Quick & Easy Christmas Gifts

Looking for quick, easy, and thoughtful Christmas gift ideas? These are my favourites this year – perfect for busy mums! Here are the easy instructions to make these gifts.

 

🌿 LAVENDER AROMATHERAPY EYE PILLOW

Enjoy calm, restful sleep every night with this aromatherapy pillow. It's lavender scent helps to deepen relaxation and alleviate stress. 

It can be chilled in the refrigerator or warmed up in the microwave to provide instant relief for headaches, pains, and tired eyes. Place the pillow over your eyes when you lie on your back. To clean, wipe the fabric with a damp cloth.

Materials

Organic golden flax seeds

Dried lavender

Soft linen or cotton fabric, 6 by 10 inches

Scissors

Straight pins

Sewing machine and supplies

Measuring tape

Lavender essential oil (optional)

Method:

1. Combine 2 cups flax seeds and 2 tablespoons dried lavender in a bowl.
2. Add 2 to 3 drops lavender essential oil; set aside.
3. Measure and cut a piece of fabric that measures 6 by 10 inches. This will allow you a 1/2-inch seam allowance on all sides. Pin the fabric right sides together along the sides and bottom.
4. Sew the bottom and sides of the sleeve, leaving the top seam open.
5. Carefully pour the dry ingredients into the pillow. Shake all of the ingredients to the bottom.
6. Pin the top closed and top stitch on a sewing machine.

 

🍋 ROSEMARY & LEMON SHORTBREAD

Delicious, simple to bake, and gone in seconds!

Ingredients:

250g – Butter, unsalted

2 c – Flour

¼ c – Corn flour

½ c – Icing sugar

¼ t – Salt

1 T – finely chopped rosemary

1t – lemon zest

 

Method:

1. Heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
2. Line 2 trays with baking paper.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add flour, lemon zest, finely chopped rosemary and salt and mix to a smooth dough.
5. Rollout flat, or into a sausage and cut into shapes or slices.
6. Prick each biscuit 3 times with a fork.
7. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. The biscuits will crisp up on cooling.

🕯️ CHRISTMAS CANDLE

Upcycle old jars into beautifully scented candles. So creative!

 Equipment required

1 - Waste cloth or thick brown paper to cover table

1 – Thermometer to measure hot wax

1 - Measuring jug to measure water

1 – Plastic measuring jug with long spout for easy pour

1 – Wooden stick to stir

1 – small beaker to measure fragrance

1 – wick holder / wick bar

2 or more - twine or wood wicks 

1 kg – Soy wax or coconut wax

1 bottle – Christmas Fragrance like Noel, Pine, Pohutukawa, Orange Blossom, or English Rose.

2 or more – round wick stickers

1 - pen & 1 - pad to calculate

1 – Digital weighing scale

1 – metal pot for melting wax

1 - Candle Safety Sticker

1 – 50 ml glass beaker

Containers: Crystal jars, metal milk jug, wine glass, beer mugs, cement bowls, terracotta pots, etc…

 

How to calculate candle wax weight:

Example:

Jar fill of water (volume): 300 ml

Fragrance load: 300 ml x 10% = 30ml

270 ml liquid wax

Wax weight: 270ml x 0.83 = 224g of wax

 

Fill volume                                      Wax weight

200 ml (180ml + 20ml fragrance) = 150g wax

 

Method:

1. Determine candle containers volume using water. Wipe container with paper towel to remove moisture.
2. Calculate wax weight and measure fragrance amount.
3. Pour wax flakes into pot to start melting over medium heat.
4. Attach correct size wick to container using a wick sticker. Use 2 wicks for an extra wide candle.
5. Secure wick in the middle of your container using a metal wick holder or a pair of chop sticks.
6. Melt wax to each 80⁰
7. Pour from pot into jug to cool a bit. Once temperature reaches 60⁰C, add fragrance and stir well using a wooden stick.
8. Gently pour fragranced liquid wax into candle container.
9. Leave to cool completely for 24 hours before cutting the wick.
10. Leave (cure) for 48 hours before burning your candle.
11. Clean up by scraping the solidified wax, then wash in hot soapy water and dry.

🎨 CHRISTMAS NATIVITY PLAQUES

Just grab some wood, black and white acrylic paint, and let your imagination shine!

Materials:

5 – Rectangular wood blocks (16cm height x 10cm width x 1.5cm depth)

1 tube – White acrylic paint

1 tube – Black acrylic paint

1 – paint brush

Paper towels or scrap fabric – to wipe up spills

1 cup – water to thin paint

Method:

1. Cut wood into 5 rectangular blocks. Sand lightly to get a smooth surface.
2. Paint two coats of white acrylic paint, drying after each coat.
3. Draw the outline of Christmas design on each block of wood.
4. Fill each shape with black paint. Let it dry well.

 

Have fun and get festive! Merry Christmas everyone! 🎅🎄✨

Rachel