So, it's been a while since I shared with you all a DIY I made, and this one is a keeper, in my book anyway! This DIY is all about aromatherapy, and how it can be made as simple Bridal Shower favors, in the form of "shower cakes", intended for use when taking a shower. These can easily be made in no time flat, and they are quite cost effective. Also, this can simply be for the bride-to-be to use for her own sanity as she deals with the wedding planning-that stress is great, so any little bit helps. We all deserve a little pampering now and then, and it just doesn't need to be in the bath, but in the shower, too!
First of all, I have a new obsession...Essential Oils! It's more than an obsession, it's more like a new regiment I've gotten myself into, turning more to oils for health and healing, physical or mental. I've been on a Gluten Free living plan, which is basically clean eating, without gluten in what is consumed (thyroid issues up the ying yang here). But, I've also learned the benefits of clean living as a whole, and EO's as they're commonly referred to, have many useful benefits.
But, let's face it, as women, most of us, not all, but most, love luxurious scents, right? Especially when it comes to weddings-we have pretty flowers in our hands, about the ceremony, scattered throughout the reception in centerpieces, etc. We might even have a particular perfume to splash on before walking down the aisle. So, this little DIY is sure to be a hit with your bridal shower attendees.
Second of all, I love DIY projects. What I am able to concoct in my own kitchen, that then provides a bit of pampering to my loved ones, as well as myself, is an added bonus.
So let's get started. Through the graces of the great world of "Pinterest", I've been seeking pampering spa like treatments that I can make at home, now that I have a variety of EO's on hand. I stumbled upon a few for "shower cakes", and I just had to get to it! Here's the low down:
Ingredients:
Baking Soda
Water
Essential Oils
Muffin/Cupcake Liners
Muffin/Cupcake Pan
How to:
Step 1:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (F)
Step 2:
I don't have specific measurements here, as baking soda and water make a variety of thicknesses. I started with a cup of baking soda, then added water slowly, 1/2 cup at a time. I ended up with 2 1/2 cups of baking soda, and probably 1 1/2 of water. You mix the two until it form a goopy paste-not too thick, and not too thin, kind of like a cupcake batter-but still not as thick as that, where you know the thickness will pour easily into the liners, but not too thick that it'll be clumpy, and certainly not too thin where you feel like it's water being poured.
*Tip: I used a bag of baking soda that we have on had for pool use, so 2 cups isn't going to deplete what's in our pantry for the random need of baking soda for cookies, etc. The bags are for multi-purpose use, so when seeking a bag of baking soda, look first in the baking aisle, then in laundry aisle, then at a hardware store. They are everywhere, but what we most think of is the little box next to the flour in the baking aisle.
Step 3:
After the mixture is to your liking, and after you place the cupcake liners in your cupcake tin, fill 3/4 of the way full.
Step 4:
Place cupcake tin in your heated to temp oven for 20 minutes.
*Tip: You will see this mixture bubble, and spurt. For other baking, this might be bad, but for the oven to have baking powder splattered is not a bad thing, as it will help when cleaning down the road. That's my take, anyway. If it ends up on your oven glass, just a simple wipe down with a paper towel or cloth, after it's cooled, should do the trick.
Step 5:
Remove the cupcake tin and set to cool completely. This didn't take long, maybe 20 minutes. After the pan was cool, and cakes were cool to touch, I then removed the liners from each "cake", and then placed them on a cooling rack to further cool and harden.
*Tip: Your cakes might feel damp, and they might crumble. Only 2 of my 12 crumbled a bit on the bottom. This is not a big deal. These you can still put oil onto and put in your shower, rather than giving them as favors.
Step 6:
Now comes the Essential Oils aspect. So, I made 12 shower cakes, I picked 3 different varieties of scents. If you're doing this for a bridal shower, you can pick just one, like lavender, which is known to relieve stress, and is quite popular, or mix a few for a fun scent. Here is what I used: Lavender for one set I will call "Relaxation", Joy and Peppermint for what is known as "Happy Day", for those in the EO world that work with combinations, and lastly Grapefruit and Palmarosa, which I call "Bliss". You can use what you like, obviously, but these are great scent combinations.
I used 10 drops of lavender for "Relaxation", 7 of Joy and 5 of Peppermint for "Happy Day", and 5 of grapefruit and 5 of palmarosa for "Bliss".
A bit about EO's: they are potent in their true forms. I use "Eden's Garden", but there are many to choose from out there: doTerra, Young Living, etc. You can easily find EO's at any health food stores like "Wholefoods", "Sprouts", any most gift shops that might have a health and healing department. Dont' use the kind that aren't for healthy living...like I've seen some at craft stores for candle making-those aren't essential oils, more like flavored oils.
Step 7:
Once you've made your shower cakes, and made them all smelly and yummy, now it comes time to packaging. You could place them in mason jars, as I have shown, or place one or a few in a little baggie, tie a ribbon around them, and maybe a note to go along, like how to use in the shower: "Place your bridal shower cake in the base of your shower, and melt your stresses away". Corny, I know, but something along those lines.
What to do with the shower cakes:
Place them at the base of the shower, where your feet are, let the water hit them, but not pulverize them, so that the vapors start wafting up. In my shower they are just about at my toes on my left foot and a bit to the left, where the water hits just so, and the scents start wafting upwards and what I breathed in was Heavenly!
A bit of a side note, I've been sick this week, with allergies...I know it's not sickness, but I've never experienced allergies until this year, and so I've been dealing with a terrible case of sneezing and runny nose-sorry if it's TMI. But, I used my lavender cake, and added 10 more drops of eucalyptus oil-yes, very strong with the already 10 drops of lavender, and while this didn't clear me of my symptoms, in those minutes in my long shower I was able to breathe, and breathe in the goodness of the oils. It was beautiful! I took deep breathes, and it really did wonders.
So, take away from this post as a good at home remedy, or take away that you might use this for an upcoming bridal shower, or even a bride's gift of spa treatments to her bridesmaids for the day of when getting ready for the big event. Either way you and/or your guests will have some special treatments in the shower! Oils can put us into many uplifting moods, and this is a great way to share that, or keep for your self!
Let me know if you have any questions, or if you have done this, and maybe what oils you've used! Aside from the Essential Oils purchased, the rest is cheap, so it's truly a win win DIY for all!
Happy planning and pampering!
