This strengthening and moisturizing nail soak does double duty as a cuticle cream. Place the jar in hot water, allowing it to melt and it makes a wonderful nail soak once or twice a week. Allow it to chill and firm up and you can easily swipe a little bit out to massage onto your cuticles. Either way it is great for your nails and cuticles, and makes for a nice little spa treatment at home.  Make it in a pretty jar, tie on a pretty ribbon, add a couple nail files and it makes a lovely holiday gift for anyone from family to friends, neighbors to teachers.

DIY Strengthening Lavender Nail Soak Cuticle Cream

Ingredients for DIY Strengthening Lavender Nail Soak and Cuticle Cream:

2 T. coconut oil

2 tsp. jojoba oil

1 tsp. honey

10 drops lavender essential oil

Melt coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second increments, add to jar.

Stir in honey until combined.

Add lavender essential oil.

Stir well to ensure that all ingredients are well combined. To store your nail soak/cream place in a  container with a tight fitting lid out of direct light.

To use as a nail soak, warm gently in the microwave until it is liquid-30 seconds should about do it. Soak nails for 10 minutes, wash hands as usual to remove excess oil.  Repeat 1 to 2 times per week.

To use as a nail and cuticle cream allow your mixture to solidify-I pop mine in the fridge when I want to use it that way.  Rub gently into nails, allow to sit for 10 minutes, wipe away excess. I do this nearly daily to moisturize and strengthen my nails.

Check out another favorite beauty DIY: DIY Mineral Powder Foundation

Be sure to check out other great DIY Handmade Gift ideas in our 12 More Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2016 series; our 12 Days of Homemade Christmas Gifts 2015 series, and our 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2014 series!

Dogs, just like their human counterparts, can suffer from gluten intolerance, or wheat allergies. It often leaves them itchy or with an upset stomach. If your vet has diagnosed your pup with it, then you are probably searching for foods and treats that give you all the good things your dog needs without the grains. These Parsley and Peppermint Grain Free Dog Treats are made with coconut flour as the base and help give Fido a winning fresh “smile”. This simple homemade recipe is not quite as hard as most dog treats of this sort. They have the consistency of an over baked human cookie and are a bit more crumbly. We made these in the shape of a candy cane for Christmas gifts, but you can make them in any shape you want.

Parsley and Peppermint Grain Free Dog Treats

Ingredients for Parsley and Peppermint Grain Free Dog Treats:

1 1/2 cup Coconut flour

1/2 cup ground flax

2 T. coconut oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1/2 tsp. baking soda

peppermint essential oil

water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Finely chop parsley, or you can toss it in a little food processor and puree it if you want a finer texture, more pureed parsley will give your treats a more overall green look.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until everything is well combined.

Your mixture will be crumbly and dry, add water a little at a time, stirring well until it has a thicker dough-y texture.

Grab a scoop of mixture and for it into the shape of a candy cane on baking pan.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until tops begin to turn golden brown.

Allow to cool completely before removing them from the pan and storing in a container with a tight fitting lid.

This article is part of our 2017 Handmade Christmas gifts series! Be sure to check out the rest of the gifts here: 2017 Handmade Christmas Gifts.

If you loved this simple DIY homemade gift idea, be sure to check out other great DIY Handmade Gift ideas in our 12 More Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2016 series; our 12 Days of Homemade Christmas Gifts 2015 series, and our 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2014 series!

If you are looking for an adorable (and useful) homemade Christmas gift look no further! This adorable Hot Tea Bag Christmas Tree Craft is great as a hostess gift, for teachers, neighbors, and others you want to show a little appreciation to during the holidays but don’t quite know what to give. It only takes about 20 minutes to put together and uses a few craft supplies. It can be personalized, made into any color (and flavor) that you wish, and can be created in many sizes! If this sounds like the craft you have been looking for, read on to find out how we did it. We were inspired to create our tea tree by the sweet tea tree at www.thirstyfortea.com.

This article is part of our 2017 Handmade Christmas gifts series! Be sure to check out the rest of the gifts here: 2017 Handmade Christmas Gifts.

Tea Bag Christmas Tree Craft

Here is what you need for your Tea Bag Christmas Tree Craft:
Colored tea bags
Styrofoam cone, your choice of size
Hot glue
Craft foam
Toothpick

Directions for Tea Bag Christmas Tree Craft:
Remove plastic from cone form.
Start at the bottom of your tree with a layer of one color tea bags, so that the bottom of the bag just rests on the surface. Run a bead of hot glue across the top of the bag on the back, position and hold into place until glue is cool.

Repeat all the way around the first layer, overlapping each bag over the last enough to cover your form well.

