Make Homemade Bath Salts as a Gift

A nicely decorated jar of homemade bath salts makes for lovely hostess gifts, office exchange gifts or even stocking stuffers for family members. Keep a few jars around for last minute gifts. Placed with a scented candle, a loofa and CD of relaxing music in a pretty gift bag, you have a great inexpensive gift for even close friends.

Bath salts are relaxing and therapeutic and really easy to make- You can get the materials at most drug stores or discount stores, but I find the cheapest place to find them is at bulk stores. That way you can buy as much as you need.

Materials

• Epsom salts
• Baking soda
• Scented oils or perfume
• Jars or wide-mouthed bottles
• Decorating materials

Directions

1. Combine the desired amount of Epsom salts (enough to fit in your bottle or jar) with baking soda, if you're using it.
2. Add a few drops of food coloring to the salt mix. Mix well so color is even.
3. You can color the bath salts to match the scent. I like to use peppermint oil and then color half the salts red and leave the other half natural. I then layer the white (natural) salt with the red to make a candy cane effect. Play around and see what colors you like best. I really like the look of blue and gree bath salts too. It makes me think of the ocean.
4. Add your perfume or essential oils and mix again. Mash any clumps out with the back of a spoon. It may take a few minutes to get this well-mixed.
5. Spread the mixture out on a sheet of waxed paper to dry for a couple of hours, then put it in the bottle or jar.
6. While the salts can be used right away, the scent will blend better if it is allowed to set in the jar for a few weeks.

Beautiful presentation
You could paint the jars a solid color or just a nice design. You could paint the lids, or cover them in fabric (putting batting under the fabric is a nice touch too). I like to decorate the lid but leave the jar mostly clear so that you can see the bath salts through it.

Painting the lid a nice sea green, gluing some small sea shells to the top and tying a bit of raffia around it makes an elegant but simple presentation that will look great in any bathroom.

If you can find colored plastic spoons, you can tie one to the jar with a ribbon to be uses as a scoop.

If you don't have any baby food jars, a nice shaped pasta sauce jar or any old jar will do. A Mason jar with a hinged lid is very pretty and practical for this use. Don't use a small-necked bottle, as the salts may harden and be hard to get out.

Finishing touch
Depending on how many jars you plan to make, you could either hand-write and decorate your labels or tags or print then out. Next create a tag or label with the name of the bath salt fragrance (e.g., Candy Cane) and the instructions on how much to use. Paint, scrap fabric, ribbons, raffia, shells, bows, buttons, beads pretty much anything you can think of and have laying around. Get creative! (Regular old food coloring that you can pick up at any grocery store. )

Nice tags can also be made from inexpensive card stock with the name on the front and the instructions on the back, or make a small folded card and have these instructions written inside:

Usage suggestion:

• Pour 3 tablespoons under running bath water.
• Stir the water to melt the salts.
• Sink in and relax.

Candles and soft music finish the picture.