Kits for Crafts
I was brainstorming gift ideas, for the anti-consumerist Christmas I plan on making a tradition of … besides, y’know, 12 papier mâchè ash trays lovingly crafted from mulchy copies of the New York Times … when I stumbled upon this online retailer that supplies kits for making your own natural skin- and home-care products. While ostensibly for children, Kits for Crafts has a certain all-ages whimsy and sophistication, as evidenced in its attention to detail and presentation. Already I can tell you, from my hours and hours of experience stalking the aisles of natural food stores and generally bugging out the staff, that the ingredients would cost significantly less if purchased on your own—you can find tons of recipes online or from books—and then packaged with materials gleaned through serendipity or ingenuity. (The hub, who knows me so well, stumbled upon a yard sale the owner of our local tea shop held last week, and secured, for a song, a few bail-handled canning jars that used to house tea leaves—too perfect!)
Still, the site has scores of wonderful packaging ideas, along with ingredients, bottles, jars, and bags à la carte should you desire them. And you can always plonk down a nice chunk of change for the kits if you have more greenbacks than patience. Best of all, however, is the site’s free (yessiree, FREE) Making Labels section, where, once you register your e-mail address, you can download and print pre-designed TOOCUTEFORWORDS labels and embellishments (including those paper outfits above) you can slap on your own fabulous creations.
