Natural Baby Oil--Steep German (Egyptian) chamomile flowers in olive oil or another carrier oil and strain

Aloe Vera Oil--Cut fresh aloe leaves, cover with a carrier oil , steep a few days, strain, add essential oils if you like.

Air Freshener--Add essential or fragrance oils to water in a spray bottle and shake before use.

Carpet Freshener--Add essential or fragrance oils to baking soda in a shaker bottle (spice bottle), sprinkle on carpet & vacuum.

Air & Vacuum Freshener--Drop Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil (Eucalyptus Citriadora) on cottonballs and put in vacuum cleaner bag to freshen and scent the air.

Glue Remover--Use Eucalyptus Essential Oil to remove sticky label glue from bottles. Works better than anything I've tried!

Feed Plants--Sprinkle Kelp granules on the soil to add potash & other minerals to houseplants.

Scented Beads--Mix 1T Acacia Gum powder (Arabic) (or Tragacanth Gum power) with 3T water or oil, add essential oils, roll into beads, pierce, dry.

Ribbon Wreath Hanger--Thread wide ribbon through wire frame, hook, or around wreath & tack both ends over top of door frame.

Vanilla Sugar--Slit 2 or 3 vanilla beans lengthwise, add to 1 lb. powdered sugar, mix & store covered. Dust cakes or cookies, use on French toast or pancakes.

• 5 lbs sea salt
• 1 oz. vegetable glycerin
• 1/2 oz essential or fragrance oils
• food coloring (optional)

• 1 lb glycerin soap or castile soap
• 1/8 to 1/4 oz essential or fragrance oil
• 1c boiling water + up to 1/2c botanicals such as powdered herbs or flower petals oat, corn or almond meal, clay powders.

To add to the translucency, add 1/8 to 1/4 oz of vegetable glycerin before pouring.

OR Let cool 'til thick and use hands to make soap balls.

Poured Candles -- Make a small hole in the bottom of a juice can or milk carton, pull wick through, seal bottom with tape or clay, fasten other end of wick around pencil and rest pencil on top of mold to straighten and center the wick. Pour in melted wax, let harden a few minutes and fill center depression with more wax. Mold can be put in cold water to harden faster. Peel off cardboard mold for finished candle. Use a silicone mold release before pouring candles, to remove them easily when using metal and non-flexible molds.

Aromatherapy Candles -- Use essential oils to scent wax. Gurjun Balsam is a good additive to fix the scent and add warmth.

Scented Candles--1/4 to 1/2 ounce of fragrance oil scents 2lbs wax. Mix in scents when slightly cooled

• Your choice of fresh fruit: Orange, Apple, Lime, Kumquat, Quince
• Whole cloves
• Powdered or cut herbs, spices, flowers: Cinnamon, Lavender, Peppermint, Rose, Sarsaparilla Root, Sassafrass, Spearmint
• Powdered fixatives: Frankincense, Gum Benzoin, Orris, Sandalwood

Stud the fruit with whole cloves--use a nail to pierce the skins of citrus fruit then insert the cloves.

Choose any combination of powders and mix well. Roll the pomanders in the powder mixture, sprinkle the tops with some of the powder, then store in a covered container in a dry location for two to four weeks.

Dust the powder off the pomanders.

Display in bowls or baskets alternating with colorful fruit

OR to hang...

KISSING BALLS: Use a shorter version of the above ribbon, and tie a sprig of fresh mistletoe* into the bottom bow.

*Mistletoe is poisonous, so if there are small children around, use artificial mistletoe.

• 1 lb Cinnamon Powder
• 1/2 c Orris Root Powder (optional)
• 2 c Applesauce, warmed

Decorate with acrylic and 3D paint, thread a ribbon or gold cord through hole and hang on tree or make garlands.

These will scent at least one whole room and will last for years if stored in a dry place. They will crumble if moist. 9/92

SCENTED BEESWAX ORNAMENTS

• 1 lb Beeswax
• 1/2 oz Fragrance or Essential Oil
• narrow ribbon, thread, string or gold cord for hanging
• molds (can use candy molds or beeswax molds, available at crafts stores or our small seashell soap molds)

Stir scent into melted wax and pour into molds. A small funnel helps. Add the waxed ribbon to the top of each mold. Let them set at room temperature. When hardened enough to pull away from the sides of the molds, they can be removed and decorated with sprigs, spices, lace or beads. Store in a cool place. 10/96

Using a microwave with silica gel is quicker on thicker-petalled flowers and foliage, but use low heat and remove to finish the drying process (not good for preserving color in zinnias). A flower press works well for delicate flowers such as pansies and forget-me-nots.