Candles are particularly comforting during the fall and winter. This Bourbon & Beeswax Candle is the perfect addition to your home for autumn and beyond. It’s made with the new Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil, which features notes of spicy clove, leather and oak cask.

This candle is made with yellow beeswax, which has its own natural scent. The yellow beeswax and Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil smell amazing together. The end result is a rich, warm and inviting scent. If you prefer the fragrance oil on its own you can use white beeswax, which does not have a strong scent.

Because beeswax has such a high melting point, you’ll have some extra considerations when working with it. It can be melted in a double boiler or in a microwave. Just make sure your container is suitable for such high heat.

What You Need:
Five Candle Tins
Five Wu-150 White Cotton Candle Wicks
16 oz. Yellow Beeswax
1.3 oz. Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil
Five Plastic Straws

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

WICK PREP: There are several methods for steadying the wick in your candle tin. One of the easiest involves a plastic straw. Cut the straw lengthwise to the middle and slide the wick into this slit. Place the straw across the top of the candle tin and adjust the wick so it touches the bottom of the candle tin. Repeat this process for each wick and set the wicks and tins aside.

ONE: Melt the beeswax in a double boiler. You can turn any pot into a double boiler with the Double Boiler Maker. Alternatively, you can melt the beeswax in the microwave. Be careful – because of beeswax’s high melting point, even a heat-safe container can melt or explode in the microwave if it gets too hot. If you do use a microwave, melt the beeswax in 1-minute bursts and stir frequently.

TWO: Add the Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil and stir into the wax. It’s normal for some of the beeswax to solidify when it comes in contact with the oil. Stir until the solid beeswax melts.

THREE: Pour the wax into each candle tin. Then, place each wick in the center of the candle. Make sure the wick touches the bottom of the candle tin.

CLEAN UP TIP: Beeswax is tricky to clean because it has such a high melting point. Immediately after pouring the candles, use a paper towel to wipe any excess hot wax from the bowl and stirring utensils. The more wax you can wipe out, the better. Then if necessary, clean with extremely hot water and dish soap. Another option is to use the technique shown in this video. 

FIVE: Allow the wax to fully cool and harden. This will take several hours. Once the candles are completely firm, light and enjoy. Of course, never leave your candle unattended.

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DIY Bourbon & Beeswax Candles

This beeswax candle is scented with Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil. It is the perfect scent for fall.

Servings 5 candles

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Five Candle Tins
• Five Wu-150 White Cotton Candle Wicks
• 16 oz. Yellow Beeswax
• 1.3 oz. Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil
• Five Plastic Straws

Instructions

WICK PREP: There are several methods for steadying the wick in your candle tin. One of the easiest involves a plastic straw. Cut the straw lengthwise to the middle and slide the wick into this slit. Place the straw across the top of the candle tin and adjust the wick so it touches the bottom of the candle tin. Repeat this process for each wick and set the wicks and tins aside.

• Melt the beeswax in a double boiler. You can turn any pot into a double boiler with the Double Boiler Maker. Alternatively, you can melt the beeswax in the microwave. Be careful – because of beeswax’s high melting point, even a heat-safe container can melt or explode in the microwave if it gets too hot. If you do use a microwave, melt the beeswax in 1-minute bursts and stir frequently.
• Add the Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil and stir into the wax. It’s normal for some of the beeswax to solidify when it comes in contact with the oil. Stir until the solid beeswax melts.
• Pour the wax into each candle tin. Then, place each wick in the center of the candle. Make sure the wick touches the bottom of the candle tin.

CLEAN UP TIP: Beeswax is tricky to clean because it has such a high melting point. Immediately after pouring the candles, use a paper towel to wipe any excess hot wax from the bowl and stirring utensils. The more wax you can wipe out, the better. Then if necessary, clean with extremely hot water and dish soap.

• Allow the wax to fully cool and harden. This will take several hours. Once the candles are completely firm, light and enjoy. Of course, never leave your candle unattended.

The post DIY Bourbon & Beeswax Candles appeared first on Soap Queen.

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Hello! My name is Shana and I am the owner and creator of BΛTHVS. I started with cold process soapmaking and now make a bit of everything. I enjoy the packaging process almost as much as the making process. I typically favor clear packaging so that my customers know exactly what they are getting, but the gift boxes I make are the exception. Since the customer can’t see or smell the products within, I have to make sure that every detail is visually appealing and well put together. I’m here to show you how I put together a professional, creatively curated Valentine’s Day gift box! Perhaps you can take a few of my tricks and apply them to your products for your favorite gift-giving holidays or put a spin on your general everyday packaging!

