Printable Love Bird Valentine's Day Cards

Tell your special someone just how much you love them with a Valentine's Day Card! I have created two very special "love bird" note cards that are perfect for sending that romantic note or giving as Valentine's Day cards.

Created from my own original art collages, these two note cards feature two love birds kissing on a branch and a single bird delivering his own special love letter to a mailbox. These Valentine's or sweetheart cards measure 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" and fit inside standard invitation sized envelopes available from most craft or office supply stores. Simply print the cards onto a sheet of cardstock, cut the page in half, fold, and include your handwritten message inside. You can download these cute little love bird cards here. You can also download free love inspired wrapping paper and gift tags for Valentine's Day here.

Want more of these sweet, round little birds? Then check out my Free Printable Owl Notecards for a set of four cards featuring birds having some seasonal fun!

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Celebrate the New Year! Free 2012 Printable Calendar.

2012 begins as a New Year this Sunday! I plan to ring in the New Year by celebrating New Year's Eve with my boyfriend as his band, Grass Monkey, plays at Awful Arthur's in downtown Roanoke, VA. And while I am "slightly" prepared to celebrate, I'm not at all prepared in other ways. So to help get me there I started by doing something very basic - I printed out a 2012 calendar to keep me on track. 

My Owl Barn Blog has a free 2012 printable calendar you can download and print. Not only does the calendar feature lovely illustrations of owls by a number of artists, but you can customize your calendar by choosing which owl you'd like for each particular month. The entire calendar only uses three pages of paper to save on ink, with each month measuring about a quarter page.

Keep the calendar as three full size sheets, punch with a hole punch and insert into a binder for work or school. Alternately, print your calendar on cardstock and frame the 8.5"x11" pages in separate pages side by side in your kitchen or office.

Or you can do like I did and cut out each month and clip or staple them together. Or combine the months with with binder rings through hole punches in the tops of each month. Have fun creating your own calendar for 2012! You can find the free download here.

Alternately, you may be interested in buying some handmade calendars from other talented artists. You can find a small selection of 2012 illustrated calendars for sale as featured on my blog.

How will you be ringing in the New Year?

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Printable Valentine's Day Gift Wrap

Oh my, Valentine! Valentine's Day will be upon us in around six short weeks, so now is the time to start crafting clever diy gifts or perhaps browsing to buy something special. I like to recommend shopping handmade whenever possible for a truly unique gift that's sure to be treasured. But of course, no gift is complete without the appropriate gift wrap. So I've drawn up some fun designs for Valentine's Day wrapping paper and gift tags to make your packages extra special! These wrapping papers are perfect for small gifts such as handmade soaps, gift cards, and jewelry!

This Valentine's Day wrapping paper and gift tags set features carved stumps, doxies and pastel hearts. Get creative and add additional elements to your packages such as ribbon, yarn, twine, cardstock tags, bark, and even live foliage.

You can download these free printable papers and tags as a pdf file from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen here. Print, cut, wrap and gift. Feel free to use these downloads for your personal, non-commercial use.

Will you be making gifts for Valentine's Day this year or giving the gift of handmade?

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DIY Gardening Gifts for Valentine's Day

I realize we just hit the winter season, but I'm already thinking ahead to spring. I love spring because everything is new again. Plus I can start planting that early spring garden! My favorite thing to grow, however, are herbs because generally they are easier to grow and the deer, racoons, and squirrels are generally not fans of nibbling on most herbs.

Potted Planting Gift via Design Sponge

With the spring season almost back to back with Valentine's Day, I think a gardening theme makes for some terrific, non-romantic Valentine's Day gifts for someone you care about. I love this idea from Design Sponge for packing seeds and bulbs into a clay pot and tying it with a ribbon and a handmade tag for gifting. 

DIY Wooden Gift Tags via Green Eyed Monster

And Green Eyed Monster blog has a step-by-step photo tutorial for making your own diy rustic, wood gift tags similar to the one featured in the Potted Planting Gift Project above.

Handmade Exfoliating Lettuce Gardener's Soap handmade by Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

Pair all of these things with some Handmade Exfoliating Gardener's Soap and perhaps some gardening gloves or a trowel and you have the perfect gift for anyone who loves to grow things. 

