Unwind With DIY Rose Petal Bath Salts

Once your beautiful bouquet of roses starts to lose its freshness, put the petals to good use with this spa-tastic DIY. Just mix them together with Epsom salts and soothing powdered milk. These rose petal bath salts make a really special homemade gift or a wonderful and relaxing present for yourself. Bonus: this luxurious soother costs hardly anything to make.

What You'll Need:

• 1 cup dried rose petals
• Rose water or rose essential oil (optional)
• 1 cup Epsom salts
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• 2/3 cup powdered milk
• Glass sealable container

Directions:

1. Start by removing the petals from the roses. We found that around four flowers provide enough petals for this DIY. If you have more roses, use them to make this easy homemade potpourri. You can spritz the roses with rose water or add a few drops of rose essential oil, which elevates the floral scent, or simply allow the petals to dry overnight as they are.

2. Measure and mix together the Epsom salts, baking soda, and powdered milk in a small bowl, making sure to break up any clumps. Epsom salts naturally soothe sore muscles and helps detoxify the body. Baking soda and powdered milk work together to soften skin. And when mixed with the dried rose petals, everything works together to create a seriously relaxing bath.

3. Once the petals are dry, crumble them into small pieces. Begin layering the ingredients together in a glass sealable jar, starting with the Epsom salts mixture and then the bits of rose petals. Continue until your container is full. The longer the bath salts mingle together in the container, the stronger the scent.

4. Simply add a big scoop of the finished bath salts to your next hot soak for instant stress relief. Or wrap the container with a cute ribbon and gift it to a special someone. They'll love you for it.

 Makes 2 cups of rose petal bath salts.

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How to Put Lights in a Wine Bottle

An LED light string can transform that fancy bottle of wine from a special occasion into a lasting (and useful!) memento. Use these bottle lights to brighten up any dark corner, as a night light or as festive decor around the holidays. The trick to recycling a glass bottle into a glowing light is by drilling a hole near the base of the bottle large enough to thread a small string of lights through. With a few specific tools, this can be a simple undertaking.

 by Tim & Mary Vidra

Things You'll Need

• Battery operated LED light string, 10 feet long*
• Glass bottles
• Razor scraper
• Adhesive remover
• Diamond hole saw, 5/8-inches
• Power drill
• Tape (duct or painters tape)
• Protective gloves
• Safety glasses
• Dremel & 120-grit sanding band
• Chopstick (optional)

A short string of LED lights, about 55 lights and 10 feet of cord, will perfectly fill a standard glass wine bottle. LED lights stay cool to the touch, preventing the hazard of hot glass. Using a battery operated light string allows you to place the bottle light anywhere, regardless of nearby outlet access.

Step 1
Prepare the bottle by removing any paper labels from the glass. To lift the paper, a razor scraper is a favorite method for quickly removing labels. Use an adhesive remover to wipe away any remaining adhesive left on the bottle, and then clean the glass with warm soapy water. Allow to fully dry before moving on to the next step.

Step 2
Apply a 2-inch piece of duct or painter’s tape on the back of the bottle just above the base. Doing so helps provide a visual place marker for drilling and keeps the bit steady while first drilling into the glass.

Step 3
Wearing gloves and protective eyewear, drill a hole into the glass. Place the diamond hole saw on a 45-degree angle against the tape and begin drilling to get a first bite into the glass. Transition into a 90-degree angle flat against the glass and continue drilling all the way through the bottle, letting the bit do the work.

Step 4
Remove the tape from the glass bottle, and then use a Dremel with a 120-grit sanding band to smooth away any sharp edges around the freshly drilled hole.

Tip
Using a Dremel and sanding band allows for detailed and quick sanding all the way through the hole. Sandpaper sheets will work in place of a Dremel and sanding band if you don’t have one.

Step 5
Rinse the bottle to clean away any residue from drilling and sanding, then allow the bottle to fully dry before moving on the next step.

Step 6
Thread the LED string lights through the hole in the glass, filling them in until the last light before the battery pack has been tucked inside. Use a chopstick to help guide portions of the light bundle into the glass neck, which will help provide some visual variance once the lights are turned on.

Step 7
Turn on the battery pack to test the lights, and continue to reshape or tweak the interior bundle for your desired look.

Step 8
Arrange and display the bottle (or group of bottles) to help illuminate a small space, dark corner or to provide a festive touch around the holidays.

(Images: Image by Tim & Mary Vidra)

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