Homemade Baby Shower Favors Ideas

If you're throwing a baby shower for a friend or loved one, you want to send guests home with a memorable party favor. You may find it particularly meaningful to create your own favors. Consider the following ideas:

Candy jars: You can buy small plastic or glass jars at your local craft store. Then fill them with your favorite candy. You may wish to display pastel colors, especially pink or blue, or you can even choose colors that match your party decorations. M & M's come in all colors and can be specially ordered with the baby or mother's name on them. You may also wish to tie a colorful ribbon on the jar as a finishing touch. Your guests will appreciate this tasty homemade baby shower favor.

Bookmarks: Choose a design that fits the theme of your shower. Popular ideas include teddy bears and old-fashioned strollers. Then cut colored paper in the shape of the design and write the date of the shower and name of the event on each shape. Laminate the bookmarks and tie a piece of colored string to the top of each one.

Photo frames: Small wooden frames are available in bulk at many stores. Decorate them with paint, sparkles, and any designs you'd like. Baby stickers in the shape of footprints, rubber ducks, rattles, and others can be added to each one. You may even wish to put the guests' names inside each one and use them as place settings. Including the date on each frame will ensure everyone remembers where they received this fun, reusable gift.

Sachets: You have so many options when making sachets, from placing lavender in a tightly-woven organza bag to sewing and stuffing scented material into a cloth one. There are many tutorials online that will take you step by step through the process of creating your own sachets. For baby shower favors, be sure to start with some pretty, baby theme fabric.

Boo Boo Bunnies: This is a handy homemade baby shower favor created from a washcloth and formed into the shape of a bunny. It's purpose is to hold ice cubes for use as a cold compress. All you need are washcloths, rubber bands, and ribbon. For directions, search "how to make a boo boo bunny" online and you will find many sites that offer visual directions.

Bath salts: Find a fun glass or plastic container. Jars, plastic martini glasses, and glass candle holders all work well. Fill the containers with bath salts and wrap with clear cellophane if your container does not have a top

Joyce Kreger is a party planner and recommends these fun baby shower pens offered at Cool-Party-Favors.com.

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Home-Made Herbal Beauty Products

Basic Ingredients

The most important consideration to bear in mind when making herbal preparations is to only use the best quality products you can find. Good quality oils and natural essential oils will combine to make a far superior product than that produced by cheap oil and chemical, synthetic oils. Natural products are far less likely to cause skin allergies, but it is always wise to test your finished product on a small patch of your own skin if not on that of the recipient.

Essential oils are produced from many different scented plants, using both the leaf and stalk, or flower, depending on the plant concerned. Although it is possible to extract these essential oils yourself, it is a long process and the fun of making some herbal beauty products as gifts is to have fairly instant results. If you find concocting potions really appealing, there are plenty of opportunities for further experimentation to be found in the many specialist books available.

Packaging

As with every product, it is the packaging that gives the finishing touch and makes all the difference between something that looks home-made and slightly dubious or exciting and luxurious. If you keep your eyes open in antique shops and yard sales, you will discover that there are plenty of old and interesting bottles around. Thick glass bottles in a green or blue tone can look wonderful when decorated with a pretty satin ribbon and a few flowers. Sealing is probably best done with a cork, which can be trimmed to fit any size of bottle. Screw-top bottles are another possibility but they don't have the same old-fashioned appeal.

Another lovely idea is to buy a glass scent bottle with a ground stopper to prevent evaporation. The container could then be treasured and reused many times. Atomizers can give a marvelous feeling of luxury to some home-made scented waters. There are many unusual perfume bottles available and they make a stunning display on a pretty dressing table. As a complete contrast, there are also some promisingly shaped containers to be found in grocery stores and supermarkets; if you look carefully next time you are shopping, you'll be amazed at how many suitable shapes and sizes there are amongst the mustard pots, vinegar jars, mayonnaise jars or even bottles of squashes and cordials. You may have to cover the lid, or substitute a cork for the screw top depending on how attractive it is once opened, but nevertheless there is plenty of scope.