Handmade Herb Heart Markers handmade by Sierra Metal Design

If you want to "romance" this gift up a bit for Valentine's Day, you can add a "heart" theme and gift your collection with a heart shaped gift tag or heart shaped garden markers like the ones from Sierra Metal Design pictured above.

For more Valentine's Day gift ideas, visit my ever growing DIY Valentine's Day Gifts and Valentine's Day Gift Ideas boards on Pinterest.

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A Handmade Christmas All Wrapped Up! Onto Valentine's Day!

With Christmas all wrapped up, it's time for me to start thinking ahead to the next "gifting" holiday - Valentine's Day! Of course, I haven't forgotten New Year's, but I ate so much over the past few days I'm not sure I want to think about another carb filled party just quite yet. I'll let that one sneak up on me. Valentine's Day, however, I do like to plan for. I love finding unique, handmade treasures for my sweetheart and I enjoy making them! But first I want to share a few of the handmade finds I gifted for Christmas.

For Christmas I gave my sweetie a handmade guitar wallet from Found. As you can see from comparison it was greatly needed. Scott's old Family Guy wallet was in such poor shape it had a huge hole in the middle. Regardless, he was very reluctant to let it go. The wallet from Found was the perfect replacement. It was hand crafted from remnants of leather hides and upholstery samples and has a spot inside not only for money and cards, but also a guitar pick. (See photos.) Perfect since Scott is both a bass player and guitar player. Where the guitar pick goes, rather than putting a traditional pick in that space, I included a hand stamped guitar pick necklace for him from Wyoming Creative. He was very excited by these new gifts. However, I still had to be the one to throw out his old wallet. For anyone who has ever been married it was sort of like tossing that old, holey t-shirt he still wears when he's not looking. There's that sort of mock devastation.

And, just for fun - because all sane men love bacon - I gave Scott some handmade Crispy Sizzling Bacon Lip Balm from Soap Art. Not only was he a huge fan of this very bacon smelling lip balm, but my dog Jasper wanted a lick too!

Now that all of the Christmas gifts have been opened, I've been working on some love inspired soaps for Valentine's Day. The soap log pictured above was just unmolded today and sliced into bars with my handy Chef's knife. It's a cold process soap made with a combination of olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, rice bran oil and others and is scented with a Red Velvet Cake fragrance and a Red Currant scented soap heart center. Once it's been exposed to air for a bit, the entire bar - minus the red soap heart - will turn a dark, chocolatey brown the same as the edges. I'm still working on a name for this one though, so if you have any ideas feel free to share them! I'll also be introducing a White Chocolate Raspberry scented soap for Valentine's Day as well. (Take a peek.) And I'm currently working on sketches for some Valentine's Day gift wrap and gift tags for a free downloadable pdf.

I wouldn't want you to go without while we're waiting on this lovely soap to cure though! So from now through the end of the year - that's December 31st, 2011 at 11:59pm - you can receive a whopping 35% off all of my handmade shea butter and goat milk lotions! Just shop Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen and apply coupon code: LOTIONLOVE to your cart before final checkout. Supplies are limited so shop early! These rich, luxurious handmade goat milk lotions boast a long lasting scent while feeling fabulous on your skin. They contains a skin smoothing blend of nourishing ingredients including goat's milk, shea butter, honey, aloe, sunflower and soybean oils. Formulated for hydrating dry skin, these handmade goat milk lotions can be used all over as a body lotion or as a daily facial moisturizing cream. Heard enough? Shop now and choose from the following fragrances: Blue Ridge Rose, Mango & Papaya, Pomegranate Cream, Star City Seduction, Red Velvet Cake, and Lavender Vanilla. They'd go perfect paired with your other handmade Valentine's Day or Easter basket gifts!

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New Handmade Soaps in the Works!

I'm making new handmade soaps today! Earlier in the week I cut out some Red Currant scented, cold process shea butter soaps into hearts with heart shaped cookie cutters.

