The holidays are a great reason to get together with friends and family. If you’re throwing a party this year, including a DIY activity is a great way to bring some creativity to the occasion. Sure, standing around eating and drinking is fun - but it’s nice to give your guests something to do! Get recipes and tips for hosting the perfect party below, and get all the supplies you need here.
DIY scrub
This is a great option because it's easy to make, easy to customize, and it doesn't require any heating or special containers. Here's what you need:
- One large bowl of sugar
- A few 1 ounce jars of jojoba beads in the color of your choice
- A 1 pound bottle of a lightweight oil like avocado, sweet almond, or apricot kernel
- A 1 pound bottle of potassium cocoate or Natural Castile Liquid Soap Base
- An 8 ounce size of your favorite fragrance oil, or a few 2 ounce sizes so your guests can choose
- Optional but recommended: 4 ounces of Optiphen. The scrub isn't made with water, but it will likely get some splashed in during use. The preservative helps prevent mold and bacteria growth.
- A cup of droppers to add the fragrance oil and preservative
- Enough jars for all your guests to take their scrub home
- Waterproof paper cut into strips so guests can label their jars
- Teaspoons and tablespoons
- Measuring cups
- Plenty of spoons
Before your guests dive in, we recommend demonstrating how to make the scrub. Here's the recipe:
- 2 Tbsp. Lightweight Oil
- 2 tsp. Potassium Cocoate/Liquid Soap
- 2 tsp. Jojoba Beads
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 2 mL Fragrance Oil
- 2 mL Optiphen
It's super simple to make - just scoop everything into the jar and mix well. Then, secure the top, add a label, and it's ready to take home. It's helpful to have a few copies of the recipe on the table so your guests can refer back to it.
The scrub feels great on the skin too. Sugar and jojoba beads scrub away dirt and excess oil, potassium cocoate cleanses, and the lightweight oil keeps skin moisturized. Of course, your guests can customize this recipe by adding more oil, sugar, etc. - that's half the fun! Just make sure they keep the fragrance and preservative amount the same. More fragrance can irritate sensitive skin, and less preservative may not be as effective against mold and bacteria.
DIY nail polish
This has the same advantages as the scrub. All guests have to do is mix color and Suspending Nail Polish Base, then pour into bottles. They can create whatever shades they like. Here's what you need:
- A 1 pound bottle of Suspending Nail Polish Base
- A few 1 ounce jars of mica - we recommend at least 3 so your guests can create custom colors.
- A 1 ounce jar of glitter - Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter is a great option.
- 20 nail polish mixing balls
- Enough nail polish bottles for all your guests to take them home. You may want to account for 2-3 per person so they can make a few shades.
- Plenty of mini scoops
- Waterproof paper cut into strips so guests can label their bottles
- Newspaper or cardboard to cover your work surface. This is necessary - making nail polish is messy!
- An old rag/towel to wipe up any spills
- Thick paper or cardstock to test the color
- Nail polish remover to clean up spills and to let guests test multiple colors on their nails
To make it, add a nail polish mixing ball to the bottle. Use the mini scoops to add color and glitter, then carefully pour the base into the bottles. Pop the tops on, shake for a few minutes, and then test the color on a piece of paper. Your guests can adjust from there if they like. That's it!
Ornaments
These are great for kids! The project really couldn’t be easier. First, lay out a protective cover on your table to make cleanup easy. Then, add craft supplies and let the kids fill a Bath Bomb Mold with glitter, ribbons, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and little toys. We found the kids needed some help putting the mold together, but they were able to do just about everything else by themselves. Finally, loop a string through the eyelet and they're ready to enjoy.
Tips
Throwing a craft party isn’t hard, but it does require some prep work. You’ll thank yourself later - after all, you want to enjoy the party too!
- Choose an easy project like scrub or nail polish. Everybody has a different idea of easy, but it’s safe to say cold process soap would be intimidating for most guests.
- If your project requires heat, like melt and pour soap or lip balm, consider the logistics carefully. Most likely, you only have one microwave. Instead, use a slow cooker or double boiler to keep the ingredients melted while your guests work.
- Have plenty of cleaning materials, like paper towels and wet wipes.
- Once you figure out how many tools you need to create the project, get a few more just in case. Having extra on standby means you won’t have to worry about it during the party.
- If you provide labels for the projects, don’t forget scissors and pens.
- Snacks and drinks are always a good idea. Keep them in a separate area from the craft supplies to prevent cross-contamination.