You can make your tree all green with one or more green colored tea bags or alternate with red like we did here. Start your next row so that the bottom third of your tea bag covers the first row. Continue to the top.

For the star I simply cut a star out of yellow craft foam, hot glued it to a toothpick and pressed it down into the top.

This was a really simple and fun craft to make that turned out cute!

This article is part of our 2017 Handmade Christmas gifts series! Be sure to check out the rest of the gifts here: 2017 Handmade Christmas Gifts.

If you loved this simple DIY homemade tea bag Christmas craft, be sure to check out other great DIY Handmade Gift ideas in our 12 More Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2016 series; our 12 Days of Homemade Christmas Gifts 2015 series, and our 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2014 series!

As soon as cooler weather is even a whisper I am pulling out cozy clothes, blankets, and reaching for all my favorite fall flavors.  One fantastic flavor, especially for holiday get togethers with family and friends is hot mulled apple cider. Not only does it warm you up from the inside out and set the mood for fall and winter weather but it makes your home smell amazingly welcoming!  Be ready when guests drop by, you need a quick hostess gift, or want something unique to give to friends and family with my Apple Cider Mulling Spice Sachets. Your favorites spices combined together in an easy to use and toss sachet that gives a pot of apple cider delicious flavor. In a cute little pouch with a pretty ribbon they are irresistible! I like to gift a half dozen or so in a pretty mug that can be used to sip on your mulled cider with.

Apple Cider Mulling Spices

For each Apple Cider Mulling Spice Sachet you will need:

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves

3 whole allspice

You will also need…

vanilla extract

tulle or muslin

ribbon or twine

Directions:

Break cinnamon sticks in half, then soak in vanilla extract for 5 minutes while you prepare the other items.

Cut tulle into pieces about 5″x 5″.

Tap excess liquid off cinnamon sticks and lay both halves in the center of your tulle, add cloves and allspice.

Draw up the corners and secure your bag with a ribbon or a piece of twine, cut off excess.

To make Mulled Hot Apple Cider- Toss a sachet into a pot with 3 cups of apple cider, add 3-4 orange slices and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.

Remove the bag and throw it away.

Serve your mulled apple cider warm with a fresh cinnamon stick for garnish!

This article is part of our 2017 Handmade Christmas gifts series! Be sure to check out the rest of the gifts here: 2017 Handmade Christmas Gifts.

If you loved this simple DIY homemade gift idea, be sure to check out other great DIY Handmade Gift ideas in our 12 More Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2016 series; our 12 Days of Homemade Christmas Gifts 2015 series, and our 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2014 series!

You don’t have to let winter winds, stress, and the busyness of the holiday season wear on your skin, especially on your face. Treat yourself to a DIY Rose & Chamomile Clay Face Mask that draws out impurities, soothes irritated skin, and improves the overall appearance.  I love using bentonite clay as a base for my face masks because some folks believe it binds to toxins as it draws them out of your skin and leaves it softer, soothes. This can allow more oxygen into your skin because it removes excess hydrogen. Rosewater is a wonderful anti inflammatory that also helps remove dirt and oil from your skin, while chamomile adds another anti inflammatory ingredient and antioxidants.

This article is part of our 2017 Handmade Christmas gifts series! Be sure to check out the rest of the gifts here: 2017 Handmade Christmas Gifts.

Rose and Chamomile Clay Face Mask

Ingredients for Rose and Chamomile Clay Face Mask:

3 tsp. Bentonite Clay

2 tsp. Rosewater

1 tsp. coconut oil

1 tsp. vitamin E oil

5 drops Chamomile Essential Oil

Water

Directions:

In a small microwave safe dish heat coconut 15 seconds at a time until melted. This ingredient adds more than just moisture to your mask. It soothes skin and gives it an anti aging boost.

Stir in rosewater, bentonite clay, and chamomile essential oil. Mixture will be very thick.

Add water, just a little at a time until you have a paste that is loose, similar to toothpaste in texture.

Use your fingers or a soft wide paint brush to rub the mask over a clean damp face.

Allow mask to dry completely, about 20 minutes.

Rinse well, the pat face dry.

Make a fresh mask each time or make several batches and store in a pretty little jar for twice a week facials at home. Besides helping you recover from the craziness of the holidays this mask would make a lovely gift for a friend, teacher, or well deserving family member to enjoy.

And there you have it, homemade Rose Clay Face Mask! If you loved this simple DIY gift idea, be sure to check out other great DIY Handmade Gift ideas in our 12 More Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2016 series; our 12 Days of Homemade Christmas Gifts 2015 series, and our 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Gifts 2014 series!