Today, I'm making some Red Velvet Cake cold process soap to use with those hearts. I'll be embedding my heart shaped soaps inside of the Red Velvet Cake Soaps. The Red Velvet Cake soap will turn a dark brown. So when I cut my soap loaf into slices, you'll see a red shaped heart inside every bar surrounded by a deliciously scented, brown colored cake soap. These soaps will be available in the New Year and are definitely love inspired for Valentine's Day! Also for Valentine's Day, I have a pink and brown White Chocolate Raspberry Soap on my curing rack.

Additionally I'm also making a new cold process gardener's soap today for you early spring gardeners! My gardener's soap is being made with the same great, handmade goat milk soap recipe as my bestselling Unscented Goat Milk Soap so it's gentle and non-drying no matter how many times you wash your hands during the day to get rid of garden dirt and grime. It's scented with a fresh fragrance blend of lettuce, rain and spearmint.

It contains fine ground pumice, apricot kernel meal, and calendula petals for tough exfoliation. Don't just use this one after getting dirty in the garden though. It's also a great soap for artists and mechanics! Look for both of these fabulous new soaps in the New Year at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen!

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Handmade DIY Christmas Gift Wrap Ideas

If you're like my mother, you're up at 3am the night before Christmas wrapping gifts. But just because you wrap at the last minute - hey, we women do a lot! - it doesn't mean your gifts can't look their best. Here are a few inspirational gift wrap ideas so your gifts look like winners on the outside as well as the inside!

1. Craft paper. String. Paint pen. Fresh foliage. You can probably dig these things out of a craft box somewhere. Plus it's eco-friendly if you recycle! Source: Project Wedding

2. Print up your favorite photos onto copy paper for a personalized look. Source: Photojojo

3. Stash your gift inside a brown paper bag - a book or handmade journal perhaps? - and tie with skinny ribbon and handmade paper candies. Source: Sugar and Charm

4. Create beautiful gift wrap with a three-dimensional effect from patterned cardstock. Source: Lifestyle Crafts

5. Handstamp clothespins to "tie" on gift tags. Source: Quotes and Notes

6. A little eco-friendly pizazz. Craft a diy pinecone ornament with found pinecones and silver paint, then tie them onto packages for a dual purpose gift. Source: Elisa McLaughlin Designs

7. Make pillow boxes from cardstock that look like they are tied closed with holly. Source: Martha Stewart

8. Splatter a mix of paint and water onto plain paper to create a unique wrapping paper then decorate with greenery cut from cardstock. Source: Lemon Jitters

For more exciting diy gift wrap ideas, visit my Pretty Packaging Board on Pinterest. 

You may also be interested in these blog post from Soap Deli News with other great gift wrap ideas:

• Creative Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas for Packaging Handmade Soaps and Other Bath and Body Products
• Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas
• Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap Ideas
• DIY Handmade Favor Boxes for Your Seasonal Holiday Gifts and Treats
• Free Printable Kawaii Inspired Holiday Gift Tags
• Cute Holiday Printable Gift Tags

And don't forget, you can save an additional 50% off all sale items from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen while supplies last! Just apply coupon code: YEARENDSALE to your cart before checkout to receive the discount. Expires 12/31/11. Shop now.

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Last Minute Handmade Gift Ideas: Craft up these DIY Bath and Beauty crafts for holiday or winter birthday gifts!

Only a week left until Christmas! It's hard to believe. But if you're not ready yet, it's time to get crackin'! Here are a few handmade DIY bath and beauty gift ideas that you can craft yourself in under a day and still make a big impression under the 'ole Christmas tree!

1. DIY Handmade Snowflake Soaps from Torie Jayne Blog - This melt and pour soap recipe makes for a simple, yet elegant project. Find holiday shaped molds on sale now at local craft stores along with your melt and pour base, fragrance, and glitter. Melt, mix and pour. Then wrap your completed soaps in plastic wrap and decorate the with washi tape along the edges for a finished look without a lot of complicated packaging. 

2. DIY Handmade Rosemary Spearmint Sugar Scrub from Coordinately Yours - A beautiful and functional gift, this Rosemary Spearmint Sugar Scrub is hand crafted from ingredients easily sourced locally and includes free printable labels for your gifts!

