The winter season is full of gift-giving opportunities, and if you love making your own gifts for friends and family, the cooler indoor months are a perfect time. Whether you need a last-minute holiday gift or you want to put together a get-well basket, check out some simple but lovely gifts using essential oils.
A Gift of Health
Although oils have made a recent reemergence, they’ve been used for thousands of years in healing. The Thieves’ Oil blend has been widely recognized for a very long time as a powerful force against infections. Simply mix together cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemon and rosemary oils for a gift that your loved ones can enjoy throughout the year. Thieves’ oil should be diluted when used, and the oil works well in diffusers, steaming water, lotions, and sprays.
A Gift for Each Mood
There are many beautiful necklaces and bracelets that have already been made, so you can conveniently wear your favorite oils. You could pick one of these up for your friends, or you can gather together a few supplies and make your own jewelry in just a few minutes.
First, gather metal bead cage pendants, a chain, waxed cotton cord necklace, or length of twine, and some lava beads. These supplies are often available at craft shops, so you can make up several necklaces at once.
Slip the lava bead into the cage pendant and slide the chain, cord, or twine through the loop at the top of the cage. That’s all it takes to create an easy-to-use aromatherapy necklace! Naturally, you can a bottle of your favorite oil to make your gift really stand out.
A Gift for the Kitchen
It seems that the winter months bring out everyone’s love of scents, so the scented hot pad is a consistent favorite. You can sew up your own hot pads with a pocket for a bit of felt, or you can look for hot pads that already have pockets. To complete the gift, you need the hot pad, several squares of felt or cotton pads, and a favorite scented oil. Give your loved one an instruction card with directions to put several drops of oil on the felt square before slipping the square into the pocket. When your gift recipient, placing a steaming mug or casserole dinner, the scented oil will be released throughout the room.
A Gift of Comfort
Rice-filled coasters or heating pads are another popular gift. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, fold your chosen fabric in the size you prefer with the right sides together. Hem two opposite sides with a ¼ to ½ inch seam allowance, leaving one side open. Sew together a slightly smaller muslin square to hold the rice, leaving a corner open for pouring the rice in. Choose your fabric size according to whether you plan to make coasters or heating pads.
Set your prepared fabric to the side while you get the rice ready. You’ll probably need about a cup of rice. Pour it into a sturdy zipper-top plastic bag with five to six drops of essential oil. Shake the bag of rice to mix the oil throughout the rice.
After filling the muslin bag with rice, sew the bag closed and slip it into the outer pouch. You can make several muslin packets with a variety of essential oils and a selection of outer pouches, so your gift recipient can match fabrics and scents as desired.
A Gift of Knowledge
As with all powerful oils, it’s important to be aware of potential reactions. Some oils cause skin reactions, such as redness and itching, or lead to photosensitivity. Check with your source of oils for information about each oil and for general safety precautions. When used appropriately, oils can deliver many positive benefits. One last gift to consider is a book about using oils in many ways.
