Gifting your own hand-made bath and body products is easy with our round up of our favourite tutorials to make gift-giving easy.

We know gifting can be tricky, especially for those recipients who seem to have it all! However, there’s one thing they don’t have…. a handmade gift from you. Receiving a personalised gift can show that special person that they are thought of and cherished as you are using your time crafting something from scratch rather than simply buying a product off the shelf.

Hand-made bath and body products are lovely to smell and look at, but they’re also entirely practical. A gift that can be put to good use and give joy over and over again.

We have a number of tutorials at Craftovator Academy that not only make good gifts but are perfect for both beginners or if you're a more experienced maker.

Lip Balm

Who for: absolutely anyone! Perfect for winter when the winds whip moisture from the lips. Especially ideal for those friends and family members who are always losing their lip balm (they'll be sure to take extra care of this one, however!).

No matter the season, lip balm is always a necessity. It hydrates, protects, and soothes the lips while adding a sheen finish and mood-boosting scent. You can find little metal or recycled plastic pots from many online stores, or you can repurpose any small cosmetic containers you have at home.

See our full tutorial to make this here: How to Make Homemade Lip Balm with Natural Ingredients

Whipped Body Butter

Who for: someone who doesn't treat themselves often and wouldn't think to buy themselves a luxury body product.

The secret to this easy recipe is our Body Butter Base, which is pre-thickened, pre-preserved and best of all, fully customisable when mixed with Craftovator’s fragrances and colourants. This rich and creamy body butter base contains sunflower oil, shea butter and cocoa butter, providing much needed moisturising benefits for normal and dry skin.

Get the full recipe here: How to Make Body Butter with 3 Simple Ingredients

Exfoliating Bath Scrub

Who for: How about a tired Mum who needs a moment to herself for pampering? Perhaps someone who loves the great outdoors who wants a nourishing product to scrub away any dirt or grime. Or your best friend who loves a bit of glow with self tan but who wants to make the process of exfoliation that's required a bit more of a pampering session.

Find the recipe here: How to Make a Homemade Exfoliating Scrubs

Simple Bath Bombs

Who for: Anyone who loves a glorious scented soak with extra fizz. The hard-working business owner who needs a bit of pampering. Anyone who wants to make bath time a bit of additional fun.

Most of us would agree that enjoying a soak in the bath after a long day is the best way to relax and unwind and adding a beautifully scented bath bomb only makes the ritual more luxurious.

Find the recipe here: How to Make Bath Bombs in 6 Easy Steps

Melt and Pour Scented Soap

Who for: anyone in need of a little pick-me-up or special treat they can enjoy over and over. Soaps are great for those who appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of handmade crafts.

Making your own soap is very simple and a great activity to do with kids. We stock a wide range of Melt & Pour soap bases you can customise with scents and colours. For example, the honey soap base offers the softening and antioxidant properties of honey which you can build upon with more nourishing oils. Or, choose the free-from SLES & SLS base for recipients with sensitive skin and add soothing ingredients such as olive oil and oats.

Why make your own body products as gifts?

• You can cater the product to the recipient: Are they a lover of pink? Make a pink-tinted bath bomb. Perhaps they are addicted to the scent of rose? Create a rose bud-infused sugar scrub using rose fragrance oil.

• It gives you time to get creative and boost your crafting skills: practical activities that require your hands, imagination, and a few measuring skills can be very relaxing. Block out a Sunday afternoon and dedicate it to a product-making session. All those lovely scents and gentle mixing will be sure to calm nerves after a big week.

• It’s a great alternative to baking: sometimes, baked goods just aren't suitable to give as gifts. Allergies and diets put a spanner in the works. However, if you're used to whipping up treats as gifts...you still can, the body-care kind.

• Have a little leftover for yourself! There's nothing wrong with making a little extra soap, lotion, or scrub for yourself to enjoy. In fact, it's encouraged! You may even find that your skin and wallet both love your homemade goods so much that you forgo store-bought outright.

What to be aware of

There are a few little details to keep in mind when making and distributing your own bath and body products. The most obvious one is to check all products for health and safety! But more on that later.

The other key factor to note is that you cannot sell your hand-made products to the public unless they have been legally tested by a chemist. You can find all our assessments here which cover a wide range of bath and beauty products. If you are considering a little business or side-hustle with your products, go through the proper legal processes. We have a full post guiding you on selling your handmade soap and body products here for more information.

However, we’re not making bank off our hand-made treasures here today, we’re talking about a simpler activity…gifting to loved ones.

To further ensure your recipient's health and safety, always add a "date made" label on your hand-made body products. Alongside the date, add a little storage note such as "keep refrigerated" or "use within 2 weeks of opening". A little research into the shelf-life of your key ingredients will help you to determine what to write.

Consider Your Packaging

When it comes to packaging, think outside the box (pun intended). Instead of using plastic containers and jars, why not take the opportunity to recycle and repurpose? Second-hand stores are a treasure trove of jam jars and various glass pots and containers. Ensure you put them through a cycle in the dishwasher to disinfect before use, and double-check that the lids are airtight.

Looking for ideas to wrap your handmade soaps? We have a blog post bursting with Creative Ideas for Wrapping Your Handmade Soaps here.