12 days of christmas Archives

12 Days of Christmas Project Roundup

December 1, 2014 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

With Thanksgiving behind us, the countdown to Christmas has officially begun. If you’re feeling a little behind in holiday gift preparation, don’t fret. There is still some time to create unique, handmade gifts for your family and friends. But don’t wait, it’s time to get crafting!

The 12 Days of Christmas series featured twelve easy to make projects that would make fantastic gifts. From melt and pour and wax tarts to lip scrub and nail polish, you are sure to find a gift option for everybody on your list. Looking for packaging inspiration? Check out the Packaging Inspiration video on Soap Queen TV, along with the #Make it Monday: Packaging photo gallery on Facebook.

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Facebook Photo of the Week (Nov. 15th ~ Nov. 21st)

November 21, 2014 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

The 12 Days of Christmas promotion is officially over tomorrow. Hopefully you have lots of handmade gift ideas for the holidays! The promotion features easy to make projects, like the adorable Chocolate Mint Melt and Pour soaps. With a delectable mix of Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil and Moroccan Mint Fragrance Oil, this soap smells just like a classic holiday candy. The Moroccan Mint Fragrance Oil is 30% off until tomorrow at noon PST. No coupon necessary.

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12 Days of Christmas: Chocolate Mint Melt and Pour Squares

November 21, 2014 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

We saved something sweet for last for the final tutorial in the 12 Days of Christmas series. Layers of melt and pour scented with Moroccan Mint and Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oils create delicious smelling (and looking!) guest-sized soap. Reminiscent of a classic mint candy, this project is easy to make and great for beginners.

These minty, chocolatey soaps would make an amazing holiday gift for any chocolate lover in your life. Wrap these soaps in green wrapping paper for a great finishing touch. Remember to have a spray bottle of 99% isopropyl or rubbing alcohol on hand for this project! Spraying with alcohol is key to the layers sticking together. To learn more about creating layers with melt and pour soap, check out the Basic Layers Soap Queen TV episode.

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12 Days of Christmas: Lotion Melt and Pour Cubes

November 20, 2014 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Adding oils and butters to melt and pour bases can be tricky. Extra oils can cause the melt and pour to not set up correctly, or may inhibit lather. After a bit of testing, we found a way to add the skin-loving Aloe Lotion Base to the Shea Melt and Pour to create an extra creamy, firm bar. Adding the Aloe Lotion Base gives your soap additional aloe vera juice, rice bran oil and soothing oat extract. The key is to heat the lotion before mixing it into the melt and pour. Without this step, the lotion and melt and pour may separate.

These melt and pour cubes are made with the creamy and delicious Cream Cheese Frosting Fragrance Oil. Colored with Emerald Green LabColor, these soaps are wonderfully festive and cheery. Don’t forget to add the Vanilla Color Stabilizer, otherwise the Cream Cheese Frosting Fragrance Oil will discolor the soap a deep brown.

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12 Days of Christmas: Peppermint Pucker Lip Scrub

November 19, 2014 Filed Under: Lip Products

While the holiday season is full of cheer, it can also be tough on your lips. Blowing wind, cold temperatures, rain and snow can cause chapping or dryness. This Peppermint Pucker Lip Scrub lightly exfoliates, allowing lip balm to soak in better. This results in more hydrated, happy lips!

Red Jojoba Beads and sugar add gentle exfoliation and beautiful holiday color while avocado oil leaves a smooth and silky feeling on your lips. Mint Julep Flavor Oil adds a nice fresh kick to the scrub. And because this scrub is made with Nourish Lip Balm Base, it’s easy and quick to throw together as a last-minute handmade holiday gift.

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12 Days of Christmas: Minty Layered Bath Salts

November 18, 2014 Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

With cold weather and stress from the holidays, a hot bath is perfect this time of year. Bath salts can turn a simple soak in the tub into a rejuvenating and relaxing experience. Simply add a scoop to your tub and enjoy!

These Minty Layered Bath Salts add a fresh mint scent to the bath, along with soothing properties from pink sea salt. The combination of baking soda and citric acid add a bit of fizziness similar to a bath bomb.

In addition to pink sea salt, this soak is made of epsom salt which is known for its soothing and moisturizing properties. Extremely fine and jewel-like, epsom salt crystals are great for creating scrubs as well!

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12 Days of Christmas: Whipped Champagne Shea Butter

November 17, 2014 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

Cold, dry weather can wreak havoc on the skin causing it to become dry, irritated and flaky. This rich and creamy Whipped Champagne Shea Butter helps protect skin from the harsh elements and restores moisture. Shea butter is a medium hard butter that begins to melt upon skin contact. When whipped, shea butter becomes a light and fluffy texture that is easy to apply.