Curating the Gift Assortment

Proper curation is key when putting together anything that has a particular theme. Try to have a good idea of what you want to put together and the audience you want to please. For this Be My Valentine Gift Box, I am assuming that most recipients are going to be women and that this box would either be given to them by a partner, or by family and friends. Maybe someone would also purchase it for themselves in an act of self-pampering.

Above on the left is a photo of the final selection and packaging of products for the gift box. On the right is each product and their individual product shots – they don’t necessarily look like they should go together on their own. I chose the more romantic of the pink, passionfruit scented Candy Heart Bubble Bars and set them aside for the boxes, and I also packaged the Cacao Lip Balm in a small glassine bag with XOXO themed washi tape to tie into the theme. To me, the Cacao Lip Balm sort of represents the classic Valentine’s Day box of chocolates, so it had to be included! I packaged the Passion Rose soap like my usual soaps, and I put some shrink wrap around the Wife of Bath Bomb so it would not leave any crumbs in the gift box!

Picking the Perfect Paper

The gift wrap you choose is important, since it will be the first thing someone notices when they look at the box! I like to buy my paper from designers on Spoonflower.com. You can always find a design to fit your theme, and it is easy to reorder it when you run out! This is very important if you sell an item – if you buy your paper from a retail store, it’s unlikely that you will find it again! Shoutout to Caja Wong-Chung from caja_design on Spoonflower for her beautiful design!

Putting it All Together

We got some pink and red crinkle paper to fill in the gaps and coordinate with our Valentine’s Day theme. It also helps keep everything nice and snug so that each product is protected – if you’ve ever worked with bubble bars, you know they can be a fragile craft, and we don’t want any broken hearts, both literally and figuratively!

For the inside of the box I also throw in a business card and a detailed card stock list of what is inside with descriptions of each item. I like to also add pictures of our most photogenic items on this list. When selling in person it is useful to tuck a matching list under the ribbon on the outside of the box so that your gifter knows exactly what is in the box!

Wrap up that box and put a ribbon on it! Don’t tie it yet though, because we need to make hang tags.

I like hang tags that are nice and sturdy, so I chose heavyweight stock paper and print my label onto a sticker. I can just put the sticker directly onto the paper and cut it out. One side has the name of the box and my brand, the other side will be a nice pearlescent pink that can be written on!

Instead of just punching a hole into the tag to run the ribbon through, I like to fasten metal eyelets into the tag—it just looks nicer and has a more professional look. Tie that tag into the ribbon on your box, make a pretty bow, and you’re done!

 Find BΛTHVS
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The post Creating the Perfect Gift Set with Shana of BΛTHVS appeared first on Soap Queen.

The post Hangable Valentine Soap Packaging with Tania of Soapish appeared first on Soap Queen.

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Hi, I’m Linda, the soapmaker behind the Linda O’Sullivan website and the Instagram account mimi_and_boo. Today I am going to show you how to embellish muslin bags with fabric paint using a DIY custom-made stencil.

I tend to use two types of packaging for my soaps. Mostly I wrap them with pretty paper dressed with colorful ribbons. However, if I am selling at a market, I like to keep things simple by popping each soap into a muslin bag. I like the muslin bag solution for various reasons. The soap is totally protected, the packaging is minimal and re-usable – so no plastic, no wastage. And last but not least, it’s a very easy option because all you have to do is pop your soap in the bag, attach a label and you’re done!

Muslin bags are very versatile. They are like a blank canvas – you can keep things simple by just stamping them with your logo or design or you can decorate them in various other ways. I like stamping them but sometimes I prefer the brighter, more vibrant colors you can get with fabric paint. As Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, it seemed fitting to choose a Valentine’s Day theme for this project, so let’s get started.

Supplies:
Muslin Bags
Freezer paper
Heart paper punches (I have 3 different sizes)
Pieces of scrap cardstock cut to fit inside your bag
Fabric paint (pink and gold)
Artist paint brush (or a sponge dauber)
Iron

For this design, we are going to paint random little hearts all over the bag. To start, insert a piece of card in your muslin bag. This is so the paint does not bleed through to the back of the bag. Next, we are going to make our own ‘stencils’ using freezer paper. If you are good at drawing and using a craft knife, you could do it that way. I’m not, so I tend to stick to simple, easy designs!

I cut up a few small rectangular bits of freezer paper and used a heart paper puncher to punch a little heart in each bit of paper.  You want your bits of paper to be big enough so that there is some space left around the punched out heart. That blank space is important because it is the bit that will stick to the bag, thus creating your stencil.

