I feel like I’m finally recovered after pregnancy and delivery. Brynna is sleeping well. I’m not starting every day exhausted.
That said, I’m starting to tackle my extra-long “to-do” list. It’s amazing how quickly that builds up!
Things like rearranging the furniture in the living room, organizing some cupboards, and cleaning the porches. Now that I have energy again, those tasks the perfect projects to take on.
This morning after school, Sydney and I worked on making chapstick. It’s a super simple project that I just haven’t felt up to for a while. But we’ve been out for a while, and today was the day!
We gathered our supplies (affiliate links):
Supplies for Making Chapstick
-A quart jar
-A plastic measuring cup
-A small saucepan and spoon that we save especially for these kinds of projects
–Slip Tip Syringe
–Shea Butter
–Cocoa Butter
–Beeswax Pellets
-Coconut oil (I find Costco has the best prices)
-Essential oils (I love Plant Therapy
Sydney enjoyed taking the caps off the tubes for me.
The Process
First we measured ingredients into the quart jar. 1/2 cup of coconut oil, and 1/4 cup each of beeswax, cocoa butter, and Shea butter.
Then we started water boiling in the saucepan and put the jar into it. This makeshift double burner keeps everything from burning while it melts. Super simple! The beeswax takes the longest to melt.
We kept stirring until everything melted.
Once off the heat, it was time for Sydney’s favorite part. She loves adding the essential oils. She picked peppermint and orange for this batch, so we created orange-mint chapstick.
Once the oil is stirred in, it’s time for the hardest part of making chapstick. The actual filling of the tubes. I’ve found that a 10 cc non-needled syringe works best. I believe this is called a slip-tip.
Each tube holds approximately 1 teaspoon of the hot liquid, so a 10-cc syringe will fill two tubes completely. You have to work quickly, as it’ll turn solid soon.
A word of caution
Chapstick tubes can act like dominoes. Be careful if you knock one over. That might trigger a chain reaction. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything! 🙂
Our batch filled 25 tubes. It would have filled about 30, but I lost some in my domino effect.
We now have enough chap stick to last about six months. Possibly longer if the kids don’t lose theirs!
The supplies I bought will last for several batches, making it a worthwhile investment!
Have you tried making chapstick? Do you have a favorite scent?