3. DIY Handmade Body Butter Bars from Green Experiments  - These solid lotion bars are a snap to make with just three ingredients. Use a cupcake pan for a mold, then package in cellophane and a ribbon! Also be sure to try your hands at this DIY Lotion is for Sissies Bars Recipe from Arizona Spa Girls.

4. DIY Handmade Peppermint and Lemon Foot Soak from Or so she says... Blog - A terrific gift for anyone who is on their feet all day, this foot soak is handcrafted with Epsom and sea salts, a little baking soda and cornstarch, a little olive oil, peppermint and lemon extract - all ingredients you can find at your local grocery store! Your may also like this recipe for making Orange and Eucalyptus Bath Salts.

5. DIY Handmade Striped Peppermint Soaps from Martha Stewart  - Another melt and pour soap recipe inspired by red and white striped candy canes! Just use a mini loaf pan as your mold and slice up six bars of this beautiful, holiday peppermint scented soap.

6. DIY Handmade Chapstick from Tidy Tipsy Photography Blog - Everyone can use a little chapstick during the winter months! The recipe and photo tutorial from Tidy Tipsy makes it easy to whip up tubes for everyone left on your list. Can't get tubes before Christmas? Try using small pots or tins instead. These would be great paired with a gift card for that hard to shop for person you just didn't have a clue what to buy. Also be sure to check out the DIY Lip Balm Recipes for making Peppermint-Eucalyptus Lip Balm and Vanilla Rose Lip Balm over at Whole Living.

7. DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent from Soap Deli News Blog - This all natural homemade laundry detergent can be made in under an hour from easily found ingredients and packaged in anything from resealable bags to mason jars tied with ribbon. Makes a great gift for the newlyweds, someone who's recently moved into their first apartment or anyone who is having a child as it's both gentle and non-toxic!

8. DIY Handmade Lavender Body Butter from MayDIY Blog - A rich and lush handmade body butter recipe for anyone who loves lavender! A rich cream perfect for dry, winter skin that doesn't require a preservative, this homemade body butter can be packaged in jars for gift giving anytime.

Looking for more DIY bath and body gifts you can make and give? Be sure to check out the article, Bath and Body Stocking Stuffer Round Up, for even more pampering gift ideas along with my DIY Bath and Body Board on Pinterest.

Bath and beauty not quite what you had in mind? Then check out my Unique DIY Christmas Gift Ideas Board on Pinterest for links to tutorials on making things like DIY Monogrammed Mugs (perfect for a last minute gift!), Homemade BBQ Rub,  Leather Journal Books, and DIY Gingerbread Crayons. You may also enjoy my articles on Homemade Gifts You Can Bake, DIY Handmade Christmas Gifts, and Last Minute DIY Holiday Gifts and Stocking Stuffers.

Also be sure to check out the Year End Sale at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen! Shop the sale section at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen between now and December 31, 2011 and receive an Additional 50% Off All Sale Products! Simply apply coupon code: YEARENDSALE to your cart before checking out. Remember, shipping is never more than $6 no matter how much you buy! (Coupon code not valid on previous purchases and is valid online only at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen. You must enter the coupon code in order to receive the discount. Adjustments are not made to paid purchases should you fail to enter your coupon code at checkout.) Stock up now for yourself or upcoming birthdays! Even Valentine's Day gifts or Easter baskets! Inventory is limited to stock on hand and includes a wide selection of handmade shea butter soaps as well as handmade artisan products. So don't miss out! Shop now.

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Cute Holiday Printable Gift Tags or Sticker Set

Today I've been wrapping Christmas gifts for my family. This year, since I was on a tight budget, I didn't spend any extra money buying wrapping paper or tags. Instead I recycled old boxes and brown paper craft bags for wrapping paper. And I printed out free gift tags and labels online and made a few of my own!

This gift I wrapped with a brown craft bag I cut apart and some twine I found. I then decorated it with Free Rustic Holiday Tags I downloaded and printed onto sticker paper from vol. 25 blog.

I also made some of my own holiday gift tags today featuring a cute penguin in a heart top hat, a pastel colored camera, a round panda bear, and happy stocking ice skate. I drew them with pencil, outlined them with a black Sharpie marker, then scanned them into my computer and colored them in Gimp.