Place your heart ‘stencils’ shiny side down all over the muslin bag, making sure that the heart shapes do not overlap. Next switch your iron to medium and carefully but gently press over the freezer paper until the heat of the iron makes the shiny side of the freezer paper stick to the muslin bag.  You may find it easier to do a couple first, iron over them, then do the next couple and so on.

When your stencils are fixed to the bag, use a small brush to dab fabric paint onto your heart stencils.

When you’re done, slowly remove the stencil and allow the paint to dry. Once the paint is dry, you can remove the scrap of cardboard from the bag.

Below are further examples of how I decorated my muslin bags.

Tip: If you want to do a simpler design, such as just one big heart in the middle, you can make several stencils in one go by placing several pieces of freezer on top of each other.  I was able to do 5 in one go with no trouble at all.

Find Linda O’Sullivan
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The post How to Make Custom Stenciled Bags with Linda O’Sullivan appeared first on Soap Queen.

The most common candle making question I receive is, “can I add soapmaking fragrance oils to my candle?” After all, the most important property of a candle is the scent. The short answer is yes! All fragrance oils and essential oils at Bramble Berry can be used in your candle project. The small caveat is these fragrances were tested specifically for soap, and were not tested in candles. The scent may change once the candle is burned, or may not give off the best scent throw.

Soapmaking fragrance oils can be added to candle projects, but they may not have been tested for scent throw. 

When using a new fragrance for candles, I strongly recommend making a small test candle first. From our tests, we know that Pineapple Cilantro and Pink Grapefruit Fragrance Oils don’t smell very good in candles. In addition to the scent changing when burned, sometimes fragrance oil can separate once the candle has cooled. It’s important to always thoroughly mix in the fragrance oil into the melted wax. And if your fragrance starts to separate, do not burn the candle. This can be dangerous, as you don’t know how the fragrance oil will behave when introduced to direct flame. If you’re making a gel candle, there are a few fragrance oils we do not recommend because of their low flashpoint. You can find that list here.

Flavor oils are fragrance oils which are safe for the lips. These fragrances are also safe to use in candles, but have not been tested and the scent may change when the candle is lit. On the flip side, if you buy a candle fragrance oil, it may not be suitable for soap or other products applied to the skin. Candle only fragrance oils are held to different (lower) standards of safety because they are not used on the body.

If you want a tried-and-true fragrance for your candle project, the Skin Safe Candle Fragrances are the way to go. These fragrances can be used in both soap and candles, but were specifically formulated to have a great scent throw. The term “scent throw” refers to the intensity of scent candles emit once lit. For a medium to strong scent, I recommend using 0.8 oz. – 1.2 oz. of fragrance oil per pound of wax into your project. If your fragrance oil features especially strong notes, you may find 0.5 oz. fragrance oil per pound is suitable for your project. You can use the Fragrance Calculator to find out how much scent to add as well.

Several other factors affect the scent throw of your candle, including what type of wax you’re using. Some of my favorite waxes for candle making include EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax and EcoSoya 135 Wax for container candles, and EcoSoya Pillar Blend Wax for pillar candles and tarts. Yellow beeswax is wonderful if you want to add a natural, smoky scent. I used yellow beeswax and Pure Honey Fragrance Oil in a candle and it may be one of my favorite combinations ever! The smell was wonderful.

The combination of yellow beeswax and Pure Honey Fragrance Oil made a wonderful scent combination in the Pure Honey Beeswax Candles.

The size of wick also affects scent throw. If the wick does not create a large enough burn pool, it may inhibit the scent throw. The chart below is helpful for finding the right wick for your project. Another important step is allowing the candle to cure. Over time, the scent in candles actually improves as the fragrance and wax bind together. Cure time will vary depending on the crafter, but I like to give my projects at least 3-4 days to cure. This post has more candle tips and tricks.

Last but not least, it’s important to consider temperature. Some candle makers find adding a fragrance oil with a low flashpoint to hot wax causes some of the fragrance to “burn off.” In general, fragrance oil should be added to most waxes once they have cooled to about 150 ° F or below. This will vary slightly depending on the wax and fragrance being used.

Do you have any tips for getting the best scent in your candles? I love candle making, but don’t consider myself an expert, so I’d love to hear your thoughts! =)

The post Can I Add Soap Fragrance to My Candle? appeared first on Soap Queen.

Making your own wedding favors can seem a little daunting, especially if you’re having a large wedding. My biggest piece of advice is to give yourself plenty of time. Crafting at the last second can be stressful. I also recommend choosing a project that suits your skill level. Wedding favors may not be the best time to try an advanced project if you’re a beginner. =)

Candles are a great favor option. They are relatively quick and easy to make, and who doesn’t love a candle? For this tutorial, I made five candles featuring two different color and scent combinations. One candle is scented with Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil and colored a light pink for a feminine option. The other is uncolored and scented with Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil.

The recipe and tutorial below makes ten candles total. If you need to make a lot more, you may consider melting your wax in a large sauce pot over medium-low heat. This way, you can use a larger container than what may fit in your microwave. Then, use a ladle or smaller container to pour the hot wax into each candle container to cool and harden. I recommend pouring the wax on a counter space where the candles can cool and harden without moving them. Once the hot wax is in the container, moving the candles can be tricky!

What You’ll Need:
10 Candle Tins
40 oz. EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax
10 WU-250 Brown Cotton Candle Wicks
1.6 oz. Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil
1.6 oz. Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil
Red Wax Dye Block 
Optional: Wedding Favor Label PDF

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: Melt down 40 oz. of EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax in the microwave using a heat safe container. You can also melt the wax in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Once melted, add a few drops of wax into the bottom of each candle tin, and place the wick into the center of the candle. Cover the top of the wick with more wax to steady the wick to the bottom of the container.

TWO: Split the wax into two containers, each will weigh about 20 ounces. To one batch, add 1.6 ounces of the Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil. Stir thoroughly.

THREE: To the other container, add 1.6 ounces of Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil and use a spoon to thoroughly mix in. Then, shave a very small amount of the Red Wax Dye Block using a cheese grater. Add the shavings to the melted wax and stir. The heat from the melted wax will melt and Red Wax Dye Block and give the wax a light red color. As the wax cools and hardens, it will lighten to pink. You can test the color by dropping the wax on a white piece of paper and allowing it to cool. Add more dye block shavings if you’d like a richer color.

FOUR: Allow the wax containers to cool slightly. Cut 10 straws in half and slide the wicks into the straws. This will help steady the wicks in the center of the jar after the wax is poured. 

FIVE: Allow the melted wax to cool to about 110 ° F or cooler. The cooler the wax is, the less likely it will be to melt the wax holding the wick in place. Then, pour the red wax into half of the candle tins, and the uncolored wax into the other half. Allow to thoroughly cool and harden. 

When the candle is cool, trim the wicks and allow the candle to cure for 48 hours. This allows the fragrance to set up properly. Enjoy!

Do you have any tips for making projects in large batches? 

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DIY Wedding Favor Candles

These candles are scented with Sweet Pea and Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oils for a feminine and unisex candle option.

Course Home Crafts

Servings 10 candles

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 10 Candle Tins
• 40 oz. EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax
• 10 WU-250 Brown Cotton Candle Wicks
• 1.6 oz. Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil
• 1.6 oz. Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil
• Red Wax Dye Block
• Optional: Wedding Favor Label PDF

Instructions

• Melt down 40 oz. of EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax in the microwave using a heat safe container. You can also melt and wax in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Once melted, add a few drops of wax into the bottom of each candle tin, and place the wick into the center of the candle. Cover the bottom of the wick with more wax to steady the wick to the bottom of the container.
• Split the wax into two containers, each will weigh about 20 ounces. To one batch, add 1.6 ounces of the Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil. Stir thoroughly.
• To the other container, add 1.6 ounces of Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil and use a spoon to thoroughly mix in. Then, shave a very small amount of the Red Wax Dye Block using a cheese grater. Add the shavings to the melted wax and stir. The heat from the melted wax will melt and Red Wax Dye Block and give the wax a light red color. As the wax cools and hardens, it will lighten in color. You can test the color by dropping the wax on a white piece of paper and allowing it to cool. Add more dye block shavings if you’d like a richer color.
• Allow the wax containers to cool slightly. While they cool down, cut 10 straws in half and slide the wicks into the straws. This will help steady the wicks in the center of the jar after the wax is poured.
• Allow the melted wax to cool to about 110 ° F or cooler. The cooler the wax is, the less likely it will be to melt the wax holding the wick in place. Then, pour the red wax into half of the candle tins, and the uncolored wax into the other half. Allow to thoroughly cool and harden.
• When the candle is cool, trim the wicks and allow the candle to cure for 48 hours. This allows the fragrance to set up properly. Enjoy!

The post DIY Wedding Favor Candles appeared first on Soap Queen.

One of the best things about a clean home is a crisp, fresh scent. It’s so nice to walk into a room and smell lavender, lemon and fir. This is especially true in areas where people spend a lot of time, like the living room. Natural ingredients are perfect for freshening a room.

The Natural Carpet Refresher is made with baking soda and cornstarch, which absorb odors. The recipe also contains washing soda, which can help get rid of carpet stains. A mixture of lavender 40/42 essential oil and lemon essential oil add a relaxing citrus scent. To use, lightly sprinkle the powder on a carpet or rug, let sit for 5-10 minutes, vacuum and enjoy the pleasant aroma!

Like any cleaning product, make sure to keep it away from children and pets. You don’t want anybody walking on the rug or carpet after the product has been sprinkled on. Make sure to vacuum the powder up thoroughly – in our tests we went over the carpet twice to be extra careful. In addition, you should test a small area of your rug or carpet with the powder before covering the entire surface. The amount of essential oil in this recipe is quite small, but you want to make sure it will not leave any oil marks on your floor before using. In addition, you can download and print these free Natural Cleaning Labels to give your products a professional look.

What You’ll Need:
2 Tall 8 oz. Plastic Bail Jars
2 cups Baking Soda
1/4 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup Cornstarch
3 mL Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
3 mL Lemon Essential Oil 
Droppers

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: In a mixing bowl, add the baking soda and washing soda. Washing soda can cause skin irritation, so we recommend wearing gloves and long sleeves when working with it. It can also irritate the nose and throat, so you can wear a mask if you like. If necessary, sift the baking soda through a fine mesh strainer to remove any clumps.

TWO: Add the cornstarch and mix the powders together. 


THREE: Add the lemon and lavender essential oils and use a whisk or your hands to thoroughly mix the oils into the dry powders. Make sure to blend well! You don’t want any oil chunks in the mixture that could transfer to your carpet.

FOUR: Place the mixture into jars to store. When you’re ready to use, sprinkle a small amount of the powder onto your carpet or rug. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes to help absorb odors. Make sure children and pets are nowhere near the area, as the mixture could be irritating if it comes in contact with the skin or if it’s ingested. Then, thoroughly vacuum the carpet to suck up the powder.

NOTE: You should test the mixture on a small area of the rug or carpet to be sure you are happy with the results. In our tests, the essential oils did not stain rugs or carpet, but I suggest a small test to ensure you’re happy with the results on your floor.

Wax tarts are another great way to make your home smell fresh in between cleanings. These melts are scented with lavender 40/42 essential oil and fir needle essential oil. The lavender has a light floral, earthy scent and the fir is a traditional pine scent. You can use the tarts one at a time, or pop both in the warmer for a fresh blend. Best of all, wax tarts are easy to create and make great gifts.

What You’ll Need:
Lotus Blossom Wax Tart Mold
Pine Cone Wax Tart Mold
Spiral Flowers Tealight Warmer
10.4 oz. EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax
.7 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
.7 oz. Fir Needle Essential Oil, Siberian 
Purple Wax Dye Block
Hunter Green Wax Dye Block

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: In a heat-safe container, melt 10.4 ounces of EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax in the microwave on 30 second bursts until completely liquid. Split the wax evenly between two containers. To one container, add shavings of the Purple Wax Dye Block and stir with a spoon to fully incorporate.

TWO: To test the color, dip a cold spoon into the wax. This allows you to see what the wax will look like after it cools and hardens. Read more about the spoon trick here. If necessary, add more Purple Wax Dye Block until a purple hue is achieved.

THREE: To the other container, add shavings of the Hunter Green Wax Dye Block and stir with a spoon to fully incorporate. Test the color with another cold spoon. If necessary, add more shavings until a green color is achieved.
FOUR: To the green container, add the fir needle essential oil. To the purple container, add the lavender 40/42 essential oil. Stir both containers to fully combine the essential oil.

FIVE: Let the wax cool to around 140 ° F so it doesn’t warp the plastic mold. Pour the purple wax into the Lotus Blossom Mold.

SIX: Pour the green wax into the Pine Cone Wax Tart Mold. Set both molds aside and let fully cool and harden. This will take several hours.

SEVEN: Once the wax has hardened, remove them from the mold. Place them in a tealight warmer and enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to freshen up your living space?

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Natural Carpet Refresher

This Natural Carpe Refresher will clean and deodorize your carpet!

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 2 Tall 8 oz. Plastic Bail Jars
• 2 cups Baking Soda
• 1/4 cup Washing Soda
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• 3 mL Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
• 3 mL Lemon Essential Oil
• Droppers

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, add the baking soda and washing soda. Washing soda can cause skin irritation, so we recommend wearing gloves and long sleeves when working with it. It can also irritate the nose and throat, so you can wear a mask if you like. If necessary, sift the baking soda through a fine mesh strainer to remove any clumps.
• Add the cornstarch and mix the powders together.
• Add the lemon and lavender essential oils and use a whisk or your hands to thoroughly mix the oils into the dry powders. Place the mixture into jars to store. When you’re ready to use, sprinkle a small amount of the powder onto your carpet or rug. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes to help absorb odors. Make sure children and pets are nowhere near the area, as the mixture could be irritating if it comes in contact with the skin or if it’s ingested. Then, thoroughly vacuum the carpet to suck up the powder.

You may want to test the mixture on a small area of the rug or carpet to be sure you are happy with the results. In our tests, the essential oils did not stain rugs or carpet, but I suggest a small test to ensure you’re happy with the results on your flooring.

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Lavender and Fir Wax Tarts

The Lavender + Fir Wax Tarts will make your home smell fresh and clean.

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Lotus Blossom Wax Tart Mold
• Pine Cone Wax Tart Mold
• Spiral Flowers Tealight Warmer
• 10.4 oz. EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax
• .7 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
• .7 oz. Fir Needle Essential Oil Siberian
• Purple Wax Dye Block
• Hunter Green Wax Dye Block

Instructions

• In a heat-safe container, melt 10.4 ounces of EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax in the microwave on 20 second bursts until completely liquid. Split the wax evenly between two containers. To one container, add shavings of the Purple Wax Dye Block and stir with a spoon to fully incorporate.
• To test the color, dip a cold spoon into the wax. This allows you to see what the wax will look like after it cools and hardens. If necessary, add more Purple Wax Dye Block until a purple hue is achieved.
• To the other container, add shavings of the Hunter Green Wax Dye Block and stir with a spoon to fully incorporate. Test the color with another cold spoon. If necessary, add more shavings until a green color is achieved.
• To the green container, add the fir needle essential oil. To the purple container, add the lavender 40/42 essential oil. Stir both containers to fully combine the essential oil.
• Let the wax cool to around 140 ° F so it doesn’t warp the plastic mold. Pour the purple wax into the Lotus Blossom Mold.
• Pour the green wax into the Pine Cone Wax Tart Mold. Set both molds aside and let fully cool and harden. This will take several hours.
• Once the wax has hardened, place them in a tealight warmer and enjoy!

The post Lavender and Fir Wax Tarts + Carpet Freshener Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

For these Potpourri Squares, I filled organza bags with a mixture of salts and botanicals scented with Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil. Then, I sewed the bags to create a cute square shape. This step is optional; you can always just pull the ties on the bags to seal them but I like the extra security sewing provides; no spills! This recipe makes about 6-10 bags, but it will vary based on how full the bags are and if you choose to seal them.

What You’ll Need:
½ cup Pink Sea Salt, Medium
¼ cup Medium Grain Dead Sea Salt
1/8 cup Rose Petals
¼ cup Lavender Buds
2 Tbs. Calendula, dried
2 Tbs. Cedarwood Chips
3-5 mL Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
6-10 Small Organza Bags, any color (blue, pink, lavender, white)
Tools: Scissors, Sewing machine (or a needle and thread)

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: Add the pink sea salt, Dead Sea salt, rose petals, lavender buds, calendula petals and cedarwood chips into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

TWO: Add the Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil and stir to thoroughly blend in the essential oil throughout the mixture.

THREE: Cut the  strings of the bag, and remove the string. 
FOUR: Fill the organza bags with the potpourri mixture. The bag should be full, but still able to close below the seams comfortably.

FIVE: Time to get sewing! Sew the opening of the bag closed. Once thoroughly closed, cut off any thread.

SIX:  If you’d like, cut off the top of the bag for a cleaner look. Throw the potpourri in a clothing drawer or small space to fill the area with scent. Enjoy!

I gave these little guys away with beautiful rock formations to set on top of them (the salt and herb bags acted like a stand for the crystals) to my Mastermind business group for Christmas. They turned out perfectly. =)

What is your favorite way to give laundry or other small spaces a soft scent?

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Potpourri Sachets

These potpourri squares make clothing smell amazing!

