‘Tis the season for giving and if you’re like us, finding the time to shop, bake and make gifts, or simply relax is daunting. Bath Bombs to the rescue! It takes less than a day to create these decadent, pampering gifts and you’ll find most of the ingredients right in your kitchen pantry. Best of all, this fun DIY project makes enough to spoil those on your gift list as well as you.

ONE FOR TEACHER, ONE FOR YOU

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You can go solo or have a make-your-own-bath-bomb party. Any way you choose, your whole house will smell amazing while making these gifts. Follow the recipe faithfully, down to the last measure of liquid. We used 70mm clear plastic ball ornaments which can easily be found on Amazon.

Bath bombs, isolated on the white background

As is, the recipe makes two substantially sized bath bombs (one bomb is all you need for bathing in a master suite garden tub). To make more gifts and save time, simply triple, quadruple, etc. the ingredients. You can always use smaller plastic ornaments, too.

STEP ONE: ASSEMBLE THE INGREDIENTS

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4 oz. baking soda
2 oz. corn starch
2 oz. citric acidhttp://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=maknicinthemi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007ZYXPJM 
2 oz. Epsom salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons water (be careful not to add too much!)
1 teaspoon essential oilhttp://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=abeames04-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005IHJ556 (lemon, lavender, rosemary, etc.)
1 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil (warm to liquefy)
1-2 drops food coloring (optional)
Plastic ornaments (for molding the bath bombs)

STEP TWO: MIX THE INGREDIENTS

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  1. In a bowl combine baking soda, corn starch, citric acid and Epsom salt
  2. Whisk gently to combine ingredients
  3. Put water, essential oil, coconut oil and 1-3 drops food coloring in a covered jar and shake to mix
  4. Very slowly drizzle the liquid mixture into the dry mixture, use a whisk to combine
  5. When it’s mixed, squeeze a handful to see if it holds its shape
  6. You can add a drop or two more water, but be careful—too much will cause air bubbles to form
  7. Add food coloring (unless you prefer the bath bomb to be all white). For a two-toned look, separate your mixture into two bowls and add a few drops of color to one bowl, then different drops of color to the second bowl.

STEP THREE: MOLD THE BATH BOMBS

Fill each half of the ball ornament mold with the mixture until it's slightly overflowing. If creating a two-tone bath bomb, fill each half with a different colored mixture. Press both halves of the mold together. After 10 minutes, remove one half of the plastic mold. 

Bath Bombs

Place the bath bomb on a tray, with the molded side on the bottom, and let them air dry for up to 8 hours or overnight. Once completely dried, gently turn the plastic mold side over to release the bath bomb.

Wrap your freshly made bath bombs in tissue paper, or put in gift bags and tie with a ribbon to share with friends. Gift yourself too, by displaying them in a pretty bowl in the master bathroom. Keep in mind really humid air causes them to fizzle, so if you love long, steamy showers or live in a humid climate, it’s best to put the bath bombs in a sealed jar until ready to use.

We’d love to hear how yours turn out. Leave us a comment or post a picture on our FaceBook page.