14 Simple, Beautiful Homemade Holiday Gifts

Morning, Noon, and Night Bath Salts

What You Need

• Glass jars (such as the 4-ounce Glass Cork-Top Bottles; $3.50 each, containerstore.com)
• salts (one salt per bottle; 5-pound bags range from $11 to $25 at saltworks.us, and kosher and Epsom salts are available at supermarkets)
• essential oils (available at escentialonline.com or a health-food store)
• 3 one-gallon plastic resealable bags
• measuring cup
• small funnel
• watercolor paper
• watercolor paint and brush
• ruler
• scissors
• metallic pen (such as the Sakura Metallic Pen-Touch Calligrapher Medium Point Pen; $3, dickblick.com)
• metallic cord.

What to Do

1. For a stimulating “morning” concoction, use Himalayan salts (which are reputed to have detoxifying qualities) that have been scented with an energizing citrus oil like neroli or petitgrain. For “noon,” use Epsom salts and a warming oil, like rosemary (which is nice for muscles after a run or any kind of exercise). For relaxing “night” salts, use any kosher sea salt, combined with a teaspoon of powdered milk, which can soften skin, and soothing clary-sage or chamomile oil.
2. Pour 5 ounces of each salt into a resealable bag (this is a great gift to make in multiples, so double or triple the amounts as desired). To each, add 8 to 12 drops of essential oil (depending on whether you want a subtle or slightly stronger fragrance). Gently shake to mix the contents. With the funnel, pour the salt into a container almost to the top; wash and thoroughly dry the funnel between salts to keep the scents separate and moisture out of the jars. Seal the jars.
3. Choose a hue to reflect each time of day and paint a sheet of paper in each color (you’ll have enough paper for several labels). Let dry for 10 minutes.
4. Cut 1-by-3-inch labels. Mark each with the metallic pen, and tie them to the bottles with the metallic cord.