Christmas Crafting Class: Epsom salts and room spray

I recently had the pleasure of teaching an essential oils class at a local library here in New Hampshire. This was my second time teaching at the Hampstead Library–each time featured a fun group of crafters!

I chose these two projects because they would be wonderful ways to feature my favorite holiday essential oils blends. Also, they would be easy for attendees to reproduce for gifts. I give the base recipe so there is definitely room to use your own combination of oils to make the scents that you prefer! Switch these up for any time of the year!

Epsom Salt Bath Soak

Epsom salt is not actually a salt, but a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate.  It is a well know natural remedy that has been used for hundreds of years.  Magnesium is vital in regulating over 300 enzymes working in your body.  Sulfates flush toxins and improve absorption of nutrients.  Benefits of soaking with Epsom salt include relaxing muscles, easing body aches, decreasing stress, and exfoliating the skin.

Adding the essential oils to the Epsom salt helps the oil disperse in the water more evenly.  Add 10 drops of essential oil per 1 cup of Epsom salt.  Use ½ cup to 1 cup of the mixture per bath. Store the mixture in a mason jar. Decorate the jar for a festive and personalized touch. We used snowflakes, baker’s twine, pinecones, bells, and ribbon. Finally, add a battery operated tea light on top of the Epsom salts–now you have a room decoration as well as a bath soak!

For the class, the recipe was 10 drops of Eucalyptus added to 1 cup of Epsom salt. Eucalyptus is wonderful for tired muscles and is a wintertime staple to keep in the home.

No time for a bath (or no bath tub)? You can use the essential oil Epsom salt as a foot soak instead for a similar effect. Just dissolve 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the mixture into a basic of warm water.

Christmas Room Spray

Ditching conventional room spray is one impactful change you can do for your health. You don’t need the chemicals in your life! Chemicals can cause too much disruption to our body systems’ natural rhythms and functions.

But you can still keep your room smelling great! Essential oils are great options for offering natural solutions that are good for our bodies and minds! Create your own wonderful scents to change with your moods and the seasons.

My general recipe for room sprays is to use 15 to 20 drops total of essential oils in a 1-ounce glass spray bottle. This is a wide range of drops because it all depends which ones you are using and how strong you like your scents. My advice would be to start low and then add more as needed until you are happy with your room spray.

After adding the essential oils to the bottle, I add a splash of vodka and then fill the remainder with water. The splash of vodka will help the oils and water to mix better. Still give your room spray a gentle shake before each use to make sure everything is incorporated evenly.

Today, the room spray recipe will be 10 drops of Christmas Spirit, 5 drops of Vanilla, and 2 drops of Peppermint, if desired.  Christmas Spirit is perhaps my favorite bottle of essential oils! It beautiful blends spruce, cinnamon bark, and orange that is grounding and uplifting to the spirit during this busy season. Plus, it smells just like the month of December is supposed to!

• The essential oils are all from the company, Young Living
• The jars and candles I found on Amazon.
• The tops of the jars are coated with modge podge with a little silver sparkle paint mixed in.  Then I pressed them into a bowl of fake snow or “Buffalo Snow” which I purchased at Michael’s.
• Epsom salt can be purchased at any pharmacy or grocery store.
• The spray bottles I purchased from Your Oil Tools in Hooksett, NH. 

Have a great holiday season!