From sore throat gargle to wound spray, here are 14 useful things to make with calendula tea! Calendula is loaded with powerful skin-healing, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, yet is gentle enough for most people and animals to use safely. You can make all sorts of things with calendula, including soap, salve, lotion bars and lip…
This homemade cold process natural shave soap recipe features castor oil and rich butters to make a bubbly, creamy, moisturizing bar! While I have recipes for making dual lye shave soap on my site, some have asked for a simpler shave soap recipe that uses just one type of lye, so I was excited to…
Soap on a rope is an easy and fun way to dress up an otherwise plain soap. It makes a great gift too! The examples shown in the photos are made using chaparral herb infused soap base, from my Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soap print book, but you could use this same idea with…
Learn how to harvest, dry, and use sunflower petals in DIY projects. Make your own sunflower salve, oil, soap, lip balm, lotion bars, and more! Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are the quintessential flower for late summer and fall. Not only do they provide seeds and nectar for birds and insects to enjoy, plus beautiful flowers to…
Learn 5 ways to use hollyhocks – a lovely old-fashioned garden flower that’s completely edible and non-toxic! Many people don’t realize that the common garden flower, Hollyhock, is completely edible – root, leaves and blossoms – and useful for more than just its charming looks. Hollyhock is related to Marshmallow and can sometimes be used…
Learn how to adjust for and add lanolin to soap recipes, plus guidelines for using it. Kimberly asked a great question the other day, about how to include lanolin in a soap recipe she’d recently made. She also wanted to try including it in my Dandelion Scrub Bar recipe, but wasn’t sure what changes to…
Learn how to turn the common dandelions in your backyard into these super soothing lotion bars for dry, cracked, and damaged hands! I originally made these lotion bars for my husband. His primary job is as a rock mason and the mortar and rough stone often leaves his hands dry, cracked, and bleeding. At night,…
Learn how to turn plantain, a common backyard weed, into ten useful and healing products, including lip balm, lotion bars, tincture, and more! Plantain (Plantago major, Plantago lanceolata) is a common leafy green weed found all over the world. If you have a yard or have visited a park before, you’ve likely spotted or stepped on a…
Few things are more uplifting than getting a surprise package in the mail, letting you know that someone out there cares for you! I’ve always loved the idea of sending care packages and when my kids were younger, we’d ship them to shut-ins we knew of. Somehow though, I let myself get too busy-feeling to do…
