It goes without saying that 2020 has been a kick in the pants for all of us. 2019 ended with my business doing in-person DIY events that were full of laughs, new friends and memories…so I’m sure you all understand when I say that I have had to spend lots of time really thinking about how, and if, I would share the same types of passions (DIY, art and design) in person this year during a global pandemic. I have found that there’s even more of a need for creativity during this trying time - as it’s been such a distraction as well as a stress reliever for millions of people. However getting together in person for creative events has not been, and continues to not be, an option.

My latest feature in Willow and Sage Magazine is written in hopes for someone to host at least a small gathering. The holiday season, as many of you know, is my favorite time of year and these past few years I have held numerous events that brought people together around the topics of DIY, creativity... and the holidays.

This article was written with 3 main sections, inspired by my tagline: Connect . Create . Celebrate - and my hope is that each reader finds at least one little piece that brings creativity and holiday cheer into their day. Whether you plan an entire DIY event with these recipes and printables or just use one idea for your own project, I hope that it is time well spent and time that gives you some happiness, and yes, distraction, during this unprecedented time.

All of these labels and printables are available in my Fall & Holiday Labels bundle, you can read more about them here and you can purchase them here.

DIY Holiday Night, as seen in Willow and Sage Magazine:

Connect . Create . Celebrate

Getting together with friends during the holiday season is a tradition around the world, and when you add creativity to these get-togethers, they become even more memorable! Some of my favorite holiday gatherings have been times where we’ve included DIYs and creativity. These holiday-inspired DIY ideas make wonderful gifts for family and friends and are fun to make with others. Invite your friends for a DIY night to connect, create and celebrate the art of homemade and handmade - and knock a few gifts off of your lists while you’re at it!

Connect: Invite your guests using a festive invitation - if you’re hosting a virtual DIY, you can post this online or in a text message. In my personal experience, my guests do not expect me to provide all of the supplies - so they always bring snacks and ingredients to help out. (This invitation is editable and available in my Fall & Holiday Labels Bundle.)

Create:


Stove Top Potpourri:

Set the scene with festive scents to fill your home or event location with stove top potpourri. This also makes a great gift kit idea and is very simple to put together. (We actually make these as “side” projects at our DIY nights!)

Put all of the ingredients into gift bags and attach labels to take as hostess gifts during the holiday season. Here are some suggested ingredients:

• orange slices

• cinnamon sticks

• cloves

• cranberries

• fresh sprigs of rosemary

• star anise

• lemon and orange slices

Place these ingredients into a pot filled 3/4 way with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and enjoy the festive scents. Be sure to keep an eye on the level of liquid so you can add more water as needed. This creates a sticky residue, so it’s best not to use your favorite pot!

These labels have instructions for the “giftee” and help to make a quick and easy grab-and-go gift during the holiday season.

Frankincense & Grapefruit Scented Himalayan Salt Scrub -

This salt scrub base is definitely one of my favorite DIY bath and body recipes because it is not sticky, it’s exfoliating, and it leaves the skin moisturized to the point of not even needing lotion after a shower. As with many of the bath and body recipes you see me use, this can be used as a base for you to update as you wish. I love the combination of Frankincense and Grapefruit - but you can use whatever you’d like as your scents.

Check out the cover of the 2020/21 winter issue of Willow and Sage Magazine to see this recipe featured!

This moisturizing scrub helps to alleviate dry skin during the cold winter months and the grapefruit and frankincense essential oils provide an invigorating scent. This recipe fills approximately 10 4 oz jars and fits perfectly into a stocking or is a thoughtful teacher gift.

INGREDIENTS:

• Air tight jars for storage

• 3 cups Salt - Himalayan, Epsom or Kosher are some options

• 1/3-1/2 cup Carrier oil such as Sweet Almond Oil

• 15 Drops Grapefruit Essential

• Oil 25 drops Frankincense Essential Oil

DIRECTIONS: Combine salts and carrier oil in large bowl until the salt has a wet consistency. Mix in essential oils and spoon the mixture into air tight jars. The salts will be less abrasive after sitting for a day. Use in the shower or as a hand scrub as an exfoliating and moisturizing treat.

Whether you’re creating these in batches at a DIY night or just making it on your own, this recipe makes another great grab-and-go option! These labels can be found in my Fall & Holiday Label Bundle.

Holiday Roller Bottles: Jingle, Jolly & Joy:

Roller bottles are a great addition to any DIY night!

This roller bottle set comes with Jingle, Jolly and Joy labels and tent cards and the themes give many opportunities for different essential oil combinations and options. I love to use the following recipe with the “Jolly” label - I made a few extra to put in gift packages, too. These labels also come with tent cards - so if you’re in a group setting you can print out the tent cards for easy recipe reading.

Create roller bottles with essential oils that are uplifting and energizing during this busy season. This recipe smells amazing but you can use your own favorites as well.

Place 4 Drops of Wild Orange, 3 Frankincense, 3 drops peppermint into a 10 ml roller bottle and top with your choice of a carrier oil. Some carrier oil options are fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil.

Bring lots of educational essential oil material, or have an educator there to help share safe practices for essential oil.

Celebrate:

Spiced Wine Sachets:

Add a warm, cozy beverage to your DIY event or activity with this spiced wine recipe. It smells just like the holidays! While you’re preparing your own, set aside some ingredients to create your own spiced wine sachets for gifts. These gift tags can be found here.
Fill a tea sachet (or a square of cheese cloth) with cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks and peppercorns to simmer in some wine for a warm, cozy beverage to have by your side during your event. These sachets are also the perfect accompaniment to a bottle of wine for a holiday gift and use many of the same ingredients as the Stove Top Potpourri - so doubling up on some of these ingredients will give you supplies for both DIY projects. To make the spiced wine, pour a bottle of dry red wine into a pot or slow cooker and place the sachet into the wine. Add a few slices of orange and simmer on low, do not boil, for about 45 minutes. You can sweeten the wine with a few tablespoons of honey or sugar. Serve in mugs with garnishes like cinnamon sticks or star anise.

***This article and these recipes are meant for informational purposes only. The use of essential oils should be discussed with your healthcare provider. Sibyl is a graphic artist and DIY designer in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Her DIY business, the DIY Labels Club, provides project inspiration, supply lists and printables for labeling and packaging DIY creations. You can find more about her and the printable featured in this article at www.DIYLabelsClub.com.