Always label your product carefully and add instructions if it should be kept in the refrigerator or in cool conditions. Giving a use-by date might also be a good idea if something has a fairly short life. Labels can be decorated by hand or stenciled and tied with a ribbon around the neck of the bottle. You could also use a sticky label and attach it to the body of the bottle. Several products can then be packaged together in a hamper or basket, with cotton wool balls or other packaging to fill the basket and prevent the bottles from breaking. Home-made pot-pourri makes a very good filler for baskets - you can carefully arrange a selection of bottles amongst the pot-pourri, then cover the basket with swathes of cellophane before decorating it with a pretty bow.

Bath-Time Products

Nothing works more magic than a perfumed soak in a warm bath after a really tiring or stressful day. The smell of the herbal products can add a great deal to that relaxation and many bath preparations are very simple to make.

There are two main groups of herbs in these preparations - herbs to promote relaxation and those that help to revive you. The relaxing herbs include camomile, scented geranium, jasmine, lavender, neroli (orange blossom) and hops. The more stimulating and reviving herbs include basil, lemon verbena, rosemary, melissa and bergamot.

Although it is a tempting thought to strew freshly picked herbs across the waters of your calming bath, I wouldn't recommend that you try it! Speaking from bitter experience, it causes untold blockage problems in the plumbing and feels very uncomfortable when you sit on a particularly sharp stalk! The best way to use fresh herbs is to place them in a muslin bath bag.

Bath Bags

Cut out some 9-inch diameter circles of muslin and place 2 tablespoons of roughly torn fresh herbs in the middle of each one. Dried herbs are just as successful. Gather the edges of the circle together and make into a small bundle, holding it in place with an elastic band. Then attach ribbons around the bundle to cover the elastic band, making a long enough loop to hang it from the taps so it will dangle in the water. A set of bath bags, with different colored ribbons to denote different herbs or mixtures of herbs, could be put together with a collection of other bath-time treats. Do write clear instructions on a label so they don't get mistaken for bouquet garni and put in a stew!

Oatmeal can be added to the contents of the bath bags. Use equal quantities of herbs and oatmeal, as it helps to soften the skin.

Bath Oils

These are very simple to make and very relaxing. The oil base should be good quality - preferably almond for normal to dry skin or safflower for normal to greasy skin. The only oil that will completely disperse in bathwater is a form of castor oil called turkey red oil. However, it is not easily available in health food stores, unlike the others, and so I would recommend trying the almond or safflower oils instead.

Choose some essential oils that will relax or revive (see the suggestions above) and make sure they are good quality natural oils rather than chemical ones. Chemical fragrances are excellent for pot-pourris and products that will not come into contact with the skin, but it is safer to use natural oils for skin preparations, in case the recipient is allergic to the chemical ones.

To make the oils, add 5 drops of essential oil to every tablespoon of almond or safflower oil that you put into the bottle. Shake well before use. You can use just one essential oil, such as rosemary or lavender, or you can mix them - rose and lavender, or rosemary and orange are good blends. The possibilities are endless and the fun starts when you begin to choose your essential oils. These should be available at your local health food store or beauty shop.

Washballs and Soaps

Washballs date back to Elizabethan times and so are traditional shapes of soap. Making soap at home can be rather time-consuming, so I have included a recipe that uses a pure, fragrance-free ready-made soap to speed up the process. Traditionally, soap is made with tallow, which is rendered or melted animal fat. It should be available from your local butcher and you can melt it in a heavy saucepan over a low heat and then strain it into screw-top jam jars for storage. Take care when making soap as the caustic soda that is used can burn your skin, so do wear rubber gloves and handle it with care.

Lavender and Rose Washballs

2x5 oz bars plain Castile soap, finely grated
8 fl oz rose or lavender water
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops rose essential oil

Heat 3 fl oz of the rose or lavender water and pour it over the soap. Let is stand for about ten minutes. Mix well and then incorporate the rose and lavender oils. Leave to harden for two days. Then make the mixture into small balls, each one about the size of a table tennis ball or slightly smaller, and leave to dry in a dry airy place. When the washballs have completely hardened, you can polish them with cloth moistened with the rest of the rose or lavender water, or alternatively wet your hands with the rose or lavender water and rub the balls between your hands. Allow to dry out before packaging.

Floral Vinegar for the Bath

Floral vinegars can soften the skin when used in the bath and are very refreshing if kept in the fridge and dabbed onto a fevered brow in moments of stress! Cider vinegar has a delicate apple scent and so makes an excellent base.

