Homemade bath salts can by very easy to make and are a wonderful gift, or even a treat for yourself.  Give the gift of relaxation – your friends, family, and loved ones will appreciate your thoughtfulness. In addition to the fact that homemade gifts show how you care, they can save you some big bucks.  Why spend $15 - $20 for bath salts when you can make them for just a few dollars youself?

Here is what you will need for the homemade bath salts themselves:
Epsom salts
Sea Salt
Baking Soda
Glycerin (optional)
Essential Oil

Here is what you will need for the packaging:
Glass jar
Labels
Scissors
Glue
“Extras” – like ribbon, ecru, or twine.  See more details below.

Instructions

1 – Prepare your jar:  You can clean and remove the label from a pickle, jelly, or peanut butter jar – or really any glass jar in your kitchen.

2 – Prepare the homemade bath salts: Combine one cup of Epsom salts, 1/4 cup of sea salt, and two or three tablespoons of baking soda.  Your measurements don’t have to be exact.  Mix the ingredients in a bowl.  Add essential oil / aromatherapy as outlined below, if desired.

3 – Fill your jar: Fill the jar and cover with a lid.  Decorate with “extas” as you wish.

Aromatherapy / Essential Oil

For an extra special treat, add essential oil to your homemade bath salts:

Lavender – Add 8 – 10 drops of lavender essential oil to one cup of Epsom salts, one half cup of sea salt, and a 2-4 tablespoons of baking soda.  Add the essential oil a few drops at a time until you are happy with the fragrance.  
Benefits: Lavender is wonderful for relieving nervous tension and pain, disinfecting the scalp and skin, enhancing blood circulation, and treating respiratory problems

Mandarin Orange – Add 6 – 8 drops of mandarin essential oil to one cup of Epsom salts. 
Benefits: Mandarin essential oil has anti septic properties.  It is also improves circulation of blood and lymph and promotes growth of new cells and tissues.

Patchouli - Add 2 – 4 drops of patchouli essential oil to a one cup of Epsom salts.  Add one half up of sea salt.
Benefits: Patchouli has a woodsy smell.  It is known to help people suffering from depression and soothes inflammation, particularly that resulting from fever.  Patchouli also helps to heal cuts and wounds, and it speeds up the fading of their scars.

Eucalyptus: Add 5 – 10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to one half cup Epsom salt and one half cup of coarse kosher salt
Benefits:  Eucalyptus essential oil is terrific for treating respiratory problems such as cold, cough, running nose, sore throat, and nasal congestion.  It also provides relieve from muscle pain and is considered to be cooling and refreshing.

Ideas for decorating your bath salts jars to make them extra special

Coat the lid with glue and lay fabric, wrapping paper, or other colorful paper down, extending over the rim just a little on both sides.

Add ribbon. 

Add a small bow, gluing it in place.

Attach a cheerful label or a card with fun instructions like "A Spa Treatment Just for You!"  You can use cut out pieces from old greeting cards.