Monday, February 7, 2011

Spa box made with recycled goods





This beautiful spa box was created with all reused materials. I started out with a pretty box that I could recover with beautiful gift wrap. It had stationery in it, and a cool removable lining that would hold all the spa materials perfectly. I deconstructed the box, and recovered it carefully with gift wrap glued down with soft gel medium. I like gel medium, but you can use wallpaper paste, or glue sticks. Liquid glues cause the gift wrap to bubble... Gel medium is perfect, doesn't wrinkle or bubble. I used a credit card to burnish it down well to the surfaces, and then used heavy gel medium to glue the box back together.


Take some used dryer sheets. Make sure all the softener is off the sheets. I run them through the washer once after using them to dry. This gets any residual softener smell off the sheets. Press them lightly with a low iron and set aside. In a glass bowl combine 1/2 cup of rock salt, 1/4 cup epsom salts, and 1/4 cup existing bath salts that you have laying around. Add a few drops of food coloring to tint the salts the desired color. Add a few drops of essential oil or perfume oil if you have it lying around. Scoop 1/8 cup of the salts onto a dryer sheet. Tie up into a tight bundle. Trim the top of the bundle into a round shape, tie a bow and finish up with a satin rose glued on with a glue gun.



Next, take some of those watch part tins or mini tins you have in your scrapbooking stash that held eyelets back in the day, and fill each one with different kinds of bath salts. I have TONS of different kinds of mud bath, clay mud mask, healing herbal bath etc. You can use epsom salts tinted different colors if you don't have any bath supplies at home. You can get a 1/2 gallon of epsom salts at the Dollar Store. I cut strips off of one of the dryer sheets and rolled it on my pants to create a shabby looking ribbon/twine. Glue a punched circle of the coordinating gift wrap on the top of the tin, then tie it up like a little package, finish off with satin rose. Write the name of the bath product on the bottom of the tin.  Now dig out those hotel toiletries you have laying in the bottom of the bathroom drawer, and cut matching paper to cover the existing labels. Glue the papers on to the toiletries.



Spray paint some poker chips with gold paint, punch a circle out and write the name of the product on the poker chip tag. You can cut circles out of cardstock or chipboard if you prefer. Tie label tags around the neck of the bottles, glue ribbons down with a dot of hot glue and embellish with roses.



Arrange items inside box, tie with a big bow and give to a friend who really needs some pampering. These gifts are always a big hit, and people are blown away that you made it all... Start looking for boxes and little containers at yard sales, and around your house that could be used for a similar project.











6 comments:

jackie said...

What a beautiful and thoughtful gift! Thanks for sharing some great ideas!

Joanne Huffman said...

an elegant idea!

Healing Woman said...

This is amazing. I'm here from OWOH and will become a follower right now.

Anonymous said...

nice idea. i can never have enough of bath salts! thanks for popping by my blog with the owoh. it is always nice to "meet" new people.

you mentioned the name of my blog. it comes from my mom who is an ornothological physiologist (try saying that when you are 5 years old!)and always used to tell me that when circumstances changed and impacted birds they did one of three things..they died, they adjusted to the change or they migrated somewhere new. as a child and teenager she would always ask me if i was going to die, adjust or migrate whenever i had problems with friends etc. i have to admit that no one else i know ever got advice like that!

cheers! olwyn

Janine said...

Hi Karan, what a great idea that is, beautifully done.
You are an art teacher that is great.
I read about your youth- projecton the other blog too.
Very good!
I work as an educator in a youth center and I will start to study pedagogical art therapy in autumn.
So we have something in common.
I follow your blog too now.
have a great day
Janine

Barbara Jean said...

Beautiful!

blessings
barbara jean