playing catch up- 3 DIYs!

WARNING: Don't read if you want to know what I'm making you this year...

That being said. I spent all of yesterday making gifts (also, messing one up and re-making said gift). Here is what I made:


peppermint soap* (for everyone's stockings)

• 2 packages soap, 1 clear & 1 white**
• 1 loaf pan
  
• cooking spray
  
• peppermint extract (you can do any scent you want)
  
• food coloring (I used red but again any you want)
• transparent wrap (for wrapping)
  

melt small pieces of the soap at a time (I melted about fox small pieces at once). spray a loaf pan. if you are making the colored layer, mix in some drops of color and a couple drops of extract. mix & pour into pan. let set 20 minutes. score with a fork to help next layer adhere. alternate colors. wait 4 hours atleast to unmold loaf pan. cut into slices or cubes. I recommend leaving a little clear soap aside, when I unmolded the soap some of the layers didn't adhere so well, so I melted down more clear soap and used it like glue.

car crayons (for my little cousin)

• boxes of cheap crayons
• mold (I used a car mold, found out michaels in candy making aisle)
  
• glass jars/ tin cans, cleaned
• cooking spray
  
• disposable plate
• box/tin (for gifting)
  

take paper off crayons & break into small pieces. put pan of water on stove and simmer cans/jars of crayons until melted. spray molds. pour in colors & let set, atleast 30 minutes (if they do break you can melt them and reset). if you are using the michaels candy molds, put a plate under the molds because the colors will run off. unmold & place in nice tin/box!


peppermint liquor (for my father in law and friends; the liquor are the clear jars, those brown bottles are this)
makes 4 cups, I doubled the recipe (I'm also making this in a couple weeks)

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil OR 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 3 cups Vodka
• mason jars (storage), nice bottles (gift, I found some cheap ones at homegoods)
  

--Make sugar syrup: in small saucepan, combine water and sugar; over medium heat, cook until sugar is dissolved and liquid is clear--approx. 5 min. Let cool completely.
--Into a sterile quart jar with tight fitting lid, pour vodka, sugar syrup, and peppermint oil or extract. Stir well. Store in cool, dark place, allowing it to steep for 2 weeks. Turn jar upside down every 2-3 days to mix, or remove lid and stir. Transfer to smaller sterile bottles, if desired.

* I made one other soap related projects & started a couple more, but I got to spread these DIY posts out :)
** you can also grate any white or clear soap and use this instead