This set of adorable holiday gift tags (pictured above) is available as a free download so you too can share in the frugal fun of printing off your own gift tags. (They are free for personal, non-commercial use. )Simply print the pdf file for these free printables onto sticker paper to create a fun sticker set for the kids, or to stick on your presents as gift tag labels. Or print onto card stock, cut out and punch a hole in the top. Attach to your gift with ribbon or twine and write your gift message on the back. The set includes four large printable gift tags and six medium sized printable gift tags that are perfect for either Christmas gift tags or winter birthday tags. Also don't forget to check out my free printable Japanese Kawaii inspired holiday tags I also created in this blog post!

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Free Printable Kawaii Inspired Holiday Gift Tags

I have been inspired by so many projects on the web lately, but one project in particular that caught my eye was this tutorial for making your own Kawaii drawings on The First Lime blog. With Christmas just around the corner, I used the ideas for making faces from this tutorial to create my own little holiday gift tags featuring a smiling pine tree with a little squirrel running up its side.

I think they turned out super cute and am excited to try my hand at some more drawings and start a sketch books of Kawaii inspired art! In the meantime, I wanted to offer a free printable download of my little Kawaii tree gift tags. Just download the printable holiday gift tags here, cut and label with your own special message!

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Free Printable Owl Notecards

Many years ago I sold handmade notecards I created from my own original, paper art collages. Many of these stationery sets featured little birds or owls at play. My first set of notecards was my Seasonal or Everyday Birds Notecard Set. Now that I am no longer selling these cards, I wanted to share them with my readers to print and share with family and friends for their own personal use.

This cute card set features a set of four adorable cards reflective of the four seasons. There are birds hanging out on the laundry line in the summer sun, little birds stealing kisses on the branches of bare autumn trees, tiny birds bundling up for that winter snow, and birds scenting out new spring blooms!

To create you own card collection, simply download the free printable PDF file featuring my notecards onto card stock. Then cut each sheet of cards in half between the images and fold the cards in half so the images face front. The finished cards will measure 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" and fit inside standard invitation sized envelopes available from most craft stores.

I hope you enjoy writing your own notes in my little pieces of art!

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DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent + Liquid Soap Recipes

One of the most time consuming things about making handmade soaps is the wait. The wait for your oils and lye water to cool down enough so you can mix your soap, the 24hr. waiting period before you are able to unmold your soaps, and the wait for your soaps to cure. As I was making more of my unscented goat milk soap and a new White Chocolate Raspberry goat milk scented soap yesterday, I decided to utilize my time and finally get around to making some much need homemade laundry detergent. There isn't really waiting time with this project, however, grating the soap for the detergent is time consuming, so it made for a great way to pass the time!

I decided to make an all natural homemade laundry detergent using a bar of my own handmade lemon mint soap. As it's scented with only lemongrass and peppermint essential oils it was a great choice as a base for my detergent! Not only does making my own detergent save money over buying commercial detergent brands, but I like that's it's also eco-friendly! You can also use an unscented soap and add a few drops of fragrance or essential oils to your recipe before mixing.

1. To make my own handmade laundry detergent, first I finely grated one 4oz. bar of my handmade lemon mint soap. This is the most time consuming part of making homemade laundry detergent and your hands definitely feel the work by the time you're done. However, the end result is worth the half hour or so it takes to do.

2. After grating the soap, I added one measured cup of Arm & Hammer brand All Natural Super Washing Soda and one measured cup of 20 Mule Team brand Borax All Natural Laundry Booster to the grated soap into a glass container. (Both of these products can easily be found in most major grocery stores in the laundry detergent aisle.)

3. I then mixed all of the ingredients with a spoon, then poured into a blender and and mixed on the highest setting until the detergent reached a powder consistency. I did remove the blender several times to shake the ingredients before blending again to insure everything got mixed and blended completely.

4. Once my homemade laundry detergent reached a powdered state, I poured it into a 5"x7" resealable bag. You can also use a mason jar with a lid to store your laundry powder. Once packaged, you can label your bag or jar for future storage or use. Or give your freshly made, homemade laundry detergent as a gift by affixing a label to the bag or jar and tying off with some ribbon and a tablespoon sized scoop. My batch made approximately 1lb. 3.5oz. of homemade laundry detergent.

