Make Your Own Gifts

These DIY gifts are beautiful, useful, and can be personalized for family and friends.

By Experience Life Staff | Experience LifeDecember 1, 2023

Projects in this collection:

Reed Diffuser ⋅ Bath Salts ⋅ Nut or Seed Butter

Reed Diffuser

Certain aromas have powerful associations with the holidays. But many of the sugarplum-scented candles and gingerbread air fresheners available in stores contain artificial fragrances that can pose myriad health risks. Swap the store-bought options for all-natural scents using this simple technique. It requires only a handful of materials — no flame or electricity needed.

Supplies

Supplies:

1 8-oz. glass jar
¼ cup carrier oil (such as sweet-almond, olive, or fractionated coconut oil)
1 tbs. rubbing alcohol
20–30 drops essential oils
4–6 reed-diffuser sticks or bamboo skewers

Directions

Pour your carrier oil, rubbing alcohol, and essential oils into the glass jar. Stir or shake to combine.
If you’re using bamboo skewers, trim the pointy ends. Place the diffuser sticks in your jar.
Turn the sticks over every few days to expose the ends that have been in the liquid to air. This will help refresh the scent.

Tip: Mix the oils and alcohol in a jar with a lid or cork, and present it with a handful of reeds.

Holiday Essential Oil Blends

Give one of these holiday blends a try:

Cozy and Spicy Blend

Mix:

10 drops cinnamon
10 drops sweet orange
4 drops clove bud

Woodsy Blend

Mix:

10 drops frankincense
10 drops cedarwood
4 drops fir-needle

Pumpkin Pie Blend

Mix:

8 drops cardamom
6 drops cinnamon
4 drops clove bud
2 drops nutmeg

Winter Herbs Blend

Mix:

8 drops rosemary
6 drops sage
4 drops thyme
2 drops black pepper

Bright and Fresh Blend

Mix:

10 drops peppermint
10 drops bergamot
4 drops cypress

Bath Salts

A good soak in a hot bath infused with Epsom salts and aromatics relaxes the body and soothes the senses. You can buy a variety of bath salts, but they are easy to make at home. Even better, you can customize homemade versions with your favorite essential oils. Follow these tips to make a batch for your next bath, or package it in a jar with a festive bow to give as a gift this holiday season.

Supplies
Directions

Supplies

1 quart-size canning jar (or four 8-oz. jars for gift-giving)
2 ½ cups Epsom salts, extra fine
¼ cup pink or white sea salt, medium grain (optional)
¼ cup pink or white sea salt, coarse grain (optional)

Add-Ins for Relaxation

1–2 ml (about 20–40 drops) essential oil, such as lavender or rose
3 tbs. dried lavender
3 tbs. cornflower or rose petals or other dried flowers

Add-Ins for Energizing

1–2 ml (about 20–40 drops) essential oil, such as grapefruit, orange, lemon, or peppermint
Dried zest from one orange, grapefruit, or lemon
2 tbs. dried herbs, such as rosemary or mint

Directions

Mix salts together in a large bowl.
Add oil, dried flowers or zest, and herbs, if using, and stir well.
Store in glass jars. Your salts will keep indefinitely, but fragrances will begin to fade after six months.

Tip: To use, place in a sachet to retain dried flowers and prevent clogged pipes.

Nut or Seed Butter

Ingredients
Directions

Ingredients

3 cups raw nuts or seeds (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds)
1 tsp. sea salt

Mix-Ins (optional; pick one or more from the list below)

½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbs. cocoa powder
2 tbs. honey
3–4 tbs. coconut oil (for a smoother nut butter)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the raw nuts or seeds on a large, rimmed sheet pan and bake until fragrant and toasted, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Allow the nuts to cool for a few minutes.
Add the roasted nuts to a food processor and process until creamy, about 10 to 15 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. Do this in stages, three to four minutes at a time, with breaks in between so your food processor doesn’t overheat.
Add salt and any other mix-ins and process until combined. For a smoother, creamier result, add coconut oil and process once more.
Scoop nut or seed butter into a clean canning jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving.