So, Christmas was creeping up on me again last year. You know how it is, suddenly it’s December, and the list of people to buy for seems endless. My bank account was looking a bit thin, and honestly, I was tired of just buying generic stuff people probably didn’t even need.
I was rummaging through my kitchen cupboards, looking for inspiration, maybe? Found a big bag of sugar, some coconut oil, and remembered I had some essential oils tucked away. An idea started forming. I’d seen those fancy sugar scrubs in shops, costing a small fortune. Thought maybe I could whip up something similar myself.
Getting Started – The Scrub Mission
First thing, I needed containers. I remembered saving some glass jars – you know, from jam or sauces. Gave them a really good wash and let them dry completely. That was step one sorted, cost me nothing.
Next, the actual scrub. This was seriously easy, almost embarrassingly so. I just took a big bowl and started mixing.
- Dumped in a load of plain white sugar.
- Added coconut oil. Started with a bit, then added more until it felt like damp sand. Didn’t really measure, just eyeballed it.
- Put in a few drops of peppermint essential oil. Wanted that festive smell. Mixed it all up again.
Honestly, the hardest part was not making a mess. Sugar gets everywhere if you’re not careful. But I spooned the mixture into the clean jars, packed it down a bit. It actually looked pretty good!
Making it Look Presentable
Okay, so a jar of sugar scrub is nice, but it needed a little something extra. I hunted around for some ribbon I had leftover from previous years. Found some red and green bits. Perfect.
I also had some plain brown card tags. Wrote simple messages on them like “Peppermint Scrub for You!” or just “Merry Christmas!” Nothing fancy, just handwritten. Punched a hole in the tags, looped some twine through, and tied the ribbon and tag around the neck of each jar. Bam! Instant homemade gift.
Another Quick Idea – Hot Cocoa Mix
I was on a roll, so I decided to make some hot cocoa mix jars too. Had some more jars left.
Layered the ingredients inside:
- Cocoa powder at the bottom.
- Then some sugar.
- Powdered milk on top of that.
- Finished with a layer of mini marshmallows right at the top.
Looked really neat with the different layers showing through the glass. Again, tied a ribbon around it and added a tag with simple instructions: “Just add hot water!”
The Verdict
So, I ended up with a nice little stash of gifts. Sugar scrubs and hot cocoa mixes. Took me maybe an afternoon, tops. Didn’t cost much at all, mostly used stuff I already had or ingredients that were cheap to buy.
And you know what? People seemed genuinely pleased. Way more than when I’ve handed over some random gadget I bought in a panic. Felt good giving something I’d actually put a bit of effort into, even if it was super simple. Definitely doing something similar again this year. Less stress, more heart. Can’t beat that.