5. To use your homemade laundry detergent, simply scoop one Tablespoon of detergent into the washer for small loads or two Tablespoons of detergent for large loads.

Looking for other uses for grated handmade soap? Make your own homemade liquid soap! Simply grate two 4oz. sized handmade soap bars of your choice and add to a pot filled with a gallon of distilled water. Place the pot on the stove and add two Tablespoons of liquid glycerin to the finely grated soap shavings and the distilled water. Heat over medium/high heat and stir until your soap dissolves. Once your soap mixture dissolves, remove it from the heat and let stand for 10-12 hours. After your soap has completely cooled, beat with a hand mixer to mix thoroughly. If your soap is too thick, you can mix in a small amount of distilled water at this point until your soap is the consistency you desire. If it's too thin - as this can happen depending on the recipe of the soap you choose to use - simply reheat the mixture and add in more grated soap. Once your soap is complete, use a funnel to pour the soap into containers of your choice. (Note: You can purchase organic vegetable glycerin for this project from Mountain Rose Herbs.)

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Bake up an Exciting Holiday with these Recipe Ideas!

One of my favorite things about the holidays is the food! Not only does Christmas mean a lot of great eats, but giving an edible handmade gift is a great way to save money and create a last minute gift that is sure to be appreciated! Here are just a handful of my favorite holiday recipes you can bake for entertaining or gift giving!

White Chocolate Lemon Truffles from Kitchen Simplicity

Delicious any time of the year, this White Chocolate Lemon Truffle recipe is a sure hit. Not only do they taste great, but the recipe is NO BAKE - and the kids can help out by rolling the truffles in the icing sugar as the last step.

1. Candy Cane Fudge Recipe from AllRecipes.com - Candy canes are a Christmas staple. Make them even more amazing by melting them into vanilla baking chips and sweetened condensed milk for a holiday Candy Cane Fudge that will have everyone begging for more!

2. Candied Orange Peels Recipe from Saveur - Everyone loves to give oranges for Christmas. Candied Orange Peels are a great way to use all of your oranges, and turn the previously unedible orange rinds into an amazing, sweetened holiday treat. Use navel orange peels for best results with a little sugar and chocolate. The ingredients when combined with a little heat and love make a candy worth the effort every time!

3. Candy Cane Christmas Tree Cupcakes Recipe from Bakerella - Not only do these Christmas Tree Cupcakes taste great, but they are stunning to look at. These special handmade holiday treats are perfect for a Christmas party or giving as a gift to anyone you visit - or who comes to visit - throughout the holiday season!

4. Crock Pot Apple Butter Recipe from Changing My Destiny - Making apple butter is a favorite past time. But with today's demanding lifestyles not everyone has the time to sit and stir for hours to create this delicious spread. The answer? Make your apple butter in a crock pot and let modern machinery do the work for you!

Handmade Chocolate Party Spoons Recipe from Delicious Delicious Delicious

Perfect for adding some fun to your holiday party or including in a homemade gift basket as a gift for the holidays, these lovely but easy to make Chocolate Party Spoons are a sure fire hit!

Looking for more edible gift ideas? Then swing by my Unique DIY Christmas Gift Ideas Board and Recipes Board on Pinterest! And be sure to comment below with your favorite edible, holiday treat! I'd love to hear from you!

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Last Minute Stocking Stuffers with Free Shipping!

Handmade Men's Shea Butter Soap Sampler

Need a last minute stocking stuffer? Or just been dying to try out the handmade soaps, lotions and solid sugar scrubs from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen? Well, now you can indulge yourself or someone you love with the gift of handmade and receive free shipping with your order!

From now through Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 11:59pm, spend just $12 on products at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen - that's two regular priced bars of the newest soaps from Rebecca or a handful of sale soaps - and shipping is free! Simply apply coupon code: STUFFIT to your cart before you finalize checkout and make payment. This coupon code is good on EVERYTHING from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen including all handmade shea butter soaps, the newest limited edition handmade shea butter men's soap sampler, handmade goat milk lotions, handmade solid shea butter sugar scrubs, handmade artisan products from wheel thrown pottery to leather wrist money cuffs, and all sale products.

