A flat of 12 brand new Mason jars made their way into my life recently, which not surprisingly coincided with a rise in the household rate of quick pickling and craft projects. This wealth of jars seemed like the perfect excuse to make little “just because” gifts for the other editors at work. We always assist one another with story edits and other projects, so it was a small way to show my appreciation. As a bath enthusiast, I personally enjoy receiving the gift of bath salts, so I whipped up a batch for my coworkers. If you keep the ingredients and supplies on hand, this is the sort of present that is perfect as a last-minute hostess, birthday, housewarming or Christmas gift.
Typically, I like to keep a small cache of little gifts like this in a drawer or closet, so if I’m busy or caught unprepared, I don’t have to show up empty-handed (Pro-tip: Also keep curling and fabric ribbon [twine and raffia are rustic alternatives], bags, tissue paper and gift tags handy to add special touches). For the move to New Orleans from Texas, I pared down and have lately been rebuilding my stash.
When on my game however, the gift drawer is supplied with yummy-smelling bath and body products, stationery goods, copies of favorite books, gourmet coffee and fine candy and chocolates. Stocking up on goodies when they are on sale or while traveling is an easy way to build and maintain your reserve. Pretty little pieces of costume jewelry, picture frames and candles are tried-and-true staples. For your friends who like miniatures, tuck airplane-sized versions of favorite liquors into gifts bags and larger gifts.
To make the bath salts, I simply mixed together (in a non-reactive bowl) about two cups of Epsom salts with 15 (or so) drops of essential oil (I used energizing eucalyptus for some of the salts and calming lavender for the rest). Once filled, I tied each jar with hemp twine from the art supply store, attached a sprig of either eucalyptus or lavender and labeled each one with the sweetest jar-shaped, wooden tags I’ve ever seen that I scored at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft.
The bath salts were a hit and have officially shot to the top of my gift drawer supply list. It was the best part of my day watching the other editors smile as I gave each of them their gift.
Now, if I can just stop eating my chocolate supplies, the gift drawer will be in good shape for the holidays.
Do you keep a stash of presents? If so, what are your go-to gifts?
