Mother’s Day Gifts

By Marie Latta

Bath Salts

You will need: 1 cup Epsom salts, several drops each of food coloring and cologne, a clean, pretty bottle (like a French dressing bottle), or box you have decorated.

Pour Epsom salts into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle food coloring on top and stir until well mixed. Add cologne or if you have a spray bottle, give it a good squirt. Stir salts thoroughly, pour into decorated bottle or box.

Bath Powder

You will need: newspaper, 1 1/2 cups cornstarch, spray cologne, a pretty box, and a powder puff.

Spread newspaper on a table and pour cornstarch onto it. Spray lightly with cologne and mix well with your fingers. Spray lightly again, then let mixture dry five minutes. Carefully pour powder into container.

Decorative Gift Boxes

Containers with an original design for bath salts and bath powder can be made from an empty box and cookies. Choose a sturdy tin, wood, or cardboard box or even a glass bottle. Then select cookies with an impressed design/pattern or unusual shapes to decorate outside of the container. Decide on the colors you wish to use, spray paint container and cookies, and let dry. Glue cookies to container. After cookies have dried, carefully pour in bath salts or powder and then tie with a ribbon for a gift.

Illustrated by Pat Hoggan