So what are you waiting for? Get your last minute holiday shopping out of the way, get it shipped for free, and have it shipped by Tuesday, December 12th, 2011!

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Handmade Men's Stocking Stuffer Ideas - Perfect Gifts for Your Guy

We're down the wire and it's time to get your last minute online shopping on! Here are a handful of my newest favorite handmade stocking stuffer ideas for men! What are you planning on stuffing your guy's stocking with this year?

1. Man Plans Moleskine Trio handmade by Big & Mighty

2. Men's Toothpick Case handmade by Midnight Coiler

3. Men's Fragrant Woods Soap handmade by Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

4. Set of 2 Rustic Wood Soap Dishes handmade by This Old Cabin

5. Men's Extra Long "Beer" Necktie handmade by Cyberoptix

6. Men's Detox Bath Salts handmade by Wild Rose Herbs

7. Men's Brown Fingerless Gloves handmade by Moon Halo

8. Men's T-shirt for the Foodie in Coffee Brown handmade by Xenotees

Need more ideas? Check out my Christmas Stocking Stuffer Ideas board on Pinterest as well as these other great blog articles for small, handmade gift ideas for everyone you love!

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How to Make Melt and Pour Soap - Lisa Maliga's The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting

Learning a new craft for the first time can be a daunting task sometimes filled with a lot of trial and error - especially if it's a craft you are teaching yourself. Making handmade soap, especially, can be confusing and sometimes unsuccessful your first try if you don't have the proper knowledge or someone knowledgeable in the field to lend a hand. When I first started making soaps, I made melt and pour soaps. While chemically simpler than making cold process soaps, they can still provide a unique challenge as far as the ingredients you may wish to include in your soaps and the coloring, design and even the unmolding of your creations. Fortunately, if you're giving melt and pour soapmaking a first time try there are many valuable resources available to you. One of my favorite resources is the book, The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting by Lisa Maliga.Had this book existed the first time I melted cubes of soap, color and fragrance in my microwave, I definitely would have had more successful trials and less error. But now that it's been written, it's one book you're sure to want to add to your collection for future reference and research into this exciting craft.

What I like best about this book is how comprehensive it is overall. It starts small with many of the basics some instructional guides tend to skip over or breeze through, and expands on the information as you progress. It includes instructions on not only the best way to make your soaps, but what equipment to use for the greatest product results. This helpful how to soapmaking book covers everything from choosing your soap base and molds to adding fragrances, herbs, and color. There's also information for labeling and packaging your soaps for those wanting to give their end product as gifts or those considering starting their own business.

I was extra excited that Lisa shares her soap secrets in this book. There are a few tips in this book that I learned the hard way on my own which resulted in a disappointing soap. While still usable, it wasn't pretty. Had I known that lavender buds in melt and pour soaps will discolor the entire bar of soap brown before I made my first lavender scented melt and pour soap, I would have not ended up with some very ugly soap bars. Luckily, Lisa shares her tips on what not to add to melt and pour soaps due to the unflattering results as well as what additives you can use and the results you can expect. Additionally Lisa provides very thorough information on buying fragrance and essential oils, the differences between various methods used to obtain essential oils, and blending tips for creating your own unique scents. There's also an explanation of the benefits of the various oils, herbs and other additives you may choose to use in your melt and pour soap and a how to on colorants. As if that wasn't enough, you'll also find over 85 melt and pour soap recipes you can try out for yourself - from a simple one color-one fragrance recipe to more advanced soap recipes with multiple colors, soap embeds and additional, creative ingredients.

Lisa's book definitely makes melt and pour soapmaking a rewarding experience for the novice soapmaker. So if you're just getting started in melt and pour soapmaking or just need a little extra help getting to where you need to be, definitely invest in the book The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting by Lisa Maliga- a hundred and thirty-four pages chock full of information you'll reference time and again and even includes a list of melt and pour soap suppliers. Buy it and you'll be making Lisa's Lentil Bliss Shampoo Bars and Vanilla Bean Speckles Soaps in no time. And not long after, you're sure to have your own unique recipes under you belt!

This book is available for under $5 through Amazon.com.

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