This guide will cover everything you need to know to make beautiful homemade bath salts using natural ingredients like epsom salt, sea salt, herbs, flowers, and organic essential oils. We’ll explore the best types of salt to use, the benefits they offer, and optional additions like colloidal oat powder. I’ll also cover frequently asked questions about bath salts – including usage, storage, tips for easy clean up, septic system concerns, and more.

Whether they’re for self-care or to share as special gifts, homemade bath salts are fun and easy to make. I’ll share our usual DIY bath salt recipe, but the process is very flexible. Feel free to get creative with your own blends! 

Why and how bath salt soaks work

Bath salts are usually made of epsom salts and sometimes other types of salt too, such as sea salt. When added to warm water, bath salts dissolve and release beneficial minerals (magnesium sulfate in the case of epsom salt) into your bath water. 

In theory, bath salt minerals absorb into your skin and help relax muscles, soothe skin irritation, and reduce inflammation as you soak. Warm bath salt soaks can also help improve circulation and stimulate detoxification in your body. Studies are still lacking on the exact benefits of bath salts, but soaking in warm salty water is incredibly relaxing and relieves stress nonetheless!  

Beyond minerals, bath salts may offer additional benefits depending on the ingredients in them – such as the medicinal powers of herbs, skin healing benefits of colloidal oatmeal, or soothing aromatherapy of essential oils.

What type of salt is best to make DIY bath salts?

You can make bath salts with only one type of salt (e.g. epsom salts alone), or combine several in your DIY bath salt recipe to reap the benefits of each one – plus add visual interest! Here are some of the most popular options:

• Epsom salt is the most common type of salt to use in bath salts, and potentially the most therapeutic too. However, epsom salt is technically not a real “salt” at all! Rather, epsom salt is a naturally occurring mineral compound made of magnesium and sulfate. Epsom salt soaks are used to promote quick healing and pain relief from a range of issues such as sprains, bruises, ingrown nails, stiff joints and muscles, or fibromyalgia. It’s also used to relieve constipation when taken internally.

• Sea Salts*. Sea salts are derived from seawater and are mostly composed of sodium chloride. Since they’re not refined or only minimally processed, sea salts retain numerous valuable minerals including magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, bromine, boron, zinc, iron, manganese, copper and silicon. Like epsom salts, sea salt baths can ease tension and stiffness while stimulating circulation and detoxification.

• Pink Himalayan Salt. As opposed to the sea, pink salt is a rock salt found high in the Himalayan mountains of South Asia. Though it’s about 98% sodium chloride, pink Himalayan salt also contains up to 84 other trace minerals and elements! It’s also really pretty, ideal for adding a pop of color and interest to your DIY bath salt recipe. 

• Cooking salts. You can also use common cooking salts in homemade bath salts, such as kosher salt, pickling salt or coarse rock salt. These salts are economical, readily available, and contain some trace minerals too. However, AVOID using iodized table salt to make bath salts. Lacking minerals, highly processed table salt doesn’t offer many health benefits. Instead, it adds trace amounts of unwanted iodine to your bath water. 

*Note: Depending on the origin, there are a number of unique sea salts to choose from, such as grey sea salt, Celtic sea salt, Dead Sea salt, and more. Each may offer slightly unique properties (e.g. Dead Sea salt is especially magnesium-rich) but in general, sea salts offer similar benefits in the bath. 

Fine, medium or coarse grind salts for bath salts

Salts come in various grain sizes or “grinds”: coarse, medium, fine, and extra fine. Finer grain salts dissolve fast and easy in your bath, while coarser salts take just a tad longer to dissolve. Yet coarse salts have more surface area and therefore absorb essential oils better, and look pretty cool to boot! All that considered, I generally like to make DIY bath salts with a mix of medium and coarse grind salts. 

Ingredients for Natural DIY Bath Salts 

Homemade bath salts can be as simple or complex as you wish to make them! At minimum, all you really need is salt to create a soothing soak. Yet if you’ve landed on this article, I imagine you’re looking for ideas to spice things up and create more interesting, fragrant, or healing homemade bath salt blends. 

Below is a list of ingredients that we use in our DIY bath salt recipe, though you can easily adjust or omit things as you see fit. I always try to source high-quality organic ingredients… especially for something I’ll be soaking my bits and parts in! This recipe makes about 5 cups of finished bath salts. Scale up or down as needed.

• 4 cups of salt total, such as epsom salt, sea salt, and/or pink Himalayan salt. I often use three kinds (e.g. 2 cups of epsom salt, 1 cup grey sea salt, and 1 cup pink).
  
  
• ½ cup to 1 cup dried herbs or flowers, such as dried rose petals, lavender, calendula, chamomile, rosemary, mint leaves, lemon verbena, or even dried citrus – just to name a few! Again, I like to mix in a couple different things. To prevent mold, it’s important to use 100% dry herbs or flowers for bath salt blends you intend to store for later use. We use a lot of homegrown herbs, though we also source organic herbs from Starwest Botanicals.
  
  
• ½ cup colloidal oat powder. Colloidal oatmeal is phenomenal for your skin! It’s proven to soothe irritation and itching, add softness, and lock in moisture – therefore alleviating skin conditions such as dermatitis, rashes, psoriasis, eczema and more. I also find it helps make bath salts less oily. I make my own colloidal oatmeal by grinding organic oats into a super fine powder in our Vitamix blender, but here is a great organic colloidal oat powder from a small black-owned business!
  
  
• 2 Tbsp Vitamin E oil. Vitamin E oil is a powerful antioxidant with moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties that improve skin health. Though they’re not quite as potent, feel free to substitute with olive oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, or your other favorite carrier oil of choice.
  
  
• ½ teaspoon (50 drops) up to 1 teaspoon (100 drops) of essential oils total (e.g. 30 drops lavender and 20 drops eucalyptus, one of my favorite combos). Sliding scale based on how strongly-scented you want your DIY bath salts. If you’re unsure, start with less – you can always add more later! I recommend using just one or two scents. See more information on essential oil options below.

The best essential oils for bath salts

Though not required, plant-based essential oils really enhance natural DIY bath salts and your overall bath experience! Certain scents are very effective at calming nerves or elevating your mood. It’s called aroma-therapy, after all! Beyond the benefits of aromatherapy, various herbs and essential oils offer unique healing properties. For example, lavender has antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, and is known to ease anxiety and calm the mind. Similarly, eucalyptus and rosemary are antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and offer a very uplifting scent.

The most popular essential oils for DIY bath salts include: lavender, sweet orange, roman chamomile, tea tree, eucalyptus, bergamot, geranium, sandalwood, cedarwood, jasmine, rose, lemongrass, clary sage, frankincense, ylang ylang, vanilla, and rosemary. Use one scent alone, or try mixing two or three. 

Tip: Balance sweet, woody, or floral scents with a more bright, herbaceous or citrusy scent, such as lavender + eucalyptus or rosemary, chamomile + lemongrass, sandalwood or cedarwood + bergamot, or jasmine + sweet orange. Again, I recommend starting with just one, two, or maayyybe three scents combined.

Avoid using “hot” or potentially irritating essential oils like peppermint, wintergreen, cinnamon, clove, oregano, cassia, and thyme in the bath. 

What about baking soda?

Unlike some DIY bath salt recipes, I do not recommend adding baking soda to your bath salt blend unless you plan to use it immediately, or unless you’re using epsom salts only (no sea salt). The combination of baking soda and salt reacts to create carbon dioxide gas which will expand in packaging, and can even break glass jars in extreme circumstances! So, if you do want to include baking soda (which is great for softening skin) then simply add up to a half cup directly to your bathwater as it fills. 

Now, on to the easiest part… aside from soaking that is!

Instructions to Make DIY Bath Salts

1. First, add salts and colloidal oatmeal to a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
2. Next, drizzle over the vitamin E oil (or other oil) and then the dry herbs or flowers. Mix again.
3. Add your chosen essential oils and stir until everything is evenly combined.
4. Finally, package your homemade bath salts into aitight storage containers of choice, and enjoy your soak! Keep reading for tips on storing and using bath salts.

How to store bath salts

Store homemade bath salts in an airtight container. Sealable bags, a glass container with swing-top lid and gasket, or mason jars with tight-fitting lids work great. Store in a cool, dark, dry location. A good storage container should prevent moisture intrusion and clumping as well as keep in the aroma of the essential oils, helping your bath salts stay nice and fresh.

If you’re going to share your homemade bath salts with others, be sure to add a label that lists all of the ingredients! This way, the recipient can know what to expect and be aware of any potential allergens.

How much bath salts to add to the bathtub

Add anywhere from ¼ cup up to 2 cups of bath salts to a standard size bathtub. Unless I need intense relief, I tend to lean more on the light side since the ingredients we use are high quality (read: not exactly cheap). If I want a little extra oomph, I toss in an extra half cup of plain epsom salt in addition to my “special” DIY bath salts. 

Do not put bath salts in whirlpool tubs, hot tubs, or other tubs with jets unless the manufacturer specifies that’s okay.

How to add bath salts to your bath

There’s really no “wrong” way to add bath salts to a bath! However, if you’re using homemade bath salts made with essential oils and hope to bask in the aroma, I suggest waiting to add the bath salts until the tub is nearly full of warm water. Then stir the water around with your hand to help them dissolve. 

Essential oils are volatile (meaning they evaporate easily, especially when heated) so their aroma tends to dissipate more quickly than synthetic fragrances. If added to the bath too early, the smell can be quite faint by the time you’re ready to climb in! Close the bathroom door to keep the lovely scented steam in too.

How to make bath salts less messy

Some folks like to add bath salts directly to the bathwater. Soaking while rose petals swirl around you can certainly feel luxurious! On the other hand, some people may not like the feeling of floaties touching them as they soak. Or, want to deal with the clean up. For a mess-free, floaty-free bath salt experience, simply put your bath salts in a “tea bag” to steep! 

Add bath salts to a small reusable cotton drawstring bag, or fashion a steeping satchel out of organic cheesecloth and a hair tie or string. Hang or hold the teabag in the water near the downspout as the tub finishes filling. The salt will still dissolve and seep into the water, while the bag contains the herb and flower floaties. As an added bonus, the herbal tea bag doubles as an exfoliating wash cloth!

If you don’t steep your bath within a tea bag and they contain large flower or herb bits, you may want to use a mesh drain strainer to catch debris as the tub drains at the end of your bath.

How long to soak in bath salts (and how often)

To reap the maximum benefits from your bath salt experience, allow yourself to soak for 20 to 30 minutes. You can use bath salt soaks up to three times per week in times of need. 

It’s difficult to “overdo it” when it comes to bath salts, though too much could lead to dry skin in some sensitive individuals. Frequent bath salt soaks could also change vaginal pH levels, making a more hospitable environment for yeast infections or irritation. 

Should I rinse off after a bath salt soak?

That’s up to you! A strong bath salt soak (using 1 to 2 cups of bath salts) could potentially leave skin feeling dry later, depending on the other ingredients in your bath salt recipe. You may also want to rinse off if your bath had herbs and flowers floating around that are now stuck to your skin. Since I usually steep my herbal bath salts in a tea bag (and my tub is separate from my shower) I personally don’t feel the need to rinse off afterwards. 

Can bath salts expire?

Salts themselves (epsom salt and sea salt) do not expire. Similarly, homemade bath salts will not “go bad” but they’ll be the best quality if used within a year or two. The other ingredients added to DIY bath salts such as oils, colloidal oatmeal, or dried herbs may have a “best by” date or degrade in quality over time. 

Are bath salts bad for septic systems?

No, bath salts should not harm your septic system. (For the record, I used to permit septic systems for the county!) In general, highly salty water isn’t great for septic systems. For instance, most septic experts advise against discharging water softener backwash (brine) into septic tanks. However, the water from an occasional bath salt soak has a very dilute salt concentration in comparison. 

Plus, epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) aren’t actually a true “salt”, remember?  Epsom salts are completely harmless to septic systems. In fact, some septic professionals actually suggest adding epsom salt to septic systems. They claim that they help the system run more efficiently and encourage healthier plant growth in the drainage field. So, fear not!

If you plan to use bath salts routinely (e.g. once a week or more) and have a septic tank, use a 2:1 epsom salt to sea salt ratio. Or, use just epsom salts alone to make homemade bath salts.

Are bath salt soaks safe during pregnancy?

