has a refreshing cucumber mint fragrance your mom will love! Get the recipe.

DIY Twig Pendant

This DIY pendant is the best Mother’s day gift idea for jewelry lovers. A DIY reproduction of the wildly popular Door 44 twig pendant, this tutorial from Door 44 Studios walks you through the steps to make your own as a handmade gift for mom. Learn how now.

Do you have ideas for the best DIY Mother’s Day gifts? I’d love to hear your DIY ideas for homemade Mother’s Day gifts! So be sure to share your ideas for the best Mother’s Day gifts in the comments. You can also explore more DIY Mother’s Day gift ideas on my Pinterest board here. Or browse for handmade gifts you can buy for Mother’s Day on Etsy here.

Discover more DIY ideas for the best Mother’s day gifts by following me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Pinterest, Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Gift Guides, Holiday DIY Tagged With: bath and body, crafts, diy, gift idea, gift ideas, gift ideas for women, handmade gifts, holiday gift, holiday gift giving, homemade gift, how to, Mother's Day, Mother's Day gifts

Blueberry Thyme Bath Salts Recipe (A Homemade Mother’s Day Gift Idea)

April 25, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

If you’re looking for an easy homemade recipe for bath salts, then make this blueberry thyme bath salts recipe! This bath salt recipe is formulated with Epsom salt and magnesium flakes to ease sore muscles and reduce stress. Plus it smells amazing! (It’s kind of cotton candy like. My friends LOVE this scent.)

Learn how to make this Epsom salt bath salts recipe for sore muscles for yourself or as a delightful homemade Mother’s day gift. This is the perfect handmade gift to help you – and your Mom! – unwind from daily stress or muscle aches and pains. A must for any self care routine.

Moms Need Time Out for Self Care Too!

Both as women and as mothers, we often try to take on too much and brush self care aside. Not only does this put a strain on our emotional wellbeing, it leaves us feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated. Basically on a fast track to burning out. (Are they still calling that a nervous breakdown?)

Recently a dear friend remarked to me how she exhausted she is day in and day out. How nice it would be if someone took of her once in a while. Not only does she push herself to work two jobs, she’s also always on her feet working through chronic pain. Home life isn’t much different. Like many of us, she’s also expected to tackle all the chores and cooking.

It’s easy to understand why she feels so run down. Don’t we all have those days? It can be a challenge to learn how to say no. Or to stand up for yourself and demand things change when you’re caught in a cycle. We all need a break from time to time. We aren’t machines. And we certainly can’t continue to keep doing everything and then some without help. It’s no wonder many of us feel as if we are just surviving.

This homemade bath salts recipe is the perfect way to ~~push~~ gently nudge your Mom into taking some time out for herself. And to remind her that yes, you do appreciate everything she’s done for you. By making this easy bath salts recipe for a homemade Mother’s day gift, you’re not only helping her relax, but ease away tension and sore muscle pain as well. This easy bath salts recipe yields two 8 oz. containers of blueberry thyme bath salts. So you can make one for mom, and keep the other for yourself!

Using Magnesium Flakes for Bath Salts Recipes

If you read my recent posts on how to make pineapple hidden color bath bombs or magnesium oil, then you’ll recall why magnesium flakes are my new favorite ingredient. Not only is this salt, also known as magnesium chloride, more readily absorbed by skin then Epsom salt, it can be used in a number of different ways. You can use magnesium flakes to make a simple magnesium oil recipe to ease sore muscles and restless legs. Or give it a try in a magnesium body butter that calms your body and assists with a restful night’s sleep. It can also be used as a key ingredient in a recipe for bath salts.

Magnesium flakes are better suited than Epsom salt for topical application as they are more readily absorbed by skin. FOr this homemade bath salts recipe I used both magnesium flakes and Epsom salt. I also included a touch of moisturizing shea nut oil. The combination of these ingredients make my easy blueberry thyme bath salts recipe a wonderful remedy for stress relief and sore muscle recovery. It can even help to improve circulation!

Keep reading to learn how to make my blueberry thyme bath salts recipe to gift as a homemade Mother’s day gift for mom!

Blueberry Thyme Bath Salts Recipe

Ingredients:

19 oz. Epsom salt
1.5 oz. magnesium flakes
.25 oz. polysorbate 80
.25 oz. shea nut oil (aka fractionated shea butter)
.25 oz. blueberry thyme fragrance oil
1/2 teaspoon lip & eye safe pink mica powder
dried cornflowers, to suit

Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the Epsom salt and magnesium flakes into a large glass bowl. (I like to use glass Pyrex measuring cups for mixing. I have them in all sizes.) Mix well to combine. Then measure out the mica powder and mix evenly throughout the salt mixture. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, weigh out the shea nut oil, polysorbate 80 and fragrance oil. (Polysorbate 80 keeps the mica powder from staining your tub.) Mix well.

Now combine the dry salt mixture with the liquid mixture. Mix thoroughly until all of the salt is evenly coated. Then mix in cornflowers as desired to achieve the look you want and to add contrast.

Finally, fill your containers of choice with your homemade bath salts. (I used a thick walled PET amber jar as well as an upcycled soup container that resembles a milk jar.)

Then add stickers, ribbons or gift tags as desired to give your bath salts as a homemade Mother’s Day gift.

To use, simply add the desired amount to warm bath water, sink in, relax and enjoy!

Try Another Easy Bath Salts Recipe

If you love my blueberry thyme homemade bath salts recipe, then try one of these other easy bath salt recipes as well!

More Homemade Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Looking for more ideas for mom? Try one of these other homemade Mother’s day gift ideas. Learn how to make custom Hand Painted Ceramic Vases or an Easy Needle Felted Wine Bag. You can also view an entire collection of the best homemade Mother’s day gifts here. You can also discover more ways to practice self care here.

Discover more of my favorite bath salts recipes by following me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Pinterest, Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to stay updated on new recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: bath and body, bath salt recipe, bath salts, bath tutorial, crafts, diy, easy, epsom salt, gift idea, home remedies, home remedy, magnesium, Mother's Day, Mother's Day gifts, natural skin care, pain relief, self care, sore muscles, stress relief