I have always enjoyed Christmas… ever since I was young. One of the things I love is putting together gifts for my friends and family. I don’t go for the gift cards and large store bought gifts, though. I enjoy gathering small, thoughtful gifts and putting them together with homemade items in gift baskets that I assemble and decorate. You won’t find me buying a pre-assembled gift at a beauty store or in the line for gift wrap at the mall.
So, when C&H/Domino Sugar approached me about making something from the homemade gift section of their site, I was thrilled! Just like many of you, my pantry is stocked with Domino sugar, especially at this time of the year. My favorite is the dark brown sugar… I love the deep, rich molasses flavor in cookies! So, it seemed only natural that I gave their homemade gifts a try. They were kind enough to send me a $20 gift card to help with the cost, too!
As I checked out their gift ideas, I initially wanted to make some of the edible ornaments. I love to decorate cookies, and I think there is nothing more beautiful than gingerbread cookies. Besides, you can’t beat the smell of them in the oven. You may remember, though, that I have a yellow lab… So, as you can imagine, edible ornaments on my Christmas tree wouldn’t last long, and I’d have one sick puppy!
Since the edible ornaments were out, I decided to give the sugar scrubs a try instead. I knew they would go perfectly in my gift baskets since there are quite a few women on my gift list. After much debate, I finally settled on the White Cane Glimmer Sugar Scrub. I was lucky enough to discover that the natural/organic section of my local grocery store had a rather large selection of essential oils, so I decided to use some peppermint oil in place of the lavender or orange that the recipe called for. Last year I had a bottle of peppermint stick lotion that I absolutely loved, so I decided to try to recreate that scent. The lotion also had a hint of vanilla, so I decided to add some pure vanilla bean paste to the scrub as well. Not only did the vanilla bean paste smell amazing, it added pretty little vanilla bean flecks to the sugar scrub!
I put the scrub into pretty little glass jars and tied them with some ribbon. Upon trying the sugar scrub, I realized that it would make a wonderful foot scrub, so I decided to go with a pedicure-themed gift basket. Who couldn’t use a little pampering around the holidays? Especially after you’ve been on your feet in the kitchen baking for hours on end. So, I added a scrub brush, nail file, and a small bottle of red nail polish. I finished it off with some candy-stripe tissue paper and ribbon… and, of course, a candy cane!
I definitely recommend giving this one a try if you need a small gift for a gift exchange or if you just want a little pick-me-up for yourself!
Candy Cane Sugar Scrub
(Adapted from White Cane Glimmer Sugar Scrub)
- 1 cup Domino granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- Oil from 1 vitamin E capsule
- 3-4 drops peppermint essential oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir with a spatula until evenly mixed. Transfer to airtight glass jars and decorate as you wish!
The contents may settle, so you will want to stir each time before you use the scrub. Apply 1-2 teaspoons of the scrub to your hands, and massage in a circular motion into your skin (like I said, it’s especially wonderful for your feet!). Leave on your skin for 3-4 minutes (the scrub will tighten on your skin) before rinsing off.
My Kitchen Addiction Disclosure- I was provided with a $20 gift card to cover the cost of this homemade gift. I only review products that I have personally tested and used in my kitchen/home, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Can I be on your list of people who get gifts :) I’m sure everyone will love it:)
Great idea. I think it’s better to do homemade gifts sometimes. i’ve recently begun that as a tradition of doing baked goods for all my friends.
Homemade gifts are always a great idea! Sometimes people worry about not having any money or the budget to buy gifts, and low and behold they just have to look in their kitchen. Great Idea!
What a neat idea! I would never think of making a homemade sugar scrub. I’m so going to do this! And I second Nutmeg Nanny’s wish….. can I be on your gift list???
How fabulous – I love it!
what a great idea! Thanks for sharing this. I already know who I want to give one to this year. I love homemade gifts :)
Ohmigosh! I love this idea. I love, love, love body scrubs!
What a great idea Jen!
Great idea! I have seen the scrubs on their site before. I was thinking about during this for our family gift exchange. Where did you get that wonderful jar?
Michelle – I actually found the jar at the Christmas Tree Shoppes store near my house (http://www.christmastreeshops.com/).
I can almost smell this! What a special gift made with love. I’m going to whip some up for myself and all of my friends. Thanks for the tip on the Christmas Tree shop – I have one right by my house too, I love that place!
Thank you, thank you for this post!! :) I was totally wanting to make some sort of homemade scrub this year for presents, but hadn’t got around to researching a “recipe” yet.
But found some adorable little jars for them at a thrift shop today, so am going to pick up the peppermint oil tomorrow and get to mixing! Sounds so fun!!! :)
What an amazing and cute idea! I Think I am going to make some for myself.. hope that’s okay!
What a sweet gift and so kind of you to make a special present! Lovely packing too!
I would love to make this as gifts this Christmas but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Vanilla Bean Paste.
Where would I find it??
Thats a great idea! Any chance you know of something else I can substitute for the vanilla bean paste?
Tonda – I purchased my vanilla bean paste at my local Williams-Sonoma. Many gourmet food/grocery stores would carry it. If you don’t live in an area with many gourmet food stores, you could also order it online. Here is a link to some on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Madagascar-Bourbon-Pure-Vanilla-Paste/dp/B001E204S6
Christina – You can simply substitute vanilla extract for the paste. You will get the same scent, but just won’t have the vanilla bean flecks in the scrub.
What a great gift from the kitchen to moisturize my skin. Cheaper too than buying from well-known brands. Thanks for the idea.
Great idea! Thinking of making for my sons teachers at daycare/school.
LOVE peppermint bath items – will definitely have to try this!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! I saw a link to it on Foodgawker and had to try it. The scrub turned out beautifully!! Even my husband loves it. “This stuff would make an off-shore man’s hands silky smooth,” he said, amazed. *LOL!* I like it so much that I made about 12 more jars for friends and family. The only changes I made were to the type and amount of oil used. I made mine with 3/4 cup of Grapeseed oil instead of vegetable oil. What a find!! I can’t wait to try a few of the other essential oils, like Lavender, Lemon, and Orange.
Lady Aggie – So happy that you enjoyed the recipe. I ended up making a batch for myself, and I love it, too. Thanks for stopping by!
Found your recipe researching sugar scrubs for gift giving. Just tested and it is WONDERFUL. The peppermint will be perfect for Christmas gifts. I had only vanilla extract on hand it smells wonderful. I will plan to use the paste for gifts. Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s shower! :)
Where can I find the vanilla bean paste? I live in San Antonio tx Any help would be great or a subsutue would be good too
Sarah Beth – You can buy the vanilla bean paste at Williams-Sonoma (which is where I typically purchase mine), or it is also available on Amazon.com.