If you’re pregnant, talk with your doctor before using bath salts. While warm (not hot) baths are generally safe during pregnancy, it’s unclear if adding bath salts is recommended. Many sources say that natural bath salts made with epsom salts are okay to use while pregnant, and can provide much-needed relief from the discomforts that go hand-in-hand with pregnancy. Yet it’s suggested to exercise caution with essential oils while pregnant, and avoid them entirely during the first trimester. It’s also important to avoid bath salts that contain artificial fragrances, phthalates, or other chemicals.

And that’s how to make your own beautiful, natural DIY bath salts!

I hope you found this tutorial to be both insightful and inspiring. As you can see, making homemade bath salts is quite easy to do, flexible, and perfect for self-care and thoughtful gifts alike. Have fun getting creative and making your own! Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Also please consider leaving a rating or review below. Happy soaking!

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• How to Make Herb Infused Oil: Two Ways
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• How to Make a DIY Beeswax Fall Leaf Garland
• Soothing Homemade Lavender Salve Recipe
• Calendula Salve Recipe for Healthy Skin
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DIY Bath Salts Recipe ~ Beautiful Natural Herbal Bath Salts

Learn how to make beautiful homemade bath salts using natural ingredients like epsom salt, sea salt, herbs, flowers, and organic essential oils. Perfect for self-care or a thoughtful DIY gift to share, bath salt soaks help alleviate stress, tension, sore muscles, inflammation, and more.

Ingredients

• 4 cups salts of choice, such as epsom salt, sea salt, and/or pink Himalayan salt. I often use three kinds (e.g. 2 cups of epsom salt, 1 cup grey sea salt, and 1 cup pink).
• 1/2 to 1 cup dried herbs or flowers, such as dried rose petals, lavender, calendula flowers, chamomile, rosemary, mint leaves, lemon verbena, or even dried citrus – just to name a few! (do not use fresh herbs or flowers as they may mold in storage)
• 1/2 cup colloidal oat powder
• 2 Tbsp Vitamin E oil (sub with olive oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, or other carrier oil of choice)
• 1/2 tsp (50 drops) up to 1 teaspoon (100 drops) of essential oils of choice – such as 30 drops lavender and 20 drops eucalyptus. Sliding scale based on how strong you want the scent. I recommend using just one or two scents.

Instructions

• First, add salts and colloidal oatmeal to a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
• Next, drizzle over the vitamin E oil (or other oil) and then the dry herbs or flowers. Mix again.
• Add your chosen essential oils and stir until everything is evenly combined.
• Finally, package your homemade bath salts into air tight storage containers of choice.
• Add 1/4 cup up to 2 cups of bath salts to warm water once the bathtub is nearly full and stir in to dissolve OR for a floaty-free soak, put the bath salts in a small reusable cotton "tea bag" or cheesecloth and steep them that way.

The post DIY Bath Salts Recipe: Beautiful Natural Herbal Bath Salts appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

From homemade treats and crafts to puzzles, organic bedding, and personal weather stations, there is something on the list for every budget or special someone in your life! To make browsing a breeze, I broke up this homestead gift guide into five sections:

1. Past Homestead Gift Favorites
2. Handmade Gifts and Crafts 
3. Garden Goods and Gadgets
4. Kitchen Supplies
5. Natural Health and Home

To shop this article, please use the links and buttons provided throughout. Some are affiliate links, meaning we gain a small commission from purchases made through those links, but at no additional cost to you. Using our links directly supports our small business, and is a very meaningful way to say thank you if you value the work we do here at Homestead and Chill. And for that, we are so incredibly grateful!

Past Homestead Gift Favorites

Since this is my fourth year publishing a holiday gift guide, and in an effort to keep things fresh and interesting, I tried to include mostly new ideas on this year’s list. YET I don’t want y’all to miss out on any awesome ideas, so here is a quick list of some tried-and-true favorite garden gifts from year’s past. Feel free to explore our gift guides from 2019, 2020, and 2021 to see more details about these – and more!

• Seed storage boxes. Photo boxes make the BEST seed storage and organization system ever! They make my little Type A heart sing. We’ve had these durable USA-made seed storage boxes for almost 5 years and they’re still in pristine condition.
  
  
• Hummingbird feeder. Attract hummingbirds and add flair to your garden with a cute hummingbird feeder, and then learn how to make DIY nectar here.
  
  
• Books. One of the best things about gardening and homesteading is that there is ALWAYS something new to learn. Browse a list of our top garden, cooking, preserving and homesteading books here. There are some fantastic resources on this list!
  
  
• Solar garden lights. Adding solar lights to your garden and outdoor space creates a cozy, magical ambiance. It also makes it more inviting to spend time in the garden once the sun goes down. We use a combination of flickering solar tiki torches, string fairy lights, pretty pathway lights, and overhead bistro lights to brighten our space.
  
  
• Birdies raised garden beds. If you’re in the market for raised garden beds (and aren’t up for building your own), I highly recommend Birdies metal raised bed kits. They come in a variety of sizes, colors, and shapes. My friend Kevin at Epic Gardening sells them here – discount code “deannacat3” will save 5% off!

Handmade Gifts & Crafts

Edible Gifts

Who doesn’t love homemade treats, especially around the holidays? Consider whipping up some tasty edible creations as gifts for family, friends, neighbors and coworkers. Package them up in cute sustainable wrapping like mason jars, small paper bags, fabric, or other containers tied with twine. Tuck in a sprig of rosemary, pine, or lavender to the package for a festive pop, or combine several homemade treats alongside a local bottle of wine, balsamic vinegar, chocolate or olives in a cute basket.

A few homemade edible gift ideas include: sweet and salty rosemary roasted mixed nuts, homemade chex mix, fruit preserves, sourdough crackers with herbs or cheese, sourdough pumpkin spice bread (or muffins), or cookies – like our soft and chewy ginger molasses sourdough cookies or sourdough chocolate chip cookies. You could even bake pumpkin-shaped sourdough bread to give to someone special! 

Elderberry Syrup

We love to share our homemade elderberry syrup – a delicious natural immune support that can help prevent illness as well relieve allergy and cold symptoms. It’s perfect for winter time, and a little goes a long way! Learn how to make your own here.

My friend Sarah owns TC Elderberry and sells dry DIY elderberry syrup kits, which are especially easy to make or gift, and would be perfect to pair with a bottle of local honey! Sarah also offers loose-leaf elderberry tea, tinctures, and bottles of fresh organic elderberry syrup. I personally love the “Kicked Up” version! Use code “deannacat” to save 15% at TC Elderberry here.

Homemade Body Care Products

Give the gift of self care! Homemade body care products are incredibly thoughtful and useful gifts, and are easier to make than you may think. Check out our step-by-step tutorials on how to make healing calendula salve, calming lavender salve, soothing cannabis salve, homemade lip balm, or herb-infused face or body oil. Bonus: just one batch can create dozens of gifts at once! 

Homemade soap, bath bombs, sugar body scrubs, or DIY bath salts are other fun self-care gift ideas. We also offer luxurious herb and flower-infused mineral bath salts in our shop. Use code “thankyou” to save $5 when you buy 3 bath salts or more!

Crafty DIY Gifts

I love crafting… just writing this makes me want to start a craft project! Pinterest is always full of fun ideas I want to try, like these handmade bird houses. If you like to sew, don’t miss our DIY heating pad or cold pack tutorial. Making fruit and vegetable stamped tea towels is a fun activity for the whole family. If you have backyard chickens, these blown egg ornaments are totally adorable. Or, learn how to make DIY beeswax wraps here (sustainable/reusable food wraps). 

Puzzles

So this isn’t exactly a craft, but similar! I’ve been SO into puzzles this year – especially ones with plants or gardens, birds, farms, cats, or other beautiful natural scenes. I enjoy the challenge, pretty photos, and opportunity to clear my mind and focus on one task. When I’m finished with them, I either pass them on to friends or followers on Instagram, or donate them to local senior centers. I’ve used this puzzle saver backing to keep and frame one of the best ones too!

Homestead and Chill Goods

I can’t share a gift guide without highlighting all the goodies we offer in our shop, right? And we’d be SO grateful if you considered supporting our small business during this holiday season! As a special thank you, please use code “SHOPSMALL” to enjoy 10% off – now through Monday Nov 28th at midnight. To give back, we also donate a portion of all proceeds to rotating wildlife, social justice, and environmental nonprofits each year.

One of our most popular items is our organic sourdough starter. It’s a little piece of our personal starter, comes dehydrated (perfect for gifting!) and with easy instructions to reactivate it  – success guaranteed! 

Using homegrown, fair-trade and high-quality organic ingredients, we also make a wide variety of natural body care products, including healing salves and lip balms, luxurious herb and mineral bath salts, natural insect repellent, soothing aftershave or beard balm, kid-safe “breathe easy” balm, and more. 

New this season: I rounded up some of my favorite photos and created a beautiful 8-pack of pollinator greeting cards (printed on recycled paper) as well as a 2023 nature wall calendar. Last but not least, we also offer Homestead and Chill t-shirts and canvas tote bags printed on organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and other sustainable materials! 

Garden Goods & Gadgets

Seeds or Plants

While it may not be the best idea to pick out specific varieties for someone else, I know us gardeners always get excited about seeds – and plant shopping! So perhaps consider giving the special gardener in your life a gift certificate to their favorite local nursery or seed supplier so they can pick out exactly what they need. Tuck the gift card inside a garden hod or harvest basket (I always find the best ones at thrift stores!) and a new pair of garden gloves to round out the gift.

For seeds, I highly recommend High Mowing Organic Seeds. They’re an awesome small business based out of Vermont, and offer a stellar selection of certified organic veggie, flower and herb seeds. 95% of what we grow in our garden comes from High Mowing!

Personal Weather Station

Monitoring the weather is crucial for us gardeners, and can be really fun too! We’ve found that our local weather forecasts always seem several degrees off from what we truly experience in our garden, so this year we invested in a personal weather station! Now we can monitor the real-time temperature, humidity, wind, rain, UV, and pressure in our backyard microclimate. This is especially key when it comes to frost and deciding when to act and cover our most tender plants. 

We just recently got our weather station so we admittedly haven’t had a lot of time to test it out yet. But so far, so good! I chose it based on the reputable brand (a small business!), rave reviews, features, versatile mounting options, and range. Set-up was a breeze, and I’ve heard from dozens of folks in my Instagram community who say they’ve had the same one for years and love it!

Merry People Boots

Whether we’re out here harvesting, weeding, or just kicking back in the garden, you can pretty much always catch us in our Merry People boots. They’ve been our favorite garden boots since we first discovered them a few years ago; I wear mine pretty much every day. Merry People boots are comfortable, sturdy, vegan, waterproof, unisex, and come in a TON of fun color combinations! They offer tall boots and short clogs too. I’m also very happy to support a great small company that was founded by a woman of color. 

Wildlife Trail Camera

Here’s another new fun toy we got this year: a wildlife camera! After a lot of research (and trying a not-so-great trail cam first) we settled on a Bushnell trail cam. Admittedly, I have mostly used it to spy on the baby quail we had on our property this summer (squee!) but it’s a great tool to have around to identify garden visitors – especially those that come out at night. When you’re experiencing damage to your crops, it’s essential to identify the culprit before deciding how to best proceed! I’ve also spotted coyotes and raccoons on ours.

LED Grow Light Shelf

Here’s a gift idea for the serious seed-starter. We’ve been growing food from seed for many, many years now, but our seedlings have NEVER looked so healthy or grown as quickly as they have since we got this LED grow light shelf from Gardener’s Supply. In fact, we now have two! We’ve even decided we probably won’t add a greenhouse to our new homestead. The light shelves simply work too well, and raising seedlings indoors (or in this case, in our barn/shed) is actually easier than fighting the temperature swings that go hand-in-hand with greenhouses. 

Gardener’s Supply is currently offering free shipping on orders over $150 with code “HOLIDAYS22”

A Drone

Okay, it may be a bit of a stretch to call this a “garden tool”… but I love capturing our garden space with our new drone! It’s going to be so fun to document changes and progress on the property over time. When I was shopping and comparing drones, I chose the DJI Mini 3 Pro for several reasons. It is lightweight and compact, easy to fly, has absolutely stellar photo and video quality, and the biggest selling point (for me): it’s ability to shoot in portrait mode, with an easy toggle back to landscape too. Almost all other drones only shoot in landscape, which isn’t ideal for sharing on social media like I do so much!

