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On the 5th day of Craftmas, my true love gave to me… a Bath Bomb wrapped in Vintage Linens.
Are you just now finding the 12 Days of Craftmas Series? If so, head over to the 1st Day of Craftmas to learn more.
Pamper your friends with a homemade bath bomb wrapped in a delicate cloth napkin. Today, I’m showing you how to make bath bombs — and my mistakes along the way, so you know what NOT to do, too.
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DIY Bath Bombs : Supplies
Bath Bomb Molds
Mixing Bowl
Whisk
Small Glass Bowl
Spoon
Measuring Cups & Spoons
1 c Baking Soda
1/2 c Citric Acid
1/2 c Epsom Salt {Fine Grain}
1 tsp Water
2 tsp Peppermint Essential Oil
3 tsp Coconut Oil
Green Food Coloring
Vintage Cloth Napkins
Twine
Scissors
makes approx 5 bath bombs, 3.8 oz. and 2-1/8″ dia. each
DIY Bath Bombs : Instructions
First, mix all of the dry ingredients with a whisk in the mixing bowl. In the photo below, you’ll see coarse-grain Epsom salt. However, be sure to use fine-grain, as it works much better in the recipe {I tried both}. In order to avoid wasting the coarse-grain Epsom salt, I used a mini food processor to grind up the salt into small particles.
Next, mix the wet ingredients with a spoon in a small glass bowl. You can use any scent essential oil, but I chose Peppermint since this is a Christmas gift. Some recipes I found recommend any type of cooking oil, such as olive oil. However, if you use a cooking oil like olive oil, which has a yellow tint — it will affect the color of the bath bombs. For my first batch, I used olive oil {yellow} and red food coloring {for peppermint}… which led to brown bath bombs. Let’s just say they didn’t turn out very appealing.
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So, make sure to use a white or true-clear oil like coconut. Mix the water, coconut oil, and essential oil together before adding food coloring. You won’t need much food coloring, just a few drops. It won’t seem like much liquid and that is okay. Bath bombs don’t need much liquid, otherwise, it will expand inside the mold {ask me how I know…}. In fact, as you add the liquid to the dry mixture, only drizzle a little bit each time. I drizzled the liquid 4 times before using up all the liquid. In between each addition of liquid to dry, I used the whisk to mix everything well. Essentially, you are working to coat the dry mix in color without getting it wet enough to fizz.
Next, fill the bath bomb molds with the mixture using the spoon. Fill one side of the mold at a time, making sure to pack it into the mold tight and to the rim. Press the two sides together and the plastic mold will “snap” into place. I place “snap” in parentheses because it’s not a full-on snap or lock, but you can tell that it is closed. It’s recommended that they stay in the mold to dry for at least 4 hours, though many recipes suggested overnight.
Finally, wrap the bath bomb in a cloth napkin and tie it with twine. I chose to leave the bath bomb in the mold because it was still about a month before Christmas. However, you could remove the bath bomb and re-use the mold if preferred.
Much of gift-giving is in the presentation. Though a DIY Bath Bomb is a great gift on its own, the vintage linen wrapped around it makes the gift feel luxurious, handmade, and unique. Bath bombs would work well as a small gift for friends and co-workers, or as a stocking stuffer.
There are still 7 more Handmade Gift Ideas in store, from the 12 Days of Craftmas. If you’d like, follow Craftivity Designs on Facebook, where I’ll be sharing the posts each day.
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