The world is in financial crisis - times are tough for everyone. Now, more than ever, it's time to hearken back to our frugal candle and soap making roots and celebrate the fact that we can make wonderful holiday gifts very frugally! Here are some wonderful pre-assembled kits from Bramble Berry with everything you need to make some amazing gifts. And for those of you who just have to do it yourself, I've also included my versions of the instructions to make these bath, body and soap projects. Whether you use a pre-arranged kit, or put them together yourself, you'll be able to create wonderful gifts and save money too.
1. Bramble Berry Holiday Gift Sets
This Holiday kit comes with 2 molds, 4 colorants and 3 fragrances plus easy to follow instructions to make 12 bars of holiday soap. It just doesn't get any easier.
Another great idea is to make this into a party kit! Invite your friends over and they each leave with their own set of luxurious bath products and you'll have one too!
2. How to Make Melt and Pour Christmas Chunk Soaps (from scratch)
David Fisher
Here's another fun and easy melt and pour soap project - Christmas Chunk Soaps. You may also want to try Poinsettia Christmas Hand Soaps.
3. How to Make Fizzy Bath Bombs (from scratch)
David Fisher
Winter time is time for baths...and bath bombs. They're a little bit bath salt, a little bit bath oil, a little bit relaxing, and a little bit fizzy fun. You can make them in spheres, tablets, or use molds (like they do in the Bramble Berry kit) to make an unlimited variety of shapes.
4. Bramble Berry Lotion Bar Kit
This kit includes all of the oils and waxes you need to make 10 luscious Lotion Bars.
5. How to Make Cocoa Butter Lotion/Massage Bars (from scratch)
David Fisher
It's a little bit lotion, a little bit massage oil - closely related to the candle - but in a class all by itself...the lotion/massage bar. With ingredients you probably already have on your shelf if you're a candle and soap maker (or in the kit above), you can make these decadently easy lotion/massage bars.
6. Bramble Berry Shaving Soap Kit
Bramble Berry's Shaving Soap Kit is the perfect kit for kids to make a special gift for Dad. It uses their Foaming Bath Butter which doesn't require any heat or melting - making this a very safe and simple project that even young children can enjoy. It even includes a shaving brush, and comes with one of my favorite BrambleBerry fragrances, Wasabi.
7. How to Make Your Own Shaving Soap (from scratch)
David Fisher
A warning - once you try a real soap to shave with, you'll never use a commercial shaving cream again! Shaving soap is not much different than regular soap except for some added cosmetic clay. The clay helps give the soap extra "slip" and also works to purify your skin. This is the Melt and Pour version. For a cold process version (from scratch), you'll want to make Cold Process Shaving Soap.