Kitchen Supplies

Ceramic egg holder 

Anyone can enjoy this stylish little egg holder, but it’s an especially perfect gift for the backyard chicken keeper in your life. We keep ours out on the counter to display our girls’ beautiful (unwashed) eggs, though it works just fine on a refrigerator shelf too! (If you’re curious about storing fresh eggs at room temperature, please see this article.)

Sourdough Baking Kit 

Here is a super cute homestead gift idea: a sourdough baking kit, complete with a bread proofing basket (aka, a banneton) and a few smaller supplies tucked inside like a dough scraper, bread lame, and sourdough starter. A cast iron combo cooker (what we bake our sourdough bread in, like an upside down dutch oven) would be another fun addition! 

Our organic sourdough starter comes dehydrated (but alive), is easily reactivated with just a little flour and water, but doesn’t have to be activated for up to a year – so there is no pressure for the recipient to do anything with it right away.

Baking fresh sourdough bread is incredibly fun, rewarding, reduces wasteful packaging, is more nutritious and easier to digest than regular bread. Plus, it’s not difficult to do! All you need is a few basic supplies, a sourdough starter culture, and the desire to learn. We’re here to help with plenty of start-to-finish tutorials and recipes.

Loose Leaf Tea Party

Does someone in your life love to drink tea? Consider putting together a cute little tea party set! I adore our loose-leaf glass teapot for two, or use this high-quality stainless infuser for a single mug. Then pop over to Farmhouse Tea to browse their absolutely delectable tea blends like Coastal Cranberry Spice, Cherry Country Chai, Apple Cider Fixin’s, Prudent Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread Spice, and Cottage Peach Roobis… just to name a few! Some contain caffeine, though most are non-caffeinated.

Farmhouse Teas is a small family-run business from Oregon, where they source all of their ingredients locally and/or organic. Their “trial size” packs are a wonderful budget-friendly gift, and still contain up to 12 cups of tea! They also offer larger bags of loose-leaf tea, bundles with 3 small bags of choice, holiday gift sets, and more. Save 20% off on Farmhouse Teas from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday with code “FARMHOUSE20”.

Zoodler

This may seem like a silly contraption, but we are stoked to have a zoodler come zucchini season! We use it all summer long. Zoodles are a fun and different way to enjoy your zucchini bounty, and an awesome low-carb pasta substitute. They’re especially delicious with homemade tomato sauce or pesto, fresh tomatoes, and even some black beans or chickpeas added for protein. Zucchini aside, you can use it to spiralize a wide variety of veggies!

Dehydrator 

We use our food dehydrators almost non-stop year-round, drying and preserving everything from herbs and flowers to fruits and veggies. There are a lot of food dehydrators out there, but Excalibur machines are top-notch – and far superior to others we’ve used in the past! They’re efficient, fairly quiet, made in the USA, all BPA-free, and some models are available with convenient timers. 

I personally love the large capacity of the 9-tray models to fit all our goodies. When we had an old 4-tray dehydrator (different brand), we often found ourselves having to dry things in batches because it filled up too quickly. The precise temperature control is also fabulous, especially if you’re into raw foods and preserving the maximum nutrients and medicinal properties possible. 

Excalibur has a stellar Black Friday deal going on too: save 30% off site wide with code “BFCM22“!

Natural Health and Home

Organic Linens

I hate to be doom-and-gloom here… but did you know that conventional cotton is one of the most pesticide intensive crops to grow? On the other hand, choosing organic cotton bedding is better for your health, the environment, wildlife, and farmworkers alike!

We have organic cotton sheets from Boll & Branch and Avocado – they’re both wonderful! I especially love that Boll & Branch is certified fair trade. They also offer organic cotton bath towels, duvet covers, blankets, pillows and more. You could even take it a step further and invest in a non-toxic organic mattress from Avocado. We love ours!

Boll & Branch is currently having a 25% off sale with code “CYBER25”, and Avocado is offering 10% off site wide.

Air Purifier

Between dust, dander, allergens, mold, cleaning products, wood smoke and other impurities, did you know the air inside your home is often far more “polluted” than outside? And, that’s where we usually spend most of our time… breathing all that in!

Several years ago we invested in an air purifier with a HEPA filter during summer wildfires. The smoke was almost unbearable. Then I realized just how much the air purifier was helping my allergies too, so we ended up getting another – one for the bedroom, and one for the living room. Now I sleep with one on every night and feel much better about our indoor air quality!

Beeswax Candles

Speaking of indoor air quality… Consider gifting some clean-burning beeswax candles this holiday season! We quit burning traditional petroleum based candles years ago. I also avoid scented candles, even ones made from natural waxes. Those types of candles expose you to harmful chemicals, including carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. (Learn more here)

Instead, we love to burn 100% pure beeswax candles during cozy or festive occasions. The natural light honey aroma is scented enough, and if I want more aroma, I whip up a natural simmer pot instead! Tip: keep the wick trimmed short to prevent beeswax candles from smoking. (Plus I turn on the air purifier to clear the smoke once I blow them out.) 

I really like these beeswax pillars (which come in a variety of sizes) and these beeswax votives – both from small businesses and made from USA beeswax!

Natural Soaps 

This year I discovered a fantastic new natural deodorant company, Humble! My armpits have never been happier. (I especially love their sensitive skin formulas and cardboard packaging.) The small company has really stellar ethics when it comes to the environment, diversity and charitable giving. They also make cold-process natural soaps that are free of artificial fragrance, sodium lauryl sulfate or parabens. The soaps are sustainably packaged, cruelty-free, and come as single bars or mixed sets – which would make great gifts or stocking stuffers!

Body Massage Hook

Between working in the garden and the general stress of life, my shoulders are always riddled with knots. Aaron is a sweetheart and rubs my shoulders often, but sometimes his hands need a break too. That’s when this body hook massager becomes my BFF. I can reach every spot! It provides amazing relief, especially paired with CBD. You can use it all over your body, such as for acupressure on the bottom your feet. (Check out the photos in the listing.)

NuVita CBD

Last but not least, NuVita. If you’ve been around, you’ve probably heard me rave about NuVita CBD more than a time or two. This small business has truly changed my life for the better! I take their full spectrum CBD every day for anxiety, stress, muscle aches and joint pain (which comes in an oil tincture, softgels or gummies) along with their CBN tincture every night for the best sleep ever.

NuVita also offers CBD and CBN topical rollers, which are absolutely amazing for localized pain, inflammation relief, and aromatherapy – especially after a long day working in the garden!

Use code “deannacat” to save 10% on NuVita products, any time. If you like them as much I do, you can also sign up for autoship for an additional 15% off – for 25% savings total!

And that wraps up this year’s homestead gift guide.

Well friends, I hope you found some new and fun homestead gift ideas after browsing this list! We hope you have a wonderful winter holiday season ahead. I’m always extra-reflective this time of year, because exactly four years ago this week I sat down to start building this website… and what a wild ride it’s been ever since! We truly can’t thank you enough for being a part of our community and journey. Homestead and Chill wouldn’t be the same without you! 

The post Homestead Gift Guide 2022: DIY, Home & Garden Gift Ideas appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Making beeswax leaf garlands is a fantastic way to celebrate the changing seasons and bring a little piece of the great outdoors inside to enjoy. Especially here on the Central Coast of California where the seasons don’t change very dramatically, our colorful leaf garlands bring me so much joy. They really enhance the fall vibes! This also gave us the perfect excuse to get outside and visit our local park to forage for the most beautiful leaves.

See 17 other wonderful winter garden activities and projects to do indoors here.

Supplies Needed

• Leaves. The more bright and colorful, the better! Don’t be afraid to mix various shapes and sizes.
• Beeswax (or vegan wax alternative). The amount needed depends on your dipping pot and how many leaves you have. You’ll want at least ¼ to ½” of wax in the bottom of the pan after melting. About ½ cup to 1 cup of beeswax pastilles should be plenty. You can always melt more! 
• A double boiler* See notes below.
• Parchment paper or wax paper
• Jute twine, string, or other similar material to hang the leaves from. A string of twinkle lights can create a beautiful wax leaf garland too!
• Optional: Petite clothespins or clips to connect the leaves to the garland. I love using them because it makes it SO easy to attach and adjust the leaves, plus the pins themselves are really cute! But if your string is fine enough, you can also tie it directly around the leaf stems.

Double Boiler Notes

It’s best to heat beeswax via a double boiler rather than in a single pan directly on the stove because beeswax is highly flammable. It can smoke and actually catch fire if it gets too hot, much like grease! To create your own double boiler, choose a smaller pot, pan, or glass bowl that can rest on top or or partially nestle inside the lower pot of boiling water (but not fit completely inside, you don’t want it resting on the bottom of the lower pot). 

Since it can be a bit messy to clean up, some folks use an old or dedicated pan for beeswax. We don’t find that necessary though! For easy clean-up, simply re-heat the pot of beeswax, pour off any leftover wax to save for another project, wipe out the pot or pan with a paper towel, then wash well with soap and hot water (use the hot water from the double boiler!). 

Tips for success

It’s really simple and straightforward to make a beeswax leaf garland. Cliff notes: dip leaves in wax and hang. Lol! But here are a few tips that will make things even easier and create the most beautiful, long-lasting beeswax leaf garland possible:

• Use fallen, flat leaves. For the best results, collect leaves that have naturally fallen off the tree already. They’ll usually contain less moisture than those plucked fresh from the tree and preserve better in wax. Collect fairly flat leaves rather than ones that are already beginning to curl, and avoid leaves that are crispy and dry. 
  
  
• Press the collected leaves in a book for 24 to 48 hours before you make your beeswax leaf garland (but not much longer or they’ll start to lose color). Flattened leaves are far easier to dip in wax, will dry more flat, and the coating of wax will be more even. Try to keep the stems laying fairly straight and away from the leaf while pressing. Add weight on top of the book as needed.
  
  
• Keep the wax warm, but not piping hot. Super-hot wax can wilt or “cook” the leaves, so after melting, remove the hot wax from the heat and let it sit for a couple minutes to cool just slightly. But use it before it gets too cool! As the wax cools, it will start to re-solidify and dry more thick and chunky (less clear) on the leaves. If you’re dipping a lot of leaves, you may need to reheat the wax once or twice while you work. 
  
  
• Dip the stems too! Dipping the leaf stems in wax helps to fully seal the leaves, better preserve their color, and make the wax leaf garland last longer. 

Instructions to Make a Wax Leaf Garland

1. Add beeswax to the top portion of a double boiler, and with water in the lower pot, heat it on the stovetop over medium-high heat until the beeswax melts completely. Remove the wax from the heat, but keep the water in the double boiler in case you need to reheat it.
   
   
2. One at a time, dip the pressed leaves in the melted beeswax. Work quickly, but be sure the wax coats all parts of the leaf. Tip: Also dip a good portion of the stem in wax now too. It will be easier to go back and dip just the remaining tip of the stem later.
   
   
3. Hold the leaf above the pot and give it a gentle wiggle to let excess wax drip off. Then lay out the wax-dipped leaf flat on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper. Sometimes little chunks of wax will collect where the leaf is touching the parchment paper, so it may be best to lay the leaves face-side-up to hide those imperfections on the back. 
   

4. Once all the leaves have been dipped and are dry, go back and dip the remaining exposed portion of stem in wax as well. Avoid re-dipping the leaf though, or the extra wax layer will show.
   

5. After all the waxed leaves are dry (they dry fast!), clip or tie them to twine to create a garland. It’s usually easiest to hang the twine where you want it first and then attach the leaves. Cluster the leaves close together for an extra lush leaf garland, or hang them more sparsely for a simple, dainty look.

Beeswax leaf garlands look even more amazing when backlit, such as strung in a sunny window or pinned in front of twinkle lights. Light really makes the colors pop! If you don’t want to use tacks or nails, try these small suction window hooks.

How long do waxed leaves last?

Wax-dipped leaves should last (retain color) for several weeks, perhaps up to a couple of months. That said, we like to do this project close to Halloween and then enjoy the colorful wax leaf garland through Thanksgiving. If I make more than I hang, I save the extra waxed leaves in a dark place as back-up so I can swap out any that fade faster than the others. Once we’re done with them, the waxed leaves are a welcome addition to our compost pile. (We don’t put them in our worm bin however.)