There are several herbs and flowers that can be mixed with the vinegar. The main consideration will probably be which ingredients are easiest for you to obtain. Successful plants include jasmine flowers, rose petals, lavender flowers and stalks, scented geranium leaves, lemon balm or lemon verbena leaves and rosemary.

Place a large handful of mixed flowers and herbs or a single variety (rose and lavender with a little jasmine works well, or scented geranium and lemon verbena) in a glass bottle and fill up with cider vinegar. Replace the lid or seal with a cork and place in a sunny spot for a couple of weeks. Then strain the vinegar, making sure that you release as much moisture from the herbs as possible, and pour into a measuring jug. Half-fill a bottle with the scented vinegar and top up with spring water. One bottle of vinegar will therefore fill two bottles of the same size with the floral vinegar. To use, pour a generous quantity into the bath with the taps full on.

Orange Blossom Bath Salts

8 oz baking soda
1 lb coarse sea salt
1/2 fl oz neroli (orange blossom) essential oil

Stir together the baking soda and sea salt, then add the essential oil and store in a sealed jar. Food coloring may be added if you wish. Use three tablespoons per bath.

Lemon Verbena Bubbles

12 oz pure soap flakes
3/4 pint spring water
1/4 fl oz lemon verbena essential oil
1 fl oz vodka
2 fl oz glycerine

Heat the water and dissolve the soap flakes in it. In another container, mix the essential oil with the glycerine and vodka. Combine these two mixtures and add a drop of yellow or green food coloring if you wish. Store in a wide-mouthed jar with a sealed lid.

Orange and Cinnamon Soap

4 fl oz spring water
2 tbsp caustic soda
4 oz melted tallow
1 tsp neroli (orange blossom) essential oil
1 tsp cinnamon essential oil
4 fl oz safflower oil

Wearing rubber gloves, pour the water into a large heat-proof glass bowl. Add the caustic soda and stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the melted tallow and stir vigorously. Then add the safflower oil and the neroli and cinnamon essential oils. Beat well and pour into plastic molds. Leave to set. Once they are set, ease the soaps out of the molds and leave in a dry airy place for two weeks.

Cucumber and Mint Soap

4 fl oz spring water
large bunch of fresh mint, any variety
2 tbsp caustic soda
4 oz white vegetable fat, melted
6 drops mint essential oil
8 fl oz almond oil
1/2 cucumber

Liquidize, or place in a food processor, the mint leaves and spring water. Pour into a bowl and leave for a couple of hours. Liquidize (or process) the cucumber. Strain the spring water into a large heat-proof glass bowl, discarding the mint leaves, then add the caustic soda (making sure you are wearing rubber gloves). Stir with a wooden spoon then add the melted vegetable fat. Add 4 tbsp of cucumber puree, the almond oil and mint essential oil. Beat well and then pour the mixture into plastic molds. Small soaps can be made in shaped ice cube molds or larger ones in yogurt pots or similar containers. Leave to set for two days.

Gently ease the soaps out of the molds and then leave in an airing cupboard or other dry airy place for two weeks before using.

Note: It can help to line the molds with cling film as this may overcome any problems in removing the soap once it has set.

For more information on growing, cultivating and using herbs please visit my blog at http://www.plantingherbs.net/

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Essential Tips to Launching a Homemade Dog Treat Business

A homemade dog treat business is a relatively easy and inexpensive business venture. But the return of investment is rather impressive. A few hours working in the kitchen and you can have a large batch of goodies ready to be shipped out. The market is unbeatable as well. Not only is there is growing number of dog owners in the country, but everyone just love giving canine companions treats. And of course, the dogs are pretty happy about that too.

So aside from learning how to bake dog treats at home, here are a few more tips on how you can successfully launch your homemade dog treat business.

1. Choose your packaging wisely. Investing in great looking and durable dog treat containers is one of the keys to this business. Air tight bottle containers are great for presentation and these really make great gift suggestions. But breakable bottles fare badly if you have to ship them all over the different parts of the country using national or international courier service. Plastic containers are better, but acquiring the more affordable ones means that you have to make do with rather unimpressive containers. You can use metal tins, customized boxes or other fancy plastic containers but these are extremely pricey.

One of the best things you can try if you are indeed on a tight budget is clear or colored cellophane. You can put the treats inside using sealed plastic bags and wrap the cellophane around these. And because courier services usually provide boxes for these "fragile" materials, your products can be shipped everywhere safely.

