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5 Tips For A Successful Holiday Season

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5 Tips For A Successful Holiday Season
The fall and winter season bring a host of holiday opportunities for handmade business owners, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, and the New Year. Use these guidelines to plan your inventory needs, holiday marketing calendar, and pricing strategies to ensure you’re prepared to reach new prospects, deepen relationships with existing customers, and finish the year strong. 
Making Sniffy Product Labels

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Making Sniffy Product Labels
In this video, Debbie May teaches us how to make sniffy labels for soap and cosmetics. Often times cosmetic and soap makers wrap their products airtight in shrink wrap or plastic wrap to create a professionally packaged commodity. Unfortunately, the airtight plastic also locks in the product's scent. This makes it challenging for consumers to evaluate the product's scent. One solution to this problem is to create sniffy labels! Watch this video to learn how to make sniffy labels.This video was originally recorded on Facebook Live on 2/16/2018. The sale Debbie May mentions is over.
How to Make Icy Drink Inspired Soaps

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How to Make Icy Drink Inspired Soaps
Drink inspired soaps are a popular trend in the melt and pour soap industry. These soaps typically have multiple layers or embeds that create a multidimensional look that looks good enough to drink! Some of our favorite drink-inspired soaps for summer have “ice cube” embeds to make them look cool and refreshing. Getting the perfect iced look can be difficult, so we decided to perfect the technique. Here are some of our best tips!
Improve Your Business with Gratitude

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Improve Your Business with Gratitude
For entrepreneurs in the gift industry, the winter months can become hectic and stressful. The meaning of the holidays is often lost in the midst of long hours managing order fulfillment and last minute details. As we approach Thanksgiving, we’re reminded of how important it is to count our blessings. Of course you’re grateful for the business, yet it’s easy to lose touch with gratitude and so many other important aspects of living a conscious life.
How to Use Beeswax Furniture Polish

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How to Use Beeswax Furniture Polish
Polishing wood furniture is one of those chores that seems to always come last on the tidying up list. Typically, most people reach for a spray polish to get a little bit of a shine on their furniture and deter dust. While polishes like that work well, they frequently don’t actually condition the wood or help improve the appearance of scratches and water stains.
Donut Lip Balm with NEW Unsweetened Flavor Oils

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Donut Lip Balm with NEW Unsweetened Flavor Oils
Learn how to make lip balm in this video. We create the Donut Lip Balm Recipe and the Coconut Lip Balm Recipe in this video. Both recipes use our new unsweetened flavor oils. We also discuss the new items that are on SALE from Today, August 23 to August 29.
Ingredient Spotlight: Natural Pet Fragrance Oils

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Ingredient Spotlight: Natural Pet Fragrance Oils
The Pet Care Industry is on the rise, with an estimated 75 billion dollars spent in 2019 and almost 73 billion in 2018. In addition this growing trend, the demand for natural products, for humans and animals alike, is also on rapidly growing. Combining both trends by introducing a Natural Pet Care Line could prove to be a promising addition to your product lines this year. So, we have hopped on board with both trends to bring you seven new Natural Pet Fragrance Oils!
If the World Hands You Lemons

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If the World Hands You Lemons
Following this month's citrus theme, I thought I would explore the properties of two compounds common to all citrus plants: citric acid and limonene. Though they come from the same fruits, these two chemicals could not be more different from one another. One is soluble in water, the other isn't. One has a strong taste, the other a strong aroma. One will sequester metal ions, the other will dissolve grease and many adhesives. Two powerful and commercially important chemicals from the same little package of lemony goodness.
Lips Column Silicone Soap Mold Video

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Lips Column Silicone Soap Mold Video
This video showcases our Lips Column Silicone Soap Mold. In this short video, we offer some tips and tricks for using this fun soap making tool. Create embeds for loaf molds with this mold, when the loaf is sliced the lip design will appear in each bar of soap! We love this mold for Valentine's Day soaps as well as for bachelorette party soaps.
Do Scents Really Bring Back Memories?