Other uses for beeswax leaves

Beyond garlands, there are many beautiful and creative ways to display waxed leaves for fall decor! Cluster the leaves in a bowl or spread them out on the table to create a centerpiece. Pinecones, acorns, and gourds make great waxed leaf companions! Tuck the waxed leaves into a fall wreath, or fill a clear vase with them. You could even glue a magnet on the backside to adorn the refrigerator with fall flair.   

And that’s how to make a beeswax leaf garland.

Well friends, I sure hope you have just as much fun creating your own fall wax leaf garlands as I do. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Also tag me on Instagram so I can see your beautiful leaf garlands too! If you found this tutorial to be inspiring and useful, please consider leaving a star review below. Also, spread the fall love by pinning or sharing this post. Happy leaf foraging and crafting!

You may also enjoy:

• How to Make Homemade Beeswax Wraps (Reusable Food Wraps)
• DIY Rice Heating Pad (or Cold Pack) Tutorial
• How to Make Blown Egg Ornaments
• Are Toxic Candles Poisoning Your Home?
• Natural Homemade Lip Balm Recipe

Print

DIY Beeswax Fall Leaf Garland

Learn how to make a beautiful, natural fall beeswax leaf garland. It's a fun, easy, and sustainable autumn craft project that the whole family can enjoy! Wax leaf garlands look beautiful strung across a sunny window, fireplace mantle, or trailing along a banister. 

Keyword beeswax leaf garland, diy fall garland, fall leaf garland, homemade leaf garland, waxed leaf garland

Ingredients

• Leaves – choose fallen, flat, colorful leaves that are not yet curling or getting crispy
• Beeswax or vegan alternative, enough to create a shallow pool of wax (about 1/4 to 1/2-inch deep) in the pot once melted
• Jute twine, string or twinkle lights
• Double boiler
• Small clothespins
• Parchment paper or waxed paper

Instructions

• Press your collected leaves in a book for 24 to 48 hours before you make your beeswax leaf garland.
• Gently heat beeswax on the stovetop in a double-boiler.
• Once the wax has completely melted, quickly dip each leaf in the wax (one by one) and ensure all parts of the leaf have been coated. Dip some of the stem too.
• Hold the leaf over the pot of wax and lightly wiggle it, allowing excess wax to drip off
• Lay waxed leaves out on parchment paper or waxed paper to dry. They dry fast; within 10 minutes!
• Once dry, go back and dip the uncoated tips of the stems in wax (avoid getting more wax on the leaf). Allow to dry again.
• Use small clothespins to attach the waxes leaves to a piece of twine, string or twinkle lights to create a garland. (It's easiest to hang the string where you want it first, then attach the leaves)
• The leaves should retain their color for several weeks, up to a couple months.
• Enjoy your beautiful homemade beeswax leaf garland!
• For easy clean-up, re-heat the pot of beeswax, pour off any leftover wax to save for another project, wipe out the pot or pan with a paper towel, then wash well with soap and hot water.

The post How to Make a Fall Beeswax Leaf Garland  appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Read along and get inspired with this list of 17 fun winter garden activities and projects you can do inside. There are ideas for every budget and skill level. Beyond the comforts of your home, remember there are many ways to extend your growing season and continue gardening outdoors even as temperatures dip. And if you’re in a mild climate like ours, grow a fall garden right through winter too!

1) Organize Your Seed Collection

Even if you’re a few months away from planting them, why not play with your seeds now? Organizing garden seeds is one of my favorite winter garden activities. I like to go through my seed collection every year to assess what we have on hand, what we need more of, put away new seeds, and generally tidy things up. It definitely gets me excited in anticipation for spring! 

We used to keep our seed packs in a shoe box, overflowing into numerous old mailing envelopes they had once arrived in. It was messy and difficult to locate what I was looking for. Some seeds got completely buried and forgotten! 

If that sounds familiar and you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon with our favorite seed storage system yet… join us! These seed storage boxes are perfect for keeping seeds dry, organized, easy to find and tote around. Paired with these labels, they make my little Type A heart sing.

2) Grow Microgreens

If you have a hankering to grow something NOW, try microgreens! Kale, alfalfa, and sunflower sprouts anyone? Growing microgreens indoors is a fantastic winter garden project – or something you can do year-round! They’re easy to grow, and can be done under a small grow light or in a bright sunny window. Plus, the fresh little microgreens are absolutely loaded with nutrients – in exponentially higher concentrations than their mature forms. I’m sure your winter body and palate will greatly appreciate that pop of green goodness!

Looking for supplies? We love these extra-durable microgreen growing kits from Bootstrap Farmer. You can use them with seedling soil, or pair them with reusable, biodegradable substrate mats (like these organic jute mats) to keep your microgreens clean and mess-free! Here is cute little all-in-one microgreen kit that also includes mats and seeds (though a smaller overall capacity). Finally, here is a really basic little grow light. Or, this one will provide more coverage to grow more.

For microgreen seeds, we love the certified organic offerings from High Mowing Seeds – though there are a lot of bulk organic options on Amazon too (see the full list here). Pop over to our step-by-step microgreens tutorial to learn even more!

3) Plan for Spring

Ah, there’s nothing better than cuddling up with a hot cup of tea and stack of seed catalogs on a dreary winter day. Browsing through seed catalogs (or online) and planning for spring is another one of my favorite indoor winter garden activities! (See our favorite places to buy organic and heirloom garden seeds here.) 

After we do our seed shopping, I like to start thinking about where I will plant everything in the garden come spring. We try our best to practice crop rotation and consider companion planting while planning. To help organize my thoughts, I use our garden plot plan template (shown below) to map out where certain plants may go. It makes things SO much easier come transplanting day! They’re also useful to keep and reference from previous years – especially for crop rotation. The plan may change slightly come spring, but it’s fun to start daydreaming now.

4) Try an Indoor Herb Garden

Microgreens aren’t the only thing you can grow inside. Consider growing fresh herbs too! Start a windowsill herb garden with a few small pots, or tuck them under a countertop grow light for even more success. The best herbs to grow inside include basil, chives, mint, parsley, lemon balm, and tarragon. You can also try to grow woodier perennial herbs like oregano, sage, rosemary, and thyme indoors, though they’re usually most happy outside – with ample sun and warm open soil to grow in. Learn even more about growing and using herbs here.

5) Make Homemade Bird Feeders

The kiddos will especially enjoy this fun winter garden project! Create a simple homemade bird feeder with a pinecone, some peanut butter, and wild bird seed. Lather peanut butter (or almond butter) in the grooves of the pinecone, and then roll or sprinkle it with bird seed – which will stick to the nut butter. Use twine or a soft pipe cleaner to hang your DIY pinecone bird feeder in a tree outside a window, and watch your feathered friends enjoy their protein-rich snack! It’s best to hang close to a small branch that the birds can perch on while they pick at the pinecone.

6) Start a Worm Bin

Worm composting is my absolute favorite way to sustainably repurpose food waste! Not to mention, worm castings (aka worm poo) are the most incredible fertilizer and soil amendment you can use. Worm castings have the nickname “black gold” for a reason. With a worm bin, you can create that for free! And your garden will thank you endlessly. 

Worm bins are easy to set up, perfect for small spaces, and can even be kept indoors. Contrary to popular belief, worm compost bins do not smell bad (especially if they’re well-maintained). One of our followers secretly kept a worm bin under her kitchen sink for many months without her husband realizing it (who was opposed to having one)! We’ve had a worm bin for over a decade, including while living in an apartment in Rhode Island while I was in grad school. 

Learn how to create and maintain a simple, inexpensive tote-style worm bin here. Worms do need to be protected from freezing conditions, so if you can’t keep it inside during the winter, wrap the worm bin in insulating material like a wool or fleece blanket and store it in a protected location – such as a garage, shed, or basement. This indoor winter gardening project is another that the whole family will love!

7) Start Seeds for Spring

Though you won’t be planting most seedlings outside just yet, winter is the ideal time to start seeds for the coming spring garden season. Not only is seed-starting a fun indoor winter gardening activity, it’s essential in some cases! Folks with short growing seasons must get a jump start indoors, so they’ll have sizable seedlings to plant come spring – ones that will bear fruit faster. Pop over to our Seed Starting 101 guide to learn everything you need to know!  

Many common summer vegetable crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, onions and more are started in the winter, several weeks to months before the last spring frost date in any given area. If you aren’t sure when to start seeds indoors in your area, check out our handy planting calendars. They’ll show you the best time to start seeds, transplant seedlings outside, or directly sow seeds outdoors for dozens of different vegetables, and every USDA hardiness zone! 

8) Give Your Houseplants Some Love

If you can’t be outside, tending to your indoor houseplants can be one of the most satisfying winter garden activities – especially if they’ve been neglected! Perhaps it’s time to finally pot-up that root bound monstera, or re-stake your leaning rubber tree. Use microfiber gloves to remove dust from plant leaves and make them shine!

Late winter is also a good time to feed houseplants with a slow-release fertilizer, as they generally resume more vigorous growth come spring. Our Houseplant Care 101 article provides tips on soil, light, water, fertilizer, pests, cats, and more.

Maintenance aside, get creative with your plants! Rearrange them or swap pots to spice things up, or create a new fun plant shelf, hanger, or display. Heck, you could even adopt a new houseplant or two! Tell your plant-leery partner that “DeannaCat told me to”. I am willing to take the blame.   Here is a cute DIY succulent terrarium idea too.

9) Make Something With Preserved Garden Goods

There are all kinds of wonderful things you can make with goodies you’ve saved from the summer garden: homemade seasonings or tea blends with dried herbs, medicinal tinctures and balms, or dried flower arrangements and wreaths. For example, harvest and save dried calendula flowers during the busy summer season, and then take advantage of the slower winter months to finally make calendula-infused oil or healing salve. 

Admittedly this does take a little planning in advance… but perhaps you already have something on hand to use. For instance, do you have a bunch of frozen fruit in the freezer? It sounds like the perfect time to turn them into jam! 

Ideas to try:

• Homemade Vegetable Broth from Saved Kitchen Scraps
• How to Make Lavender-Infused Oil and Homemade Lavender Salve
• Homemade Calendula-Infused Oil and Calendula Salve Recipe
• How to Dry Orange Slices for Holiday Decorations
• Homemade Cannabis Oil and Cannabis Salve Recipe

10) Sanitize Garden Tools and Seed Starting Supplies

Winter is a great time to clean and sanitize your gardening tools and reusable seed starting supplies. Then you’re ready to go and can hit the ground running once the busy spring season arrives! Why sanitize? Routinely cleaning your garden tools is one important way to prevent the spread of disease in your garden, especially for susceptible little seedlings. Check out this article to learn how we like to sanitize our supplies.  

11) Grow Mushrooms In Your Kitchen

There are some types of fungi that you don’t want lurking in your kitchen (I’m looking at you, moldy creature in the back of the refrigerator) but here is a super neat winter gardening idea: grow some shrooms! Like microgreens, you obviously can adopt this hobby any time of year.

Mushrooms are fun and easy to grow indoors, especially since there are a ton of mushroom growing kits readily available that make it as easy as 1-2-3. The kits come pre-inoculated with mushroom spores (varieties of oyster mushrooms being the most common), and all you have to do is keep them misted and moist. Then you can harvest fresh, tasty, nutrient-dense homegrown mushrooms right in your kitchen! Mushroom kits also make for an awesome gift, or cool science experiment to do with the kids.

12) Learn Something New

I don’t know about you, but I have stacks of gardening books and magazines that I can’t seem to find the time to read – especially during the busy growing season! Take advantage of the slow, short, darker days of winter and learn something new. 

Read up on the benefits of no-till gardening, how to make homemade aloe vera fertilizer or use mycorrhizae to improve plant health, or how to grow something new and unique – like turmeric or pineapple guava. We have hundreds of articles here on Homestead and Chill that may tickle your fancy! Or, check out our list of favorite gardening books and homesteading resources here. 

13) Build a Birdhouse or Owl Box

Calling all bird lovers! Even if you’re not a bird nerd like me, building a birdhouse is a sweet little winter garden project – and one your local wildlife will greatly appreciate too. We recently converted an old wooden mailbox into a birdhouse! Check out this great round-up of DIY birdhouses and plans from The Spruce for more ideas.

