DIY Gift Guide

Who is a last minute shopper? This girl! I’m trying to get ahead of the game this year. I know I say this every year…but, truthfully I want to be on top of it. Last year our exchange student Noemi told us that her Mother always did this each year for her and her siblings and how much she loved it. So I decided to do the same for her and Pepper last Christmas and now I will continue with the tradition since she loved it so much. How does it work? You wrap and give 24 little tiny gifts to open, one gift every single day from December 1st all the way until December 24th. It’s like a daily advent calendar of gifts.

I haven’t quite planned out Pepper’s daily presents just yet. But I try to keep the costs down. I never give her candy, and instead small little things, what kids don’t love opening a little present every single day? I’ll definitely be sharing more on this year’s gift advent calendar in a future blog post as soon as I figure out all the presents.

I LOVE making DIY (do it yourself) gifts. All of my friends and family are familiar with them because every year this is mostly what they receive. I also love giving small gifts to our mailman, our close neighbors, and our piano teacher as well as the teachers at church. it’s a gesture of thank you for all you do…if your kids go to school, don’t forget to thank the teacher with a little something something. They sure do appreciate it.

When you have a long list of people who you want to give gifts to it can add up fast. So I like create little presents that are very unique and also affordable. One year I knitted everyone I knew a scarf! Over the years my family and friends have gotten all essential oil wellness gifts. Lately though I like to mix the “crafty” gifts with the DIY wellness gifts.

I will say no one complains about a homemade gift! I mean who doesn’t want homemade body butter, a linen sleep spray with a warm fuzzy blanket or a bar of homemade goat soap. People love homemade gifts and I love it too because it helps me not break the bank while still being able to bless everyone with a little something something!

DIY Gift Guide 2019

Some homemade gifts your friends & family will LOVE!

1. DIY Lip Balm, these make easy affordable gifts or stocking stuffers.
2. DIY Sleepy Time pillow spray in 2 oz glass bottle or roller bottle & a warm fuzzy blanket like this one makes a great gift. Sleepy Time pillow spray recipe: 10 drops cedar wood, 10 drops lavender, 4 drops orange, 10 drops Valerian essential oils, add 1 tbs witch hazel (fragrance free) and fill rest of bottle with filtered pure water. Roller bottle recipe: Same drops of oils as the spray bottle, but add fractionated coconut oil to the top of the roller bottle.
3. DIY Body Butter with your favorite essential oils (I personally love a combo of cedar wood, rosemary and lavender)
4. Make some homemade soup and gift it in a jar with a small loaf of fresh bread (this is a perfect gift for a neighbor friend or elderly friend) Here is a yummy soup recipe. Make a large batch, it’s cheap and it will make a lot of gifts! Make sure to keep your soup stored properly and gift it to your friend/family right away so they know to use it/put it in fridge or freeze it. Be sure to freeze it in a freezer zip lock and not in the glass container or it will explode and make a giant sad mess.
5. DIY essential oil perfume & DIY knitted scarf, or this one is cute too! Perfume recipe: Add 15 drops Stress Away, 10 drops bergamot, 5 drops patchouli essential oils added to a super cute perfume bottle, fill rest of the bottle with 100% pure vodka. This is a yummy alternative to modern lab made fragrance perfumes. Perfumes are extremely toxic and they greatly damage the endocrine system, which controls all of our hormones. In the US, infertility is currently 1 in 8 couples. Gifting with healthy alternatives & educating our young adolescents on these toxins is extremely important.
6. Gentle Babies book & a child Immune roller bottle {10 drops frankincense & 8 drops Thieves essential oil + fill 10 ml roller bottle with carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil} Immune rollers are great to roll down the spine and bottoms of your child’s feet (then socks over) a few times a day in order to support their immune system. Gentle Babies is a great book for any Mom with young kiddos or a baby on the way. If they are wanting to go the “natural” route in helping their children stay well by using essential oils then this is a must have!

Some gifts of Wellness…because you care about the health of your family & friends!

1. DIY Elderberry Syrup would make a great gift for a friend or family member. Be sure to include some instruction on the when and how to take it.
2. Homemade Sauerkraut is a great affordable gift. It’s easy to make, it’s cheap and it’s super good for you! Read all about the amazing health benefits here at Mama Wellness’s blog.
3. Tea mug & some echinacea plus tea packets with lavender or thieves essential oil.
4. Wellness Basket full of must have seasonal wellness goodies {Echinacea Tincture for immune support, Cherry Bark Tincture for respiratory health, Vitamin C to support the immune system, Throat Coat Tea, Young Living Inner Defense, & Thieves Essential Oil}
5. Herbal Epsom Salt bath with a relaxing essential oil blend like Release, Stress Away or White Angelica…place the Epsom salts in a linen sachet (1 cup or fill the bag as desired) and add 5 drops of Essential oil to each sachet. Be sure to buy Epsom salts that are just 100% Epsom salts with no added fragrance. Lab made fragrances are toxic.
6. Young Living FeatherOwl Diffuser & with some Sleepygize Essential oil

1. Wool Dryer balls & some Purification essential Oil. Did you know that dryer sheets are one of the most toxic products that people use in their homes with runner ups being candles, laundry detergent & perfume?? Help a family member ditch the toxins and make the switch to using a natural alternative like wool dryer balls and some 100% pure essential oil. Just add a few drops of oil to one wool dryer ball and throw all the balls into the dryer.
2. Homemade DIY Essential Oil Gingerbread Ornaments, we made these two years ago and they make great gifts or you can also use them to decorate the outside of a present…bonus: they smell amazing!
3. Lavender Essential Oil & a sachet of fresh lavender to hang in the closet or a linen drawer. Fill your sachets with fresh lavender and some drops of oil. These little sachets make perfect little gifts.
4. Some local spice mixes (we love going to our local spice shop to grab locally “made in Tennessee spices”…order up some cooking essential oil like oregano, thyme or rosemary and some kitchen spoons. This makes a great gift for the person who loves to cook.
5. A lov-ey chew toy for the baby and some Gentle Baby or Seedlings blend Essential oil
6. Some empty roller bottles and your favorite Essential oils to make many perfume blends as stocking stuffers {in a 10 ml roller bottle). Recipe 1: 10 drops bergamot, 7 drops ylang ylang, 4 drops lavender, 4 drops orange // Recipe 2: 10 drops Stress Away, 8 drops bergamot, 5 drops patchoili}

I hope this helps give you some fun ideas for this holiday season. Be sure to grab your Young Living essential oils by logging into your YL account (FYI: oils sold on AMAZON are not Young Living Oils but counterfeit, so please do not purchase these).

If you are not currently a member check out my post about essential oils or check out this post here. I’m excited to help you get started with your Young Living Journey.

Remember, no matter what your budget is, it’s truly the thought that counts. If all you can afford is a hand written note of “Thank You & Merry Christmas” that’s just perfect and it will truly warm someone’s heart!

Are you ready to get started with Young Living Essential Oils? Go here…I’ll be happy to help you get started. Not all oils are created equal, be sure you get the good stuff!