94. Felted Soap

I know felted soap may sound a bit odd, but it's the perfect soap & scrubby delivery method. With 10 minutes, some wool roving (from the craft store), a bar of soap, and hot water you can transform a plain ol' bar of soap into something gift-worthy.

83. DIY Three Ingredient Lip Balm

This is a fairly simple gift to make, especially if you already have these three ingredients... 

78. Bath Mitts

For a generous source of lather and to put an end to searching for the soap on the bottom of the tub, slip a soap bar into a pocket made from a luxurious terry washcloth.

61. Solid Perfume

This is an inexpensive and easy way to create a personalized scent for a nifty gift.

The only ingredient that can get expensive is the essential oils, especially if you make a complex scent blend requiring an initial investment of many different essentials. Of course, there's nothing wrong with picking a single pleasant scent. One bottle of an essential oil will make lots and lots of perfume; you use only drops at a time!

MATERIALS:

1 tablespoon Beeswax (available at craft shop)
1 tablespoon Almond Oil (or Jojoba Oil or Vitamin E - available at natural foods/health store)
8 - 15 drops Essential Oils (available at natural foods/health store)
a pan
a small glass bowl or jar (to use in conjunction with the pan as a double boiler)
a straw (used for stirring wax when melted)
1 container (preferably glass, ceramic or stone but plastic is acceptable)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put about an inch of water in a small saucepan, then put a small glass jar or pyrex bowl in the water. Measure out the wax and almond oil into the jar/bowl and bring the water around it to a boil.
   
   The wax will melt gradually; when it is 100% liquid, remove from heat and stir in the other ingredients with a straw (the wax will start to form solid on whatever you do your stirring with — a straw has little surface area so you lose less of the end product, and it's disposable so you don't have to clean it off). When everything is thoroughly mixed together, pour the liquid wax immediately into your final container. In about 30 minutes, it will be cooled, solid and ready to use.
2. To use the perfume, simply rub a finger around on the surface of the waxy perfume, then rub that finger on the area you want to smell good — the inside of your wrists and behind the ears works well.

Some tips for devising the ultimate scent recipe:

• combine drops of various essentials, totalling 8 -15 drops in all
• pick a primary scent and use more of that one, then one or two "background" scents, using less of each
• check out various aromatherapy sites for info on the psychological properties of various scents

Some nice essentials for background scents are:

• clary sage (a slightly smoky herbal scent that's supposed to help creativity and concentration)
• orange or ginger provide a warming sensation (good for people who are always cold)
• ylang-ylang is a floral that isn't too sweet or girly for guys, but it's a happy smell and subtle enough for a backdrop
• cedar (repels insects)

Scent Recipes (and purported aromatherapy effects):

1. For Men:
   6 drops essential oil of pine (confidence)
   4 drops essential oil of ylang-ylang (mood-elevating, energizing)
   3 drops essential oil of clary sage (concentration and creativity)
2. For Women:
   5 drops essential oil of ginger (sweet and warming)
   4 drops essential oil of orange (warming, mood-elevating)
   2 drops essential oil of ylang-ylang (mood-elevating, energizing)
   2 drops of clary sage (concentration and creativity)

Source: Instructables.com

If you dig this, you may also dig Jan Berry's book:

101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin Health & Home A Nerdy Farm Wifes All Natural DIY Projects Using Commonly Found Herbs Flowers & Other Pl
by Jan BerryTrade Paperback

23. Embroidered linens

MATERIALS

Tea towels, Hand towels, Napkins, Pillow cases, Handkerchiefs (whatever you'd like to embroider)
Embroidery transfer (can be found at any fabric or craft store - makes your life SO much easier)
Iron
Embroidery thread, needle
Embroidery hoop
Scissors

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set the iron temperature to high. Lay down your tea towel, Pillow case, etc. and place the transfer face down where you would like it to be. Make sure to leave enough room so you can attach the hoop.
2. Tape or hold the pattern firmly in place and glide the iron over the design. You need to do it only two or three times, pressing hard so a light trace of the design will appear. Don't make it too dark because you don't want it to show after you've embroidered it.
3. Peel off the transfer and save it for future use.
4. Attach the hoop around the design, so that the fabric is tight like a drum.
5. Thread the needle with a 12-inch strand of thread. Leave a 1-inch tail extending from the top of the needle and tie a knot at the other end.
6. Find your starting point and bring the needle up through the bottom of the design and out the top. Bring the needle back down. Continue the process until you've outlined the entire design, switching thread colors as desired.
7. When you finish, turn the piece over, snip the thread, tie it in a knot at the base of the fabric and snip excess. Iron the towel so it is crisp.

Source Kathy Cano-Murillo

For more embroidery patterns, check out Andrew Schapiro's Sublime Stitching:

Sublime Stitching Hundreds of Hip Embroidery Patterns & How To
by Andrew SchapiroSpiral/Comb

16. Handmade Soap

MATERIAL

Bars of natural fragrance or color free soap (Glycerin)
Essential oils of your choice
(Lavender, rose and jasmine work well)
Oats (optional exfoliator)
Vitamin E Oil (Optional)
Almond Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grate soap in a blender or food processor.
2. Boil a pot of water and put a glass bowl over the pot, (like a double boiler.)
3. Add some almond oil into the bowl.
4. Add the soap into the bowl.
5. Take the water from the pot and add it into the bowl until soap changes into paste.
6. Add oils, oats, and vitamin E as desired.
7. Let cool in molds of your choice. You can use anything for a mold - ice cube trays, cookie cutters or soap molds (found at the craft store).
8. Air out on wax paper for a day or two.

Source: kidzworld

You can get more soap making recipes:

Soapmakers Companion A Comprehensive Guide with Recipes Techniques & Know How
by Susan Miller CavitchTrade Paperback

14. Sugar Scrub

MATERIALS

1 clear plastic or glass jar
1 cup sugar (this can be white, brown, or raw)

you can also use ground coffee (see note below)

1/2 cup oil (extra virgin olive oil, jojoba, safflower, grape seed, or apricot kernel)
scented essential oils (optional)
baking soda (optional: helps clarify the skin)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. mix the sugar and oil in the plastic container.
   
   since you are using this in the bath or shower, I would avoid using glass
2. add any optional scents you like:
   
   • Vanilla: Great especially in the coffee or brown sugar scrub.
   • Orange, lime, tangerine or lemon: For an uplifting effect.
   • Rosemary, eucalyptus or peppermint: For clearing out the sinuses and stimulating the body
   • Cinnamon or clove: For improving circulation and adding a spicy kick to your scrub.
   • Rose, jasmine or ylang-ylang: for a romantic floral scrub.
   • Geranium: For balancing your mood.
   • Lavender: For promoting relaxation.
3. to use: place some on a wash cloth and rub in circles anywhere you need exfoliation.
   note: the sugar may settle to the bottom, so it may be necessary to shake before using.

Note: Coffee can be used as a topical scrub as well.

From Cancerlynx.com:

Coffee is granular and feels nice on the skin but the caffeine has added benefits. Applied topically coffee helps to redistribute fat cells and decrease the formation of cellulite. It also acts as a vasorestrictor, tightening and shrinking blood vessels thereby helping eliminate varicose veins. It has been used for years in spas in Hawaii and on the coast of Bali.