Or, if you want to step it up a notch, consider building an owl box! In return for providing them with shelter, these majestic birds of prey can offer excellent natural rodent control for your garden. You can find owl box plans online from trusted bird experts – like this Screech owl box plan from the Cornell Wildlife Center, or this Barn owl box from the Audubon Society. Be sure to research what types of owls are most common to your area, since different owl species like particular box shapes and sizes.

14) Attend or Organize a Seed Swap

Us gardeners tend to hoard seeds. Hey, no judgement here! Yet if you’re like me, we don’t always use up the entire seed pack before they start to get old. (You can still plant and grow most old seeds, though the germination rate will start to decline after a few years). Seed swaps are an excellent way to get rid of extra seeds, discover new-to-you varieties, and spread the garden love. 

Seed swaps can operate a few different ways. Sometimes you can bring whatever you want, and take whatever you want. Others have more organized rules, where each participant exchanges the same number of packs or varieties with others in the group. Check with your local garden clubs or Master Gardeners extension office about upcoming seed swap events. Or organize your own – including through the mail!

15) Decorate Your Pots

Feeling crafty? Decorating pots is a fun winter garden project that you can do indoors. Grab some plain terra cotta pots and get creative! You could paint them with pretty designs, or even adorn them with a mosaic tile pattern. Check out this tutorial on How to Make Mosaic Flower Pots from Home is Where the Boat Is. Hunting down mosaic materials (e.g. old plates or china) sounds like a fabulous excuse to go thrift shopping too!

16) Build Something “Inside”

If it’s too cold, wet, or snowy to comfortably work outside, make use of your garage or other outbuildings as a workspace! During rainy winter weather, we’ve built raised garden beds, greenhouse benches, and a potting bench inside our garage – all ready and waiting for spring. This season we’ve been staying dry inside a small barn while we work on a big irrigation project, cutting and gluing certain smaller sections of PVC pipe in advance. I would love to build a produce washing station next!

17) Deep Clean Your Greenhouse

The final winter garden project on this list is for those of you that have a greenhouse. Freshen up your greenhouse in preparation for spring by organizing pots, seedling supplies, tools, or other items you store inside. Wipe down the interior walls and shelves with a natural sanitizing agent to kill any lingering disease or fungal spores from the previous season. We don’t have a greenhouse at the moment, but liked to use this homemade vinegar and citrus spray to clean our old one! 

And that concludes this list of wonderful winter garden activities!

Well friends, what do you think? Did you see a few fun things on this list that you want to try? Or, did a miss any winter garden activities that you personally love to do to inside during the dreary cold months? Let me know in the comments below. If you found this list to be useful, please spread the love by pinning or sharing this post. As always, we greatly appreciate you tuning in today. I hope these ideas make it a little easier to get through the rest of winter. Don’t worry, spring is just around the corner!

The post 17 Wonderful Winter Garden Activities (Projects) To Do Indoors appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Use this guide and learn how to dry orange slices two ways: in the oven, or in a food dehydrator. We’ll also cover some frequently asked questions about making dried orange slices, including their history, shelf life and storage. I’ll also show you several cute ideas for how to decorate with dried oranges.

Why do people decorate with dried oranges for Christmas or during winter?

It’s always good to understand the background or history of a tradition, don’t you think? Oranges are associated with winter holidays for a number of reasons. First of all, the majority of citrus ripen during the winter season. Here on the Central Coast of California, our neighborhood trees are dripping with oranges from November through spring! 

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, fresh oranges were rare and viewed as a luxury item to splurge on at Christmastime. Folks would give them as gifts, often tucking them into their children’s stockings as a nod to the “sacks of gold” that old Saint Nick would deliver down the chimney. 

Long before American Christian traditions, cultures around the world adorned their homes with elements of nature as part of Winter Solstice celebrations, including bows of greenery, wreaths, and garlands with dried fruit. Winter Solstice occurs around December 21st each year. It is the shortest day of the year, marking the time when the days once again grow longer. Oranges, being just about as bright and cheery as fruit can get, are thought to represent the sun and the return of light.

What kind of oranges should I use to make dry orange slices?

Classic Navel or Valencia oranges are best. They are large, have a uniform round shape, and make the most beautiful dried orange slices. Choose oranges with the deepest orange color rind for the most vibrant results. Also, firm oranges will be easier to cut into uniform thin slices than softer fruit. 

We’ve also used blood oranges to make dry orange slices before. The stunning red and purple centers look amazing! Yet because they’re already darker in color, it’s especially important to not accidentally overcook or burn them, since they’ll look even more brown than the orange ones. 

Really, you can use these methods to dry any type of citrus – including lemons, limes, or grapefruit! Note that smaller “orange” citrus fruits like tangerines or mandarins typically have thinner rinds and more membranes inside, so they may be less attractive when dried.

How to make dried orange slices stay orange? 

To avoid your dried orange slices from turning brown, it’s best to dry them on the lowest temperature possible. They will turn brown if they’re accidentally overcooked or burned.  Dry orange slices may also turn more brown over time, as their natural colors fade over the years. 

However, keep in mind that the lower the temp, the longer they’ll take to dry. To speed things up, you can experiment with turning your oven higher than the lowest setting, but keep an eye on them as you go. 

If you have one handy, I suggest using a food dehydrator to make the most fuss-free and bright-colored dry orange slices. Since you can dry the oranges at a lower temperature than the oven, it’s virtually impossible to accidentally burn them. They also stay more flat instead of possibly curling slightly. 

If you’re in the market for a food dehydrator, I can’t say enough good things about Excalibur dehydrators. They’re made in the USA, BPA-free, and dry things evenly and efficiently! (They’re also on sale for 25% off until midnight December 5th!)

How to Make the Best Dried Orange Slices

Supplies

• Oranges
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for oven method) OR a food dehydrator
• Lint-free cloth towel or paper towels for blotting 

Instructions

Step 1: Slice the Oranges

Begin by cutting your oranges into thin slices. Aim for ⅛” to ¼” thick. As best you can, try to cut each slice the same thickness. The more thin and even you cut them, the faster and more uniform they’ll dry. Also, cut across the “equator” or center of the orange (as opposed to top stem to bottom) to reveal the perfect cross-section. 

Tip: Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 200-225°F. See more information about the temperature range to follow.

Step 2: Blot and Spread

Before putting the orange slices onto trays, it’s best to blot them to remove excess juices first. This helps them dry much faster, and also stick to the trays less. Some folks use paper towels for this. Instead, I like to lay out a lint-free tea towel, set several slices on top, then fold it over to blot the tops. Don’t push hard or squish them! Just enough to soak up some juice. (Tip: When you’re done, rinse the towel well with water before adding it to your laundry pile.)

Next, spread the orange slices out on either a baking sheet or your food dehydrator trays. If you’re using the oven method, line the baking sheet with parchment paper first. Oranges get sticky! Lay the slices out in a single layer. It’s okay if their sides are touching, but they should not overlap.

Step 3: Dry Orange Slices

In a Dehydrator:

• To dry orange slices in a dehydrator, set the thermostat to 130-135°F. 
• If your machine doesn’t have a precise temperature control, choose a “fruit” setting or medium heat. When in doubt, check them after an hour or two to ensure they’re not turning brown and adjust as needed. 
• Allow them to dry until no moisture remains. (See notes below.) In our machine, the orange slices were mostly dry within about 8 hours, though a few damp pieces remained, so I turned the temp down to 125F and let it continue to run overnight to finish off.
• Depending on your dehydrator (e.g. if it has a top or bottom fan), you may also want to rotate the trays after several hours to promote even drying. I don’t find the need to do this with our Excalibur since the fan is located in the back of the machine for more even airflow.

In the Oven:

• Dry the orange slices in the oven on 200 to 225°F for several hours, until they’re fully dry*. (See notes below)
• It should take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, depending on your oven and size of orange slices.
• Carefully flip the slices every hour or so to promote even drying. 
• Once they are done, transfer the dried orange slices to a cooling rack.

A note on oven temperature: Every oven is slightly different, so you may need to experiment with what temperature works best for you. In our current oven, I found that 200°F felt like it was taking a bit too long, but when I turned it up to just over 225, the oranges quickly started turning more brown. So, I turned it back down to about 215 for the remainder of the time. This particular batch took about 4 hours. At that time, I removed the dry ones (which was most of them) and let a few remaining thicker slices continue to dry for another half an hour.

*The orange slices are considered “fully dry” once they appear dry, and thickest parts of the fruit are no longer gooey or soft to the touch. It is okay if they feel ever-so-slightly sticky still, since they will continue to dry and harden once they’re removed from the heat.

Ways to decorate with dried orange slices

• Add twine or string to your dried orange slices by making a small hole near the top, and tie a knot around the rind if needed (since it’s the most sturdy part). Dried orange slices may also have a natural hole in the center that you can insert string through instead.
• Attach dried orange slices to green wreathes or garlands using twine, wire, or pipe cleaners. See photos below.
• String up dried orange slices as tree ornaments using ribbon, twine, or string. Get creative and add bows, bells, beads, feathers, or other fun additions.
• Create a dry orange garland by stringing your orange slices on twine or string, either alone or together with popcorn, wood beads, cinnamon sticks, pinecones, or similar seasonal items. These are beautiful on a Christmas tree, streaming down a stairwell banister, strung across a sunny window, doorway, or fireplace mantle.
• Combine dried orange slices with natural greenery like pine or cedar, sprigs of rosemary, rustic pine cones, branches, acorns, chestnuts or walnuts to create a festive centerpiece, such as in a shallow bowl or tray.
• When wrapping gifts, affix them to the package with twine in lieu of curling ribbon or a bow.
• Last but not least, stick a dry orange slice or two inside your favorite tea, holiday cocktail, or mocktail for a beautiful citrusy flair.

How long do dry orange slices last?

Dried orange slices will last about two or three years. That is, they’ll look their best for the first couple of years, and start to turn increasingly brown thereafter. Yet that doesn’t mean they are “bad” or unusable after that time! We’ve hung much older dried orange ornaments on our holiday tree before. 

Once they’re no longer welcome in your home, simply toss old dried orange slices in your compost heap. Or, give them one final shot to fulfill their festive destiny and add them to a pot of stovetop potpourri with other seasonal aromatic goodies before hitting the compost. 

How to store dried orange slices

Store dried orange slices in an air tight container such as a large mason jar or inside ziplock bag. (You may want to lightly pad them between layers of newspaper if you use a bag.) Store them in a cool, dry, dark location, and somewhere they won’t easily get crushed or break, such as tucked in a storage tote with your other fragile holiday decor. We usually leave a jar in our pantry to add to hot tea!

Do dried orange slices smell good?

Dry orange slices smell amazing while they’re drying! Yet once they’re fully dry, they honestly don’t smell like much. Sure, if you stick your nose right in them, you can catch a faint whiff of citrus aroma, but don’t expect them to add significant fragrance to your home. However, if you toss dried oranges (or fresh ones) in a simmer pot – also known as stovetop potpourri – they smell absolutely divine! 

Will dry orange slices grow mold?

As long as they’re properly and fully dehydrated, dry orange slices should not grow mold. Mold will only grow if they are not dried fast or long enough, and have too much remaining moisture. Yet even if they’re slightly sticky right out of the oven, your dried orange slices will also continue to air-dry as they hang out as decorations, further protecting them from mold. After drying, mold will only be a concern in extremely humid climates.

Can you air-dry orange slices?

Theoretically yes, you can air-dry orange slices, but only under ideal conditions. They will need to be spread on wire rack, screen, or other surface that allows for air circulation on all sides, and set out in warm, arid conditions with ample airflow – such as outside on a breezy summer day, in a warm attic space with fans, or similar. 

Yet in the middle of winter, those conditions are difficult to achieve in most places. Heck, we can’t even do that in the summertime here! If the orange slices don’t dry fast and warm enough, they will surely mold first. That is why we recommend using an oven or food dehydrator to dry orange slices, rather than passively air drying them at room temperature. 

And that is how you dry and decorate with beautiful orange slices!

Gosh those are pretty, aren’t they? I hope you have as much fun making and decorating with dry orange slices as I had putting this post together for you. If you found these tips useful, please feel free to spread the love by pinning or sharing this article – and leave a review below! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with! Have a wonderful winter holiday season.

