Holiday on a Budget

December 2009

 

 

The holiday season doesn’t have to be your wallet’s worst nightmare. Ditch costly gifts in place of more thoughtful homemade options that are sure to impress. Everyone loves to be pampered so shower your friends and family with these luxurious beauty products courtesy of celebrity designer Mark Montano.

 

Lemon Lip Shine
Making lip shine is just like cooking – you can mix in anything you want, or you can double the recipe and watch your shine multiply. Instead of lemon, think about using melted chocolate chips, cinnamon oil, or even almond oil to customize the perfect flavor for your gift recipient.

 

You’ll need:
2 tablespoons Crisco or vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon grated paraffin wax (You can get this at the grocery store)
10 drops vitamin E oil
10 drops lemon oil
Bowl
Small, pretty containers
FYI: check your local dollar store or thecontainerstore.com for all the containers you need to do these three projects.

 

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients together in your bowl.

2. Microwave the mixture for thirty seconds. If that doesn’t melt everything, then nuke it for another ten seconds, until it’s completely melted.

3. Pour the mixture into your small containers, and let it cool to room temperature.

 

 

Lemon Tea Sugar Scrub
This scrub is guaranteed to make skin glow! Include a little note with the gift that advises users to put some in their palms and gently scrub their faces, or scoop some onto a washcloth and give their body a scrub. It’s also best to do it in the shower or tub because it can get a little messy.

 

You’ll need:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Epsom salt
10 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
3 green tea bags
1 lemon to zest (I prefer organic)
Grater or zester
Large mixing bowl
Beautiful Container

 

Directions:

1. Grate your lemon rind and set aside the zest.

2. In the large mixing bowl, combine and mix the sugar, Epsom salt, and loose tea (just rip open the bags and sprinkle the leaves in).

3. Add in the olive oil, and mix.

4. Add the honey, and combine well.

5. Add the lemon zest.

6. Mix everything in the bowl, then fill up your container

 

 

Relaxing Bath Crystal Body Scrub
This stuff is the absolute best. Who doesn’t enjoy kicking back and exfoliating in the tub after a long day of holiday craziness.

 

You’ll need:
2 pounds Epsom salt (usually packaged in a 1-quart milk carton. You’ll need one carton.)
20 drops lavender oil (very relaxing)
5 teaspoons olive oil
½ bar unused, unscented body soap of your choice
3 drops of food coloring to give the scrub a color of your choice
Cheese grater
Large mixing bowl
Beautiful glass container with a lid and a scooper for the scrub

 

Directions:

1. Finely grate your soap, then set aside the shavings.

2. In the big bowl, mix the Epsom salt, lavender oil, and olive oil.

3. Drop in your food coloring, and combine thoroughly into the mixture, until you have the tint you like.

4. Mix in your grated soap.

5. Pour the entire mixture into a glass container, pop the scoop on top, and seal the lid.

 

Mark’s Gift Giving Tip:

Create matching labels for all three items and wrap them up together to give as a fancy set.

 

 

From The Big-Ass Book of Crafts, Copyright 2008 by Mark Montano. Reprinted by permission of Simon Spotlight Entertainment, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.