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• ½ cup Pink Sea Salt Medium
• ¼ cup Medium Grain Dead Sea Salt
• 1/8 cup Rose Petals
• ¼ cup Lavender Buds
• 2 Tbs. Calendula dried
• 2 Tbs. Cedarwood Chips
• Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
• Large Organza Bags any color (blue, pink, lavender, white)
• Scissors
• Optional: Sewing machine or a needle and thread

Instructions

• Add the pink sea salt, Dead Sea salt, rose petals, lavender buds, calendula petals and cedarwood chips into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
• Add the Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil and stir to thoroughly blend in the essential oil throughout the mixture.
• Cut the strings of the bag, and remove the string.
• Fill the organza bags with the potpourri mixture. The bag should be full, but still able to close below the seams comfortably.
• Time to get sewing! Sew the opening of the bag closed. Once thoroughly closed, cut off the strings.
• If you’d like, cut off the top of the bag for a cleaner look.

The post Natural Potpourri Squares Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

Making your own nail polish is a fun and easy DIY project. It’s also a really awesome party idea; last May I threw a nail polish party for a few of my friends and it was a blast. Check it out here. If you’re looking for another party activity, you can use your nail polish as paint! The Bramble Berry team and I recently created these painted champagne flutes for New Years and Valentine’s Day using homemade nail polish. It was a fun and super simple crafting session. This project can also be done with nail polish you already own.

To make these glasses, I used Q-tips to apply the nail polish directly to the glasses. Once they are painted and dried, I recommend hand washing them. I wouldn’t recommend placing these glasses in the dishwasher. The heat from the dishwasher may cause the paint to come off. We didn’t use a sealing spray, but you can if you like. I also recommend keeping the nail polish and the sealant spray toward the bottom of the glasses if you plan to drink from them. If they are just for decoration, feel free to decorate to the brim!

If you’ve never made nail polish before, it’s incredibly easy. Simply fill the bottle with the mica of your choice, then fill the bottle with Suspending Nail Polish Base. Shake until the colorant and nail polish base are completely mixed together. Then, it’s time to get painting! To see the process in action, check out this Soap Queen TV video.

What You’ll Need:
Note: Exactly how much of each product will depend on how many bottles of nail polish you want to create! This list of ingredients will create four shades: red, pink, gold and silver.
4 oz. Suspending Nail Polish Base
Four 15 mL Nail Polish Bottle
Nail Polish Mixing Balls
Cellini Red Lip Safe Mica
Rose Gold Mica
King’s Gold Mica
Pewter Silver Mica
Q-tips
Painters Tape

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

For the nail polish painting party, the team and I started with making the nail polish. We made a variety of shades that included typical “celebration colors” – gold and silver – along with Valentine’s Day colors. We also created a few shades of blue with the new Mermaid Mica (it’s so pretty!) and a few glittery shades for extra sparkle.

Once the polish is made, it’s time to decorate! I recommend using Q-tips to apply the polish directly to the glass. You could also use the nail polish brush, but we found a Q-tip to be a little bit easier and more precise. Below, Terah applies cute gold dots made with King’s Gold Mica to her champagne flute.

Caitlin also created a dot design using silver polish, rose gold polish and sparkle at the top. The dots design is a great idea; it’s simple to do and looks really sophisticated. I recommend applying a small amount of polish to prevent it from running down the glass as it dries. Blowing on the polish also helped it to dry faster. Having a small fan nearby would be a great idea as well!

Teal in customer service decided to make her glass teal, of course! She painted the bottom of the glass using the nail polish brush, then painted stripes on top with a Q-tip. While the nail polish was still wet, Teal dusted the glass with Silver Nail Polish Glitter to give it extra sparkle. Painters tape is a handy way to keep certain areas of the glass clean, or make extra crisp lines. Haley taped the stem of her glass (shown below) to prevent it from getting covered in glitter.

Ta da! Below are some of the pretty glasses we made. Amanda used the Q-tip to make little hearts on the bottom of the glass, making it perfect for a toast on Valentine’s Day. She used the Cellini Red Mica to create the vibrant red shade.

I love how these glasses turned out! It’s such a simple and fun project. I can’t wait to try it on wine glasses and vases. So far, I have gently hand washed my glass a couple times, and the nail polish has stayed on. If you use glitter on your glass, you will want to be extra cautious when washing, and will most likely lose some glitter with each wash.

Have you used nail polish to decorate something other than your nails?

The post DIY Nail Polish Painted Champagne Flutes appeared first on Soap Queen.

Beeswax is an amazing option for handmade candles. Not only is it natural, but beeswax smells amazing. These Pure Honey Beeswax Candles are made with the sweet and delicious Pure Honey Fragrance Oil. The combination of the fragrance and yellow beeswax creates an incredibly warm and comforting scent. We test a lot of candles here at the Bramble Berry office, and these candles wowed everyone! Just make sure to put them on a plate or other surface to catch the melting wax.