Looking for other clever ways to use oranges (and any citrus), or ideas for other holiday crafts? Check out:

• Homemade Citrus Vinegar Cleaning Spray: Natural, Non-Toxic & Effective!
• How to Make Dehydrated Lemon Powder + 13 Ways to Use It
• Fire Cider Recipe for Immune Health
• How to Make Blown Egg Ornaments
• 17 Wonderful Winter Garden Activities (Projects) To Do Indoors
• DIY Beeswax Wraps (Reusable Food Wraps)
• How to Make Easy Dried Persimmons
• Fruit & Veggie Stamped Kitchen Towels Tutorial

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How to Dry Orange Slices (Citrus) Two Ways

Dried orange slices are a beautiful, inexpensive, eco-friendly addition to winter holiday decor. Come learn how to dry orange slices in either the oven or a food dehydrator, plus ideas for how to decorate with them! Use this tutorial for lemons or grapefruit too.

Course Drinks, Holiday Decor, Holiday Dish

Keyword diy holiday decorations, dried citrus slices, dried orange slices, dried oranges holiday decor, dry oranges, how to dry oranges, natural holiday decorations, orange slices christmas

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Equipment

• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for oven method) OR a food dehydrator
• Lint-free cloth towel or paper towels for blotting 

Ingredients

• Oranges (or lemons, grapefruit)

Instructions

Prep

• Begin by cutting your oranges into thin slices. Aim for ⅛” to ¼” thick. Try to cut each slice the same thickness for even drying. Cutting across the “equator” or center of the orange (as opposed to top stem to bottom) to reveal the perfect cross-section. 
• Before putting the orange slices onto trays, gently blot them with paper towels or a cloth towel to remove excess juices and expedite the drying process.
• Next, spread the orange slices out on either a baking sheet or your food dehydrator trays. If you’re using the oven method, line the baking sheet with parchment paper first. Oranges get sticky! Lay the slices out in a single layer. It’s okay if their sides are touching, but they should not overlap.

Drying Oranges in a Dehydrator

• Set the thermostat to 130-135°F. If your machine doesn’t have a precise temperature control, choose a “fruit” setting or medium heat. When in doubt, check them after an hour or two to ensure they’re not turning brown and adjust as needed. 
• Allow them to dry until no moisture remains** (See notes below.) In our machine, the orange slices were mostly dry within about 8 hours, though a few damp pieces remained, so I turned the temp down to 125F and let it continue to run overnight to finish off.
• Depending on your dehydrator (e.g. if it has a top or bottom fan), you may want to rotate the trays after several hours to promote even drying. I don't need to rotate ours since the fan is in the back of the machine for even airflow.

Drying Oranges in the Oven

• Dry the orange slices in the oven on 200 to 225°F for several hours, until they’re fully dry* (see notes below). It should take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, depending on your oven and size of orange slices. I found the sweet spot in our oven to be 215F, where 200 was going too slow but 225 was turning them brown.
• Carefully flip the slices every hour or so to promote even drying.
• Once they are done, transfer the dried orange slices to a cooling rack.
• Enjoy!

Ways to decorate with dried orange slices

• Add twine or string to your dried orange slices by making a small hole near the top, and tie a knot around the rind if needed (since it’s the most sturdy part). Dried orange slices may also have a natural hole in the center that you can insert string through instead.
• Attach dried orange slices to green wreathes or garlands using twine, wire, or pipe cleaners.
• String up dried orange slices as tree ornaments using ribbon, twine, or string. Get creative and add bows, bells, beads, feathers, or other fun additions
• Create a dry orange garland by stringing your orange slices on twine or string, either alone or together with popcorn, wood beads, cinnamon sticks, pinecones, or similar seasonal items. These are beautiful on a Christmas tree, streaming down a stairwell banister, strung across a sunny window, doorway, or fireplace mantle.
• Combine dried orange slices with natural greenery like pine or cedar, sprigs of rosemary, rustic pine cones, branches, acorns, chestnuts or walnuts to create a festive centerpiece, such as in a shallow bowl or tray.
• When wrapping gifts, affix them to the package with twine in lieu of curling ribbon or a bow.
• Last but not least, stick a dry orange slice or two inside your favorite tea, holiday cocktail, or mocktail for a beautiful citrusy flair.

Notes

**For either method** The orange slices are considered “fully dry” once they appear dry, and thickest parts of the fruit are no longer gooey or soft to the touch. It is okay if they feel ever-so-slightly sticky still, since they will continue to dry and harden once they’re removed from the heat.

The post How to Dry Orange Slices for Holiday Decor, Two Ways appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Supplies Needed

• A double-boiler. Or, create a makeshift double boiler by nesting a stainless steel bowl, heat-safe glass bowl, or smaller pot inside a larger pot.
• Small containers to store your final homemade lip balm. Consider options like these 1/2 ounce tins, 1 ounce tins, even smaller .15 ounce plastic tubes or cardboard chapstick tubes, tiny glass jars, or similar. 
• Optional: a glass measuring cup or similar smaller bowl/pitcher with a pour spout. 

Ingredients 

• 1 part beeswax. I recommend using beeswax pastilles since they’re the easiest to work with. See beeswax substitution notes to follow.
• 1 part cocoa butter. Cocoa butter wafers are a popular choice and also easy to work with. You could also use shea butter or mango butter. We personally love the creamy, chocolate-like notes that cocoa butter adds to our natural lip balms! 
• 2 parts high-quality edible oil. Feel free to combine a couple different oils if you’d like. If I had to choose just one, I recommend organic sweet almond oil. It’s highly moisturizing, full of nutrients, and has a very mild flavor and scent. See oil notes below for more guidance on choosing the best oil to make lip balm. 
• Optional: essential oils

I listed the ingredients in “parts” (by volume) so you can easily scale the natural lip balm recipe up or down to your liking. For example, use 1/2 cup beeswax, ½ cup cocoa butter, and 1 cup oil. That is the size batch we made for the photos show in this tutorial, and yields approximately 12 ounces of lip balm. Or for a much smaller batch, combine 1 tablespoon of beeswax and 1 tablespoon of cocoa butter with 2 tablespoons of oil.

Use the printable recipe at the end of this article to scale the “servings” up and down.

TIP: To measure by weight instead of volume, use 1 part beeswax, 1 part cocoa butter, and 4 parts oil (e.g. 60 grams beeswax, 60 grams cocoa butter, and 240 grams oil).

Flavoring natural lip balm with essential oils

Feel free to add essential oils to your homemade lip balm recipe, but use high-quality “edible” oils only. Organic is all the better! We love to use certified organic oils from Plant Therapy. Buy them directly from Plant Therapy here, or from Amazon here.

Some of the most popular essential oils to flavor natural lip balm include peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, sweet orange, pink grapefruit, vanilla, chamomile, lavender, and jasmine. Please note that certain citrus essential oils are considered “phototoxic”, which means they can increase the risk of sunburn while in direct sun – such as lemon, lime, and bergamot. However, this is mostly a concern when very high or undiluted concentrations of citrus oil is applied directly to skin. Sweet orange is not phytotoxic.

For a fairly strong-scented lip balm, use up to 96 drops (1 light tsp) of essential oils per 1 cup of oil used maximum. Scaled down, that would be 12 drops of essential oils for every 2 Tbsp of regular oil. To make lip balm with a more mellow scent, use about half the amount.

What type of oil should I use to make homemade lip balm?

You can make lip balm with any high-quality edible oil such as sweet almond oil, olive oil, fractionated (liquid) coconut oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, hemp seed oil, or similar. Coconut oil that is solid at room temperature can be more tricky to perfect since it’s texture varies wildly with temperature. Note that oils with distinct or strong flavors (e.g. olive, coconut) will influence the overall flavor and aroma of your homemade lip balm. 

While lip balm may be considered a “cosmetic”, I personally avoid using oils that are reserved for “cosmetic use only” (like argan oil or rosehip seed oil) since the final product is going dang near in your mouth. However, those are great choices for our calendula salve, cannabis salve, or lavender body salve recipes!

How to Make Homemade Lip Balm

1. Have all your supplies and ingredients out and ready before starting.
   
   
2. Measure and/or weigh the oil, wax, and cocoa or shea butter and add to the top portion of a double boiler. Be sure to put water in the lower portion of the double boiler; enough so the bottom of the top pan is resting in water. Measuring cocoa wafers is a bit awkward in cups, but it works! For example, we’ve found that 1/2 cup of beeswax and 1/2 cup of cocoa butter wafers both weigh about 60 grams each.
   
   
3. Heat the ingredients over medium-high heat until all of the ingredients completely melt and combine. Stir occasionally. Do not cover the pot while heating; the introduction of condensation (water) can negatively impact your lip balm.
   
   
4. Turn off and remove the pot from the heat before adding essential oils. Essential oils are very volatile by nature, and thus will quickly dissipate on high heat.
   
   
5. While it is still hot, carefully pour the liquid into your lip balm containers of choice. If you have one handy, we find it’s easiest to transfer the melted mixture from the double-boiler into a glass measuring cup first (in batches if needed) and then pour it into small lip balm containers from there. Microwave the glass measuring cup for 30 seconds first to prevent the mixture from cooling too quickly or sticking when it comes in contact with the cool glass. If the mixture starts to harden before you’re finished pouring, simply return to the heat to re-melt.
   
   
6. Once the lip balm has completely cooled and hardened, add lids or caps and labels.
   
   
7. Enjoy soft, supple, moisturized lips – and share with your friends! (The balm that is… not your lips.)

Clean Up Tip:

For the easiest clean up, immediately wipe the pan out with a paper towel. If the lip balm residue starts to harden inside, lightly heat the pan again to help it melt once again.

Homemade Lip Balm FAQ & Troubleshooting

How to make homemade lip balm without beeswax

Wax is a key component of lip balm. It helps to solidify the balm in it’s container as well as hold the balm (and moisture) on your lips over time. Beeswax is a common choice of wax used to make natural lip balm; it’s non-toxic, readily available, easy to work with, and performs exceedingly well at moisturizing and healing chapped lips. However, some folks may wish to avoid using beeswax and make 100% vegan lip balm instead. 

There are numerous types of vegan plant-based waxes – palm, coconut, carnauba, and more. Yet soy wax or candelilla wax are usually recommended as the best substitutes to make lip balm without beeswax since they offer the most similar texture and results. However, some personal experimentation and tweaking of the lip balm recipe may be required to get it exactly how you like it. 

Does homemade lip balm need preservatives?

Commercial lip balms you find in the store usually include added chemicals and preservatives. However, you do not need to add any preservatives to this natural lip balm recipe. Beeswax acts as a natural preservative, extending the shelf life of the oil, butters, and lip balm in general. Beeswax is also anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antimicrobial! Hence why beeswax food wraps are so effective and popular. Learn how to make your own beeswax wraps here – another great DIY project or gift!

How long does homemade lip balm last? Can it expire?

As a general rule of thumb, consider homemade lip balm “good” and safe to use as long as it looks, smells, and feels normal – typically for several months or up to a year. Signs that homemade lip balm has expired or gone bad include “off” odors, tastes, or visible mold on the surface of the lip balm or inside its container.

A number of factors influence the shelf life of homemade lip balm, including the ingredients used and how it is stored or applied. For instance, certain oils are more prone to going rancid more quickly than others (though beeswax does act as a natural preservative and helps to extend their shelf life). Furthermore, using a tube applicator or dipping clean fingers into a lip balm tin will help it last longer than applying lip balm from a tin with soiled fingers… I’m looking at you, kiddos! 

What if my homemade lip balm is too hard (or too soft)?

If your homemade lip balm comes out too soft, the easiest fix is to re-melt it and add a tad more wax. On the other hand, if the lip balm is too firm you can re-melt it and add more oil instead. Yet if you follow the natural lip balm recipe we provided above, this shouldn’t be an issue.

How to prevent homemade lip balm from cracking

There are a few reasons homemade lip balm may crack in its container as it dries, explained below. 

Ingredients and ratios

In my experience, getting the perfect ratio of beeswax, oil, and butter (cocoa, shea, etc) is what prevents homemade lip balm from cracking the most. In general, too much beeswax (or not enough oil) causes homemade lip balm to crack. To much wax will also result in a too-firm lip balm. Different waxes and butters have different melting points and can lead to varied results. That said, some trial and error may be required to find your desired sweet spot. For instance, we have tried to increase the amount of cocoa butter in our recipe but found that led to more cracking. 