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Do Scents Really Bring Back Memories?
Scents profoundly influence sensory experiences, intricately linked to memories and emotions. The scent of a flower or the hint of an old perfume can effortlessly take us back in time, eliciting vivid memories and strong feelings. The bond between scents and our memories extends beyond anecdotal evidence and is a significant focus of scientific research. Studies suggest that odors provoke memories more intensely than other senses due to direct connections between the olfactory and limbic systems, which are central to emotion and memory processing. This connection is why a specific aroma can trigger detailed recollections of distant past events. Countless personal accounts highlight how scents bring back memories. For instance, the smell of lilacs might recall summer days spent gardening with family, while the smell of bubblegum could resurrect a comical childhood incident. These olfactory-triggered memories connect deeply personal experiences with broader, relatable emotions. Developing a fragrance encapsulating memories involves selecting scents tied to significant personal or shared events. Creating a bespoke fragrance from essential oils that conjures special moments and incorporating these into handmade gifts like candles or soaps can create profound emotional resonance. Such gifts, laden with scents that trigger memories, help strengthen bonds by recalling shared histories and treasured moments. The olfactory system is crucial for recalling memories. When a scent is detected, olfactory nerves send signals to the brain’s limbic system, stimulating emotional and memory processing. This direct pathway enables aromas to evoke memories and provoke emotional responses spontaneously. The brain can recognize and recall thousands of different scents, each associated with distinct memories and experiences. The human brain can distinguish and recall up to 10,000 different scents, highlighting its profound capacity for olfactory memory. This skill is essential for survival, fostering social bonds, and enriching our emotional landscape.Once you feel inspired, browse our extensive collection of Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils to find your perfect ingredients: Explore our Essential Oils Shop our complete range of Fragrance Oils Whether through personal anecdotes or scientific studies, the power of scent in memory recall is undeniable, enriching our lives with every inhale.
Facebook Live Video Newsletter: Making Salt and Sugar Scrubs with Foaming Bath Whip

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Facebook Live Video Newsletter: Making Salt and Sugar Scrubs with Foaming Bath Whip
Learn how to make sugar scrub and salt scrub with the Crafter's Choice Foaming Bath Whip. Also learn how to make your scrubs thicker and less runny with some tips and tricks. 
DIY Green Tea Candle: How to Make a Refreshing and Natural Candle at Home

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DIY Green Tea Candle: How to Make a Refreshing and Natural Candle at Home
Candles are more than just a source of light; they can completely transform the atmosphere of a space. Making a green tea candle is a fantastic option if you're looking for a refreshing and calming scent. Green tea has long been celebrated for its soothing, stimulating properties, and when used in candles, it can fill your home with a clean, calming aroma. Unlike store-bought candles, a DIY green tea candle allows you to control the ingredients and customize it to your preferences, ensuring you get a high-quality, natural candle free from harmful chemicals. Making your own green tea candle at home is easier than you think. By following this DIY tutorial, you can create a beautiful and fragrant candle that not only looks great but also provides a soothing aroma perfect for relaxation.Ingredients: 1 cup of soy wax flakes (or beeswax) 10-15 drops of green tea essential oil (optional for a more pungent scent) 1 candle wick 1 candle jar or container Double boiler Stirring stick (wooden or metal) Instructions: Prepare the candle jar: Place your candle wick in the center of your chosen jar or container. You can use a wick holder to keep it in place or secure it with a little melted wax at the bottom of the jar. Melt the wax: Melt your soy wax flakes (or beeswax) using a double boiler over low heat. Stir occasionally to ensure the wax melts evenly and doesn’t overheat. Enhance with green tea essential oil: Add 10-15 drops of green tea essential oil to the melted wax mixture for a stronger fragrance. Stir thoroughly to ensure the oil is evenly distributed. Pour the wax: Carefully pour the wax mixture into your prepared candle jar, ensuring the wick remains centered. Allow the candle to cool and harden for several hours or overnight. Trim the wick: Once the wax has fully set, trim the candle wick to about ¼ inch. Your DIY green tea candle is now ready to use! Crafting a green tea candle fills your home with a refreshing scent and adds a personal touch to your decor. Green tea's earthy, fresh scent is known for its calming and stress-relieving properties, making it an excellent option for promoting relaxation in any room. The subtle aroma will remind you of a freshly brewed cup of green tea, helping you unwind after a long day.Plus, using soy wax or beeswax for your candle ensures a clean burn without releasing harmful chemicals, making your green tea candle DIY project eco-friendly and better for your health. Whether you make these candles for yourself or as a thoughtful gift, they will surely be a hit. 1. Can I use any wax for my green tea candle?Yes, while soy wax and beeswax are the most popular choices for a DIY green tea candle, you can also use other natural waxes like coconut wax. These waxes burn cleanly and help the green tea scent disperse effectively.2. How strong will the green tea scent be in the candle?The scent strength will depend on how much green tea essential oil is used. Adding more essential oil will give your candle a more robust green tea fragrance.3. How long will a homemade green tea candle last?The burn time of your green tea candle will depend on the size of the candle jar and the type of wax used. Typically, a small to medium-sized candle made with soy wax will burn for around 30-40 hours.4. Can I customize my green tea candle with other scents?Absolutely! You can experiment with adding other essential oils like lavender, lemon, or jasmine to create a unique scent blend with the green tea aroma.