The rustic shape of these candles was created by recycling used milk cartons. Depending on the size of your container, you may need to use a different amount of wax to fill it. Just make sure the container is watertight and won’t melt from the high temperatures of the melted beeswax. If you’re looking for more ways to use recycled containers for your projects, check out the How to Recycle Your Recyclables post for more ideas.

What You’ll Need:
1 lb. Yellow Beeswax
1.3 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil
2 CD-20 Wicks
Droppers
Clean Up Tool
Recycled Milk Cartons (We made two 3″ tall candles with this recipe)

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

MILK CARTON PREP: Wash your cartons with dish soap and warm water and let them dry. Then, measure the wick on the side of the container. You want the wick to be taller than the carton so you can center the wick with a straw or pencils. Mark where you want your wick to be and cut off the top of the carton with scissors.

CHOOSING YOUR WICK: The wicks you use will depend on the size of your container. The wick needs to be larger than what you would use in a soy candle. Beeswax is a hard, dense wax and has a high melting point. That means it needs a larger flame for a consistent melt down. It is also important that the wax pool isn’t so big that it drips down the side of the candle. We chose CD-20 wicks for our containers. To find the correct size for your candle, you can use this wick chart.

ONE: Measure out 1 pound of beeswax and melt in a double boiler. You can turn any pot into a double boiler with the double boiler maker. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can melt the beeswax in the microwave. Be careful – because of beeswax’s high melting point, the heat safe container can melt or explode in the microwave if it gets too hot. If you do use a microwave, melt the beeswax in 1 minute bursts and stir frequently.

TWO: Add 1.3 oz. of Pure Honey Fragrance Oil to the melted wax and stir well.

THREE: Put a drop of the hot wax mixture in the center of the cartons. Place the wick in the wax and hold it until the wax sets up (about 10 seconds). Then, center your wick. We used a straw with a slit cut in it to keep the wick centered, but you can also use chopsticks, pencils or dowels.

FOUR: Slowly and carefully pour the wax into your containers. Set aside, and allow to fully cool and harden. This can take 3-4 hours, or up to overnight.

FIVE: Peel the cartons away from the candles slowly. If there uneven parts, clean them off with a clean up tool.



SIX: Light the candle and enjoy the warm scent! We recommend placing your candle on a heat safe surface in case any wax drips down the side. And of course, never leave the candle unattended =)

 Have you made beeswax candles before? I just love the natural scent!

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Pure Honey Beeswax Candles

These Pure Honey Beeswax Candles use yellow beeswax and recycled containers to create a rustic product.

Course Home Crafts

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Yellow Beeswax
• 1.3 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil
• 2 WU-150 White Cotton Candle Wicks
• Droppers
• Clean Up Tool
• Recycled Milk Cartons We made two 3″ tall candles with this recipe

Instructions

MILK CARTON PREP: Wash your cartons with dish soap and warm water and let them dry. Then, measure the wick on the side of the container. You want the wick to be taller than the carton so you can center the wick with a straw or pencils. Mark where you want your wick to be and cut off the top of the carton with scissors.

CHOOSING YOUR WICK: The wicks you use will depend on the size of your container. The wick needs to be larger than what you would use in a soy candle. Beeswax is a hard, dense wax and has a high melting point. That means it needs a larger flame for a consistent melt down. It is also important that the wax pool isn’t so big that it drips down the side of the candle. We chose CD-20 wicks for our containers. To find the correct size for your candle, you can use this wick chart.

• Measure out 1 pound of beeswax and melt in a double boiler. You can turn any pot into a double boiler with the double boiler maker. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can melt the beeswax in the microwave. Be careful – because of beeswax’s high melting point, the heat safe container can melt or explode in the microwave if it gets too hot. If you do use a microwave, melt the beeswax in 1 minute bursts and stir frequently.
• Add 1.3 oz. of Pure Honey Fragrance Oil to the melted wax and stir well.
• Put a drop of the hot wax mixture in the center of the cartons. Place the wick in the wax and hold it until the wax sets up (about 10 seconds). Then, center your wick. We used a straw with a slit cut in it to keep the wick centered, but you can also use chopsticks, pencils or dowels.
• Slowly and carefully pour the wax into your containers. Set aside, and allow to fully cool and harden. This can take 3-4 hours, or up to overnight.
• Peel the cartons away from the candles slowly. If there uneven parts, clean them off with a clean up tool.
• Light the candle and enjoy the warm scent! We recommend placing your candle on a heat safe surface in case any wax drips down the side. And of course, never leave the candle unattended =)

The post Pure Honey Beeswax Candles appeared first on Soap Queen.