Time and temperature

Another reason homemade lip balm may crack is if it cools and hardens too quickly, and/or when the molds or containers are too cold. We’ve only found this to be an issue on cold winter days when the house is a bit chilly inside too. To remedy this, try setting a metal cookie sheet or baking pan nearby or on the stove (but not directly over heat) while you’re heating the lip balm. Set the lip balm containers on the cookie sheet and pour them there. The metal will conduct the warmth from the stove and slow the setting process. Also cluster the lip balm containers together so they keep each other warm. 

Why is homemade lip balm grainy?

Some oils and butters are made up of a combination of several fatty acids, all of which have different melting points. Shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil are prime examples. As the fatty acids (saturated fats) in these butters melt and cool or are otherwise exposed to temperature swings, some of the fats may crystallize and cause a sandy or grainy texture in the lip balm. This can happen during production, or later during storage (e.g. keeping lip balm in a hot car). The crystallization that occurs is referred to as “blooming”, is fairly common even with commercial lip balm products, and is totally harmless! However, I understand most folks want a smooth, creamy homemade lip balm.

To avoid grainy lip balm, heat your butter to 175°F and allow it to hold at that temperature for about 20 minutes. Use a probe thermometer as needed to verify. It may be best to add your butter to the double boiler first, allow it to fully melt and heat as recommended, and then add the other lip balm ingredients to the pot. Then, the butter should be cooled as quickly as possible. The longer it is melted, the more likely it is to crystalize. Some folks even recommend moving the final product to the refrigerator to expedite cooling. However, note that this goes against the tips to prevent lip balms from cracking (to cool it slowly). You can also try using a different type of butter product in your homemade lip balm. 

We never find this to be an issue with our natural lip balm recipe. Yet if you’re experiencing grainy lip balm, hopefully these tips will help! 

And that is how to make homemade lip balm!

See? That wasn’t so hard, was it? I hope that this tutorial helps you feel confident and excited to make your own natural lip balm too. Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below. Feel free to spread the love by pinning or sharing this article if you found it useful. Also, stop back by for a review once you whip up a batch of balm yourself! We sincerely appreciate you tuning in today. Best of luck with your future lip balm making adventures!

Don’t miss these related crafty articles:

• DIY Bath Salts Recipe – Beautiful Natural Herbal Bath Salts
• How to Make Soothing Homemade Lavender Salve
• How to Make Homemade Calendula Salve for Healthy Skin
• Homemade Cannabis Salve Recipe (THC or CBD)
• 17 Wonderful Winter Garden Activities (Projects) To Do Indoors
• DIY Beeswax Wraps (Food Wraps) Tutorial
• How to Make a DIY Beeswax Fall Leaf Garland
• Homemade Rice Heating Pad (or Cold Pack) Tutorial

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Natural Lip Balm Recipe (How to Make Homemade Lip Balm)

Learn how to make moisturizing natural lip balm with this easy step-by-step tutorial. It's easy to make, requires only a few ingredients, and makes for a great GIY gift!

Keyword homemade lip balm, lip balm recipe, natural lip balm, organic lip balm

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 ounces

Equipment

• A double-boiler, or make-shift double boiler (such as a glass pyrex bowl or stainless steel bowl perched on top of a saucepan with water below)
• Lip balm tins, tiny glass jars, chapstick tubes or other similar final storage container

Ingredients

• 1 cup oil (such as sweet almond oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, fractionated coconut oil, or other edible oil of choice)
• 1/2 cup Beeswax pastilles (vegan option: replace with the same amount of soy wax or candelilla wax)
• 1/2 cup Cocoa butter wafers (or shea butter)
• 96 drops essential oil of choice (1 light tsp) (Use 96 drops per cup of oil maximum for a fairly strong-scented lip balm, about 1 light teaspoon. Feel free to use less or none at all)

Instructions

• Have all of your required supplies ready and waiting (including final storage tins).
• Add water to the bottom pan of your double-boiler. Now add the called-for oil, beeswax, and cocoa butter to the top portion of the double-boiler.
• Heat the mixture on the stovetop over medium-love heat until everything melts, and stirring frequently.
• As soon as everything melts and is thoroughly combined, remove from heat.
• Add optional essential oils once removed from heat. They're highly volatile and prone to dissipating.
• While it is still hot, carefully pour the liquid lip balm into your chosen containers. (If it starts to solidify while you’re still filling containers, simply put it back on medium-low heat until it liquifies again.)
• Allow them to fully cool and harden before adding lids.

Notes

*By volume, use 1 part beeswax, 1 part cocoa butter, 2 parts oil. By weight, use 1 part beeswax, 1 part cocoa butter, and 4 parts oil. 

The post Natural Lip Balm Recipe: How to Make Homemade Lip Balm appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Follow along to learn how to make blown egg ornaments. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to ‘blow out’ a raw egg to empty its contents. Then we’ll go over how to string it up to hang, and several ideas on how to customize the ornament with a little decorative flair. The process is quite easy, but does require a gentle touch and a sharp object – so be ready to give the kiddos a helping hand!

Supplies Needed to Make Blown Egg Ornaments

• Egg(s)
• Tape – such as packing tape, masking tape, or scotch tape
• Thumbtack, safety pin, and/or a skinny nail
• Twine, hemp, ribbons, or other string to both hang and decorate the egg
• Slender but stiff wire
• Optional: mini jingle bells, charms, gems, beads, buttons, and other cute adornments. I usually find these goodies at our local Michael’s craft store. Or, in the depths of my home craft supply stash and jewelry box. Incorporating the chicken’s feathers would be super adorable too!
• Optional: super glue 
  

Step 1: Make Holes in the Egg

• I like to work over a kitchen towel as I make blown egg ornaments. It provides a soft cushion, and will catch any accidental messes.
  
  
• First, wash and dry your egg of choice (or several). If you know your backyard chicken eggs well, choose ones with healthy firm shells. It isn’t easy to make blown egg ornaments with thin-shelled eggs… trust me! 
  
  
• Apply a layer of tape over each end of the egg. You can use clear tape or masking tape, but avoid super-sticky duct tape. The tape helps to prevent the egg from cracking as you poke holes in each end.
  
  
• Gently press a thumbtack into one end of the egg. I find it helps to twist the tack back and forth a bit (almost like a screw) to make a tiny indent in the surface of the eggshell and tape first, and then apply gentle pressure to push it in.
  
  
• Repeat the process on the opposite end of the egg.
  
  
• Now, gently widen each hole to a few millimeters to 1/8″ (fellow gardeners: about the size of a beet or Swiss chard seed). If the holes are too tiny, it’s nearly impossible to blow the inside contents of the egg out, and also more difficult to get string through. I usually keep the bottom hole (the one I will blow from) slightly smaller than the top hole (the end the egg contents will come out of).  Either work the thumbtack around inside the hole, or insert something slightly larger – such as a nail. Sometimes I find the need to gently chip away at the edges of the hole to make it wider. It’s okay if the hole is a little ragged! We’re going to cover it up anyways.
  
   
• Other ways to make a hole in an eggshell include using a small drill bit, a nail, or safety pin.

Step 2: Blow Out the Egg

• Before you blow out the egg, it’s best to break up the egg yolk inside. Insert a wire, toothpick, open paperclip, or other long skinny object into one of the holes and poke around a bit. Use a clean poking device if you intend to keep the egg to consume!
  
  
• Rinse the egg off again if the holes have become gooey by this point.
  
  
• Now, it’s time to blow! Poise the egg over a bowl or the sink, put your mouth over the smaller hole on the egg (make a seal), and blow air into the egg. If you’re not keen on putting your mouth right on it, you can cut a short piece of straw to put between your mouth and the egg. I don’t mind putting my mouth on it (and we don’t use plastic straws) so I just make sure to rinse my lips and mouth afterward.
  
  
• As you blow, egg material should come out the bottom hole. I’ve gotta admit: it’s strangely satisfying. It will also take a good amount of strong breath, so don’t make yourself dizzy! Take breaks and deep breaths as needed. If you’re blowing and the egg matter isn’t coming out, go back and gently widen one hole if needed. Blowing too hard without any release could cause the egg to break.
  
  
• After the egg contents are emptied from the shell, run warm water into the hole, swish it around to rinse out the inside, and blow out the water. Repeat a few times. Now you’re left with a nice clean shell, ready to be turned into a proper blown egg ornament!
  
  
• If the tape over the ends is still intact, you could leave it there to protect the holes for the next step. Mine usually comes loose by now so I gently remove it.

Step 3: Insert String (and/or Wire)

• Next we need to get the egg strung up and ready to hang! There are many clever ways to hang a blown egg ornament, so feel free to get creative here. I’ll show you how I do it with string, but you can use ribbon, fishing line, or wire alone. You could even loop a button to the bottom to hold it in place instead of tying a knot.
  
  
• Using my string of choice, I use tape to attach the end of the string to the end of a piece of firm straight wire. The wire helps to guide the string through one hole and out the other side of the eggshell. It is key to use only a small bit of tape and wrap it very tightly in order to keep everything skinny enough to fit through the holes.
  
  
• Gently insert the string and wire through the smaller hole, and guide it through the egg to exit out the larger hole.
  
  
• At this point, I typically tie a double or triple knot in the string that is sticking out the bottom side of the egg, leaving a few inches of string at the bottom to attach charms to (or, snip off the excess later).
  
  
• Then I pull the string up from the top end of the egg, so the bottom knot is flush against the bottom hole, and apply a bit of superglue around the knot and hole. This step is optional, but it helps prevent the egg from cracking further and keeps the knot from coming undone over time.
  
  
•  Finally, create a knot and loop at the top of the egg with the remaining string. I add a bit of glue to that hole and knot as well. Sometimes I tie an additional decorative ribbon into a bow around the top knot.  

Step 4: Adorn & Hang

Now, decorate your blown egg ornament however you see fit! Add mini jingle bells, charms, crystals, ribbons, or other crafty items to give it some pizazz. You could even repurpose old children’s or costume jewelry, or glue things right to the egg itself if you wish. Have fun and get creative!

If the string or twine loop isn’t long enough as-is, add an ornament hook to hang it on your holiday tree. At the end of the season, we simply wrap our precious blown egg ornaments in tissue paper or bubble wrap, and tuck them into a small dedicated box that we store with our other ornaments. 

And that is how you make blown egg ornaments.

Aren’t they absolutely adorable? We’ve had a few very special chickens in the past, and I cherish these beautiful keepsakes. I hope you enjoy creating your own blown egg ornaments too! Please let me know if you have any questions. Also, don’t be too hard on your self if you accidentally break an egg on your first try. I definitely did!

I would love to see your egg ornaments, so be sure to tag me on Instagram (@deannacat3) if you share them there. Finally, please spread the love by sharing or pinning this article. We appreciate you tuning in today. Have fun, and happy holidays!

Other crafty projects to try:

• DIY Rice Heating Pad (or Cold Pack)
• How to Make a DIY Beeswax Fall Leaf Garland
• 17 Wonderful Winter Garden Activities (Projects) To Do Indoors
• How to Make Beeswax Food Wraps
• DIY Natural Lip Balm Recipe
• Homemade Fruit and Veggie Stamped Kitchen Towels

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Handmade Blown Egg Ornaments

Follow this step-by-step tutorial to make blown egg ornaments. This is a fun holiday craft project, and a super special way to keep eggs from your favorite chickens. Or, use local eggs and add little homestead flair to your holiday decor!

Keyword blown egg, blown egg ornament, egg ornmanent

Craft Time 45 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Tape – such as packing tape, masking tape, or scotch tape
• Thumbtack, safety pin and/or small nail
• String, twine, or ribbon
• Slender but stiff wire
• Optional: mini jingle bells, charms, gems, beads, buttons, and other cute adornments
• Optional: super glue

Ingredients

• Egg(s)

Instructions

• Cover each end of a clean egg with tape.
• Gently twist and press a thumbtack (or similar) into each end of the egg through the tape, creating a two small holes. Gently widen each hole to several millimeters, up to 1/8".
• Working over a sink or bowl, place your mouth or a straw over the smaller hole, create a seal, and blow out the egg contents.
• Rinse the egg out with warm water, and "blow out" the extra water too.
• Use wire to guide a string through the egg, and tie a knot at each end – snug against the egg. Create a loop in the string on top.
• Optional: use superglue to seal around the holes in the egg (to prevent further cracking) and to permanently secure the knots.
• Decorate the egg as you wish, adding charms, gems, buttons, feathers, mini jingle bells, and more!