2. Make sure you have the necessary details on your product labels. You can create your own product labels on your packaging using your computer and printer. Aside from the brand of your product, you should also include mailing address and / or website. This is a great way of passively marketing your homemade dog treat business.

Also, in some states, the manufacturer is required to list down the ingredients of the treats on the product labels. You should do that if local rules and regulations say so.

Karen Freeman is the author of Start Your Own Gourmet Dog Treats Business: Bake Your Way To Success. As a dog treats bakery owner, she shares her expert insider tips to starting and growing a successful dog treats business from home. Be sure to visit www.home-made-dog-treats-business.com for tips on how for you can turn your passion for pets into a successful business.

© Copyright 2010. Feel free to reprint this article on your site as long as the article is not modified in any way and the resource information (about the author) is listed as above.

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How To Make A Great Homemade Gift Basket

Are you a little intimidated about making a great looking homemade gift basket? Are you stuck for some ideas to make a great homemade gift basket? You've come to the right place. I'll give you some tips and techniques, as well as ideas to create the perfect homemade gift basket.

When I first started making gift baskets, my end product didn't look as nice as the store bought variety. I couldn't get my products to stay put. I tried to have items in the back of the basket to be taller than the front, but they would slip down or turn sideways...it was a mess! Over the years, I've learned how to iron out those problems and I want to share some of those tips with you. When you can eliminate a lot of the trial and error, you'll be making great homemade gift baskets in no time.

You'll need to have a few supplies on hand: A container of some sort. It doesn't necessarily have to be a basket. It could be a tin container, a fabric covered basket, a hat box, or even a pair of shoes! Crazy, I know, but think about it. People love gift baskets because they have a variety of products in them and they can also re-use the container. A pair of shoes is a perfect reusable gift.

Cellophane wrap or shrink wrap. This can come in the form of bags, sheets, or on a roll. There are varieties that are colored or clear, or clear with a design on it. I like to keep several varieties on hand, and since I like to make gift baskets, I buy mine on a roll. I also really like to use shrink wrap because when you heat it, the wrap tightens up around your products and helps to hold them securely.

Filler. This can be colorful tissue paper, colorful shredded paper, brown wrapping paper, or straw for more rustic looking arrangements. I like to use all of the above, depending on the type of gift basket I'm putting together.

Ribbons and bows. This is pretty self-explanatory. There are so many varieties out there, but I especially recommend wired ribbon. It holds it's shape beautifully and is very forgiving for making bows, particularly if you're not an expert at it.

Scissors, tape or glue dots, dowel rods, and dry floral foam.

ASSEMBLING YOUR GREAT HOMEMADE GIFT BASKET

First, cut a piece of your cellophane or shrink wrap in a square or circle and place it under your container. You'll need to make sure it is an extra big piece to cover all of the items within the container. You can always cut off excess, but if there's not enough, you'll have to start again.

Take your container and put a small block of floral in the bottom. It's very easy to cut with a knife or with one blade of your scissors. Make the foam so that is as high as your container. Surround the foam with some of your filler, making sure to hide the foam.

Next, take the item that you want to stand tallest in the back and secure a dowel rod to the back of it with some tape. Make sure your dowel rod does not extend higher than the top of the object. For example, if you are using a packet of coffee as your highest object, have the dowel rod come to the upper middle of the back of the coffee packet. Put the other end of the dowel rod down into the floral foam. You can repeat this process, if necessary, for shorter items on either side of your tallest item.

Place the rest of your items into the container, arranging them so that each is as visible as possible. To keep each item in place, put a glue dot or piece of tape on each one, and tape it to the next item. Glue dots work really well for this, and they remove easily.

Once you have the items in place, gather your cellophane around the package and secure it at the top with some ribbon. Make sure it's tightly secured, then you can add a bow on top of the ribbon.

If you are using shrink wrap, use a blow dryer on a high heat setting and slowly go back and forth over the wrap. Don't hold the blow dryer too close, though. When the wrap cools, it will shrink up over your items and you will have just made a fabulous homemade gift basket!

I love to provide tips, techniques and resources for making the perfect homemade gift basket. I give details on specific themed baskets, as well as definitions for some of your supplies. For more information, check out my blog site: [http://greatgiftbasketideas.blogspot.com]

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