Instead of buying cheap, mass-produced gewgaws to give out this season, show your loved ones you care with a little DIY. During Grist’s 12 days of DIY gifts, we’ll share some crafty projects, with instructions that even we can follow. There’s sure to be a whatsit or wowsit for everyone.

Do it yourself: Solid Perfume or Cologne + Bonus Beard Conditioner

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Tired of gross, chemical-y perfumes with dumb names at outrageous prices? Try making your own solid fragrance. (Pro-tip: This is a great way to manipulate your significant other into smelling exactly how you want them to smell.)

Things you will need

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  • 1 tablespoon beeswax
  • 1 tablespoon jojoba oil or almond oil
  • 40-50 drops of essential oil — you can wing it, or you can get fancy and check out a list of the best combinations
  • a small tin or container for the perfume — some fun ideas for this include vintage pillboxes, decorative tins, and lockets

Heat up the jojoba or almond oil along with the beeswax, until everything melts together.

1

Heat up the jojoba or almond oil along with the beeswax, until everything melts together.

Remove from heat, add the essential oils, and stir.

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2

Remove from heat, add the essential oils, and stir.

Pour the mixture into a container and let cool.

3

Pour the mixture into a container and let cool.

The finished perfume

Bonus: Now you can also make beard conditioner!!!! You probably have noticed that beards are all the rage these days, so you almost certainly know someone with one.

Bonus: Now you can also make beard conditioner!!!! You probably have noticed that beards are all the rage these days, so you almost certainly know someone with one.

beard1

To make this, follow the same directions used to make the perfume, but skip the beeswax and hold back on the fragrance — for an ounce of base oil (we recommend jojoba for this) you will only need five to 20 drops of your favorite woodsy scent, such as cedar, pine, rosemary, sage, or sandalwood.

beard2

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