The post How to Make Blown Egg Ornaments appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

This tutorial shows the most simple and straightforward method to make reusable homemade beeswax wraps possible, using only fabric and beeswax! However, I’ll also share an alternative option if you’d like to give that a try too. We’ll also go over best practices on how to use, wash, store, and refresh your homemade beeswax wraps at the end of this article.

What are beeswax wraps?

Beeswax wraps are pieces of fabric that have been coated in pure beeswax – sometimes along with a few other ingredients like oil and tree resin. They are moldable, slightly sticky, and used to protect, seal, or package food. Furthermore, beeswax wraps are reusable, non-toxic, and biodegradable. You can purchase pre-made ones, or make your own! Rather than single-use plastic wrap, we use our homemade beeswax wraps to cover bowls and food containers, or to wrap food directly. You can also sow or clip the wraps into snack or sandwich baggies!

Beeswax has natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, so they’re quite sanitary! This study confirmed that food wrap products containing beeswax are effective at preventing food spoilage and inhibit the spread of harmful food-borne bacteria. However, be sure to follow the best practices to keep them clean (described at the end of this article). The combination of beeswax and cloth creates a breathable food wrap that locks in moisture, keeps food fresh longer, but also allows it to naturally breathe. Because they are made with natural beeswax, the wraps do smell a bit like… well, beeswax. I don’t personally find this to be an issue. 

What kind of fabric should I use to make beeswax wraps? 

It is best to use 100% cotton, hemp or linen fabric to make homemade beeswax wraps. Organic or re-used fabric is all the better! Natural fabrics like cotton will readily soak up the beeswax right into its fibers. In contrast, synthetic fabrics that contain polyester or nylon will not absorb it as easily. The beeswax will remain more on the surface and eventually flake off.  

It is best to make homemade beeswax wraps with a thin to medium-weight fabric: something similar to the thickness of a t-shirt, pillowcase, cloth napkin, flour sack or tea towel – not thick and fuzzy like flannel or a dish towel. On the flip side, I wouldn’t use something as thin as cheesecloth. For this particular set of homemade beeswax wraps, I used an old shirt that no longer fit well. Up-cycling for the win!

Supplies Needed

• 100% cotton fabric (suggested sizes to follow)
• Scissors or pinking shears
• Beeswax pastilles or shaved block beeswax. These pure beeswax pastilles work great!
• Something to hang the wraps up to dry – such as a clothes hanger or twine and clothespins
• Parchment paper or tin foil
• Baking sheet(s) and oven 
• A paint brush. This item is’t totally necessary, but is helpful to spread the wax evenly across the fabric after it melts. That said, keep in mind the brush will get covered in wax and may not be suitable for certain future projects. To clean the brush afterwards, try dipping it in hot/boiling water to remove the wax. 

Alternative recipe option: 

Some homemade beeswax recipes call for other optional ingredients like jojoba oil and pine resin. You’ll commonly see these additions in commercially-made beeswax wraps. They make the wraps more pliable (less stiff) at room temperature, and also help them stick to surfaces and themselves more readily. If you’re creating a large amount of beeswax wraps (making it worthwhile to buy the resin), giving them as gifts, or want to make them extra-professional, feel free to try this option. However, the simple fabric and wax version work just fine in my experience! 

For this variation, combine 1/4 cup beeswax pastilles, 2 tablespoons of pine resin, and 1 tablespoon of organic jojoba oil in a double-boiler on the stovetop. Heat until melted and fully combined. Use a brush to apply an even coat of the mixture across the surface of the fabric. It should be enough to absorb and saturate the fabric (covering at least two small-to-medium wraps), but not pool and be drippy. You’ll have to work quickly to prevent the wax from hardening as you go. Hang immediately while still wet.

Otherwise, keep reading to learn the way we usually do it instead!

HOW TO MAKE BEESWAX WRAPS

Step One: Prep the Fabric

• If you haven’t already, wash and dry your chosen fabric as needed.
• Cut the fabric into desired shapes and sizes of your choice. (See recommended sizes below.) For this particular demo, I was working with limited size options since I created these homemade beeswax wraps from an old small shirt. Plus, we already have quite a few larger wraps. 
• If you’re feeling especially crafty, you could hem the cut edges of the fabric with a sewing machine. Another option is to cut the fabric with pinking shears to reduce fraying. The wax itself will also slow fraying. 
• Your homemade beeswax wraps don’t need to be square! They can be rectangular or even cut into circles. 

Suggested best sizes for beeswax wraps:

• Small – 7×7” or 8×8” : ideal for covering small items like the top of a mason jar, half an apple or avocado, or the cut end of a cucumber 
• Medium – 10 or 11” square: cover an average bowl, block of cheese, half a sandwich, or other small to medium vegetables like a partial head of cabbage
• Large – 13 or 14” square: cover a full sandwich, half a modest watermelon, small baking dish or average pie pan, or a medium mixing bowl – such as a bowl or basket of proofing sourdough!
• Extra large – 16” or greater: create an extra large homemade beeswax wrap to cover large bowls and baking dishes, whole or partial loaves of bread, and more. 

Step Two: Prep for Oven

• Preheat oven to the lowest setting (150°F to 200°F)
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper or tin foil. 
• Lay the pieces of fabric on top. You should be able to fit a couple small to medium size beeswax wraps per baking sheet, or one larger one. 
• Sprinkle beeswax pastilles or shavings evenly over the surface. Be sure to get some near the edges of the fabric too!
• In regards to amount, go just a tad lighter (about a quarter less) than shown in the photos below. Yeah, sorry to be confusing… I was using a different larger pastille than I am used to working with, and it ended up being a little too much. Using the tiny bead pastilles (also shown below), that amount was just right! It’s better to err on the lighter side, since too much wax can make the wrap more stiff and even flaky. You can always add more, or sop up any excess if needed. We’ll talk more about that in the troubleshooting section to follow.

Step 3: Melt & Spread Beeswax

• Place the baking sheet with wax-spinkled fabric in the warm oven for about 5 minutes, or until the beeswax is fully melted and has soaked into the fabric.
• Once melted, remove the tray from the oven. Do the next steps fairly quickly. The wax may start to harden if you work too slow, but you can always put them back in the oven to re-melt if needed and then continue.
• Run a brush back and forth across the fabric to evenly spread the melted wax, dispersing any pooled/heavy spots towards the edges. 
• While still wet and pliable, hang immediately to dry.
• That’s it! Once dry, they’re ready to use. You could also wash them once before use if you wish. See the use and care tips below.  

Finishing Options

I’ve seen folks do all sorts of cute and creative things with their homemade beeswax wraps! For example, you could fold, clip, or sew a large wrap into a snack or sandwich baggie size. Adorn it with a button and loop, or little patch of velcro to keep it closed. Or, simply pinch together the top of the “bag” and roll it down to seal. 

Using Homemade Beeswax Wraps

Use your homemade beeswax wraps to store cut fruit and veggies, around cheese, bread, and more. They’re perfect to use on top of bowls, food storage containers, or glass jars instead of plastic wrap or a lid – like over a salad or leftover bowl of soup in the fridge. We use ours to cover our proofing basket and bowl of dough when we’re making homemade sourdough.

Because you shouldn’t wash beeswax wraps with hot water (discussed in the wash and care section to follow) and they therefore can’t be thoroughly sanitized, it is best to NOT use your wraps in contact with raw meat. Consumer New Zealand also suggests to avoid using beeswax wraps to cover food meant for infants or the immunocompromised, just in case.

Homemade beeswax wraps usually stick to themselves better than a bowl or other object, so simply pinch the sides together to create a good hold. If they’re feeling a tad stiff and not super sticky, make them more pliable by rubbing and warming between your hands briefly before use.

Troubleshooting 

As you use, bend, and shape your beeswax wraps, it is totally normal for creases and faint white lines to develop. However, if you were a little too heavy-handed with the beeswax, it may get flaky and shed. In that case, put your homemade beeswax wrap back in the warm oven, allow the wax to re-melt, sop up some of the excess wax with a napkin or paper towel, and then put it back in the oven once more to even out and finish. In contrast, if your wrap feels limp and not waxy enough (or has visible areas missing wax) toss it back in the oven with an additional sprinkle of beeswax to provide a thicker coating.

Cleaning Homemade Beeswax Wraps + Ongoing Care 

Wash your homemade beeswax wraps with cold to lukewarm water and mild soap, such as Dr. Bronner’s natural castile soap. Avoid using hot water since it can melt the wax. You can also wipe them down with a damp cloth. Allow the wraps to air dry and then store them in a cool, dry place. Once ours are fully dry, we simply fold them up and tuck them in a kitchen drawer.

Homemade beeswax wraps should withstand several years of use. Once they become old, thin, and/or less sticky, it is easy to refresh them! Simply tuck the old wraps back in the warm oven with a small sprinkle of beeswax to provide a fresh new coating and lease on life. If they’re really old and beat up, you could simply compost them. Since they’re made from 100% natural materials, beeswax wraps are biodegradable.

You just made yourself a reusable beeswax wrap!

That was super simple, right? I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and feel inspired to part ways with plastic wrap. Our planet thanks you for your efforts. Please let me know if you have any questions, and feel free to spread the love by sharing this post!

If you’re into DIY or reducing waste, you’ll probably love these articles too:

• Craft Project: Fruit & Veggie Stamped Tea Towels
• How to Make a DIY Beeswax Fall Leaf Garland
• DIY Rice Heating Pad (or Cold Pack)
• 17 Wonderful Winter Garden Activities (Projects) To Do Indoors
• How to Make Blown Egg Ornaments
• Homemade Citrus & Vinegar All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
• Composting 101: What, Why & How to Compost at Home
• How to Make Lavender Salve (or Calendula Salve)

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DIY Homemade Beeswax Wraps (Reusable Food Wraps)

Want to reduce plastic waste in your kitchen? Come learn how to make homemade beeswax wraps to store food instead! They're reusable, non-toxic, biodegradable, and really easy to make.

Keyword DIY beeswax wraps, homemade beeswax wraps, reusable food wraps

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Scissors or pinking shears
• Something to hang the wraps up to dry – such as a clothes hanger or twine and clothespins
• Parchment paper or tin foil
• Paint brush. (Optional, but is helpful to spread the wax evenly across the fabric after it melts. Note the brush will get covered in wax and may not be suitable for certain future projects.)
• Baking sheet(s) and oven

Ingredients

• Fabric (100% cotton, linen or hemp)
• Beeswax pastilles (pellets) or shaved block beeswax

Instructions

• Cut the fabric into desired shapes and sizes of your choice. (See common size suggestions in the notes below).
• Preheat oven to lowest setting (150-220F).
• Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or tin foil, and lay fabric on top.
• Sprinkle a modest amount of beeswax pastilles over the surface of the fabric. See photos above for example.
• Place in oven until wax fully melts and soaks into fabric, approximately 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven and use a brush to spread the melted wax evenly across the fabric (working from center outwards). Work quickly before wax begins to harden.
• Immediately hang to dry while still wet and pliable. If needed, place back in the oven to re-melt and then hang.
• Allow to fully dry, and then they're ready!
• Use your homemade beeswax wraps to cover bowls, food containers, or directly around food. Do not use in contact with raw meat.
• Wash beeswax wraps with cold to lukewarm water and mild soap. Air dry before folding and storing.

Notes

Alternative Recipe Option:

Combine 1/4 cup beeswax pastilles, 2 tablespoons of pine resin, and 1 tablespoon of organic jojoba oil in a double-boiler on the stovetop. Heat until melted and fully combined. Use a brush to apply an even coat of the mixture across the surface of the fabric. Hang immediately while still wet.

Suggested best sizes for beeswax wraps:

• Small, 7×7” or 8×8” : ideal for covering small items like the top of a mason jar, half an apple or avocado, or the cut end of a cucumber 
• Medium, 10 or 11” square: cover an average bowl, block of cheese, half a sandwich, or other small to medium vegetables like a partial head of cabbage
• Large, 13 or 14” square: cover a full sandwich, half a modest watermelon, small baking dish or average pie pan, or a medium mixing bowl – such as a bowl or basket of proofing sourdough!
• Extra large, 16” or greater: create an extra large homemade beeswax wrap to cover large bowls and baking dishes, whole or partial loaves of bread, and more.

The post DIY: Homemade Beeswax Wraps (Reusable Food Wraps) appeared first on Homestead and Chill.