Scented with Champagne Fragrance Oil, this whipped butter smells wonderfully bubbly and effervescent. The addition of tapioca powder gives a smooth powdery finish, and helps cut back on the oily, greasy feeling. Meadowfoam oil is added to create a smoother texture, and for its moisturizing properties. If you’ve never whipped butter before, you can see the process in action in the Whipped Body Butter Soap Queen Tv Episode!

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12 Days of Christmas: Winter Gardenia Ombre Candle

November 16, 2014 Filed Under: Home Crafts

When temperatures begin to drop, nothing beats cozying up inside. Create a lovely ambiance by making (and lighting) a candle. This Winter Gardenia Fragrance Oil candle fills the room with a unique floral scent. With notes of peppermint, gardenia, lily and jasmine, this scent is perfect for the holiday season and cold days.

This candle features layered blue hues, which become lighter from bottom to top. Easy to make, this project does require a bit of patience as it is important to let each layer cool and harden before pouring the next.

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12 Days of Christmas: Holiday Glam Nail Polish

November 15, 2014 Filed Under: Home Crafts

Red and green are classic and beautiful holiday colors. But every once and awhile, it’s nice to shake things up! Gold, silver and merlot hues are both glamorous and sophisticated, making them perfect for nail polish. These four festive colors make an adorable holiday gift set. They are also the perfect size for stocking stuffers!

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Facebook Photo of the Week (Nov. 8th ~ Nov. 14th)

November 14, 2014 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

It is only November, but we’re in full holiday spirit already. As part of our 12 Days of Christmas promotion, we’re sharing a series of easy-to-make handmade gifts through Nov. 21st. Each tutorial features one ingredient that will be 30% off for 24 hours starting at noon, PST; no coupon necessary!

The first tutorial was the fragrant Scented Beeswax Ornaments. Made with Woodland Elves Fragrance Oil, these ornaments add a pop of color and a fresh pine scent to any holiday tree (or linen drawer).

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12 Days of Christmas: Glamorous Gold Eye Shadow Quad

November 14, 2014 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

If you’re looking to update your makeup look, the holiday season is the perfect time to add a little glitz and glam! Gold and copper eye shadow is perfect for special occasions and is also wearable for everyday. Even better, gold tones are extremely flattering for a wide variety of skin tones. This Glamorous Gold Eye Shadow Quad features four shades for easy blending and customization.

The classic gold shade is great base color, while the light gold is perfect for highlighting. The two darker shades are meant for shadows and contouring. I can’t wait to use these colors to create a look similar to this, or this look for a special occasion. Looking for more tips on how to apply eye shadow? The instructions in the Pumpkin Shimmer Eye shadow Tutorial would work well for these colors as well.

If you have never made mineral makeup before, it’s incredibly easy! To learn more, check out this Mineral Makeup Soap Queen TV Episode.

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12 Days of Christmas: Green & Red Wax Melts

November 13, 2014 Filed Under: Home Crafts

With cheery hues and a warm vanilla scent, these Green and Red Wax Melts are perfectly festive! Wax melts, also known as wax tarts, are a great alternative to candles. Flame free and easy to make, wax melts fill your home with scent in minutes. Simply place the cube on a warmer tray to melt the cube and release the fragrance.

The Small Cube Mold & Package acts as a mold and packaging, making this project incredibly easy to give this holiday season.

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12 Days of Christmas: Snowy Stencil Melt and Pour

November 12, 2014 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

With the holiday season comes frosty temperatures and flurries of snow. If frigid weather has you feeling blue, remember…cold weather is the perfect reason to craft inside! This Snowy Stencil Melt and Pour project was inspired by the upcoming snow days, with wintery colors and icy stenciled shapes.

This stencil technique lends itself to a wide variety of shapes and ideas. Super Pearly White Mica was used to create a snow-like effect, but you can also use glitter as seen in the Stenciled Glitter Soap Tutorial and Glittered Sparkle Soap Kit.
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12 Days of Christmas: Spicy Holiday Potpourri

November 11, 2014 Filed Under: Home Crafts

Around the holidays, homes are filled with delicious scents – baking cookies, savory spices and fresh Christmas trees. If you want a spicy holiday scent to fill your home, potpourri is easy to make and transport. In ten minutes or less, you have delightful potpourri to keep or give away as an adorable and fragrant holiday gift.

Cloves, dried orange peel and cinnamon sticks are layered into organza bags for an elegant and natural look. The natural spices are accented by nature fix scented with citrusy and sweet Christmas Spice Fragrance Oil. It’s the perfect way to fill your home with holiday cheer.

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