Ten of My Favorite DIY/Homemade Products

There are a few things that I love to make on my own for my home rather than buying at the store. They’re all really simple products that have just become second nature for me to make.

It can be overwhelming when thinking about making your own homemade products rather than picking them up at the store, but these are some that take a minimal amount of time (some less than 5 minutes!) and are easy and fun for me to make.

So, in no particular order…here are ten of my favorite homemade products to make:

Homemade Dryer Sheets from Live Renewed
Time required: <5 minutes. I wrote notes to myself on the baby wipes container that I store them in which makes it super quick and easy for me to replenish my stock whenever I run out.

The first time you make them might take a little extra time if you are cutting up old receiving blankets to use as your dryer sheets, but even that didn’t take very long at all!

I use Ecover Ecological Fabric Softener.

Sugar Scrub from A Delightful Home
Time required: 5 minutes. I love making sugar scrubs for gifts and for my own enjoyment! They are so quick and easy to make and such a treat to use.

My two favorites are Lemon Lime Sugar Scrub and Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub. I recommend picking up a copy of Stacy’s ebook Simple Scrubs to Make and Give so you can find your own favorite scrub recipe!

Elderberry Echinacea Syrup from Crunchy Betty
Time required: It only takes about 5 minutes to throw all the ingredients together, but then you let it simmer on the stove for about 45 minutes.

I mainly make this syrup throughout the Fall and Winter months to keep our immunity up during cold and flu season, and my kids love it. It’s one of our favorite cold and flu season immunity boosters.

Deodorant from Keeper of the Home
Time required: 10-15 minutes. This recipe takes a little longer than some others I’ve seen since it includes beeswax and needs to be heated on the stove, but I think it glides on smoother.

The homemade deodorant I first used only takes a couple minutes to mix up, and the recipe can be found on Passionate Homemaking.

I’ve been making my own deodorant for over a year now, but recently have been experiencing some irritation so I’m trying to figure out the problem. I think it may be due to the baking soda or due to using cornstarch instead of arrowroot, so I’m going to make some changes and maybe add in some more soothing ingredients, like shea butter or infuse my coconut oil with calendula. And I’m definitely going to make sure to use arrowroot in my next batch. Hopefully I’ll come up with the perfect combination, and will be sure to share it here when I do.

Vanilla Extract from Joy the Baker
Time required: 5 minutes or less. BUT…then you have to let it sit for 2 months, so make sure to plan ahead. I think this also makes the perfect gift, but you definitely have to get it going a couple months before you want to gift it.

Kudzu Apple Juice from Keeper of the Home
Time required: 10-15 minutes. My kids love this and it’s my go-to when they have colds. It helps reduce cold symptoms and provides nutrition, so it’s perfect when kids are not wanting to eat because they’re not feeling well. I’m always looking for ways to get lots of liquids into my kids when they’re sick, and this is a great way to do it!

I buy my Kudzu Root Powder from Mountain Rose Herbs. Find it here.

Homemade Vapo-Rub
Time required: <5 minutes. I always have some of this mixed up, especially during cold season. I rub it on the bottoms of my kid’s feet and chests when they are congested or have coughs, and it really cuts down on their coughing.

Linen/Room Spray from A Delightful Home
Time required: <5 minutes. I have several bottles of these sprays mixed up and stashed around the house. I use a lavender spray on my pillows and sheets before going to bed at night, and I use a citrus scented spray to freshen up the house when it’s needed (like after a diaper change!)

Apple Cider Vinegar Toner for Acne from Crunchy Betty.
Time required: <5 minutes. This one’s for my husband. He loves this stuff! I use an old container from some store bought toner he used years ago and I marked the amounts on it to save myself time when I’m making it and so I don’t have to look up the recipe every time I make it.

Applesauce
Time required: 15-20 minutes to prep. And then it cooks in the crockpot for 4 hours. During the Fall I make this at least once a week. It’s so easy and a great staple to have on hand, especially if you have kids!

These are just some of the many things I enjoy making in my home. For more, check out Emily’s guest post from earlier this year with tons of ideas!

Do you make any of your own homemade products? What are some of your favorites to make?

Shared at Nature’s Nurture, Your Green Resource, Whole Foods Wednesday, Adorned from Above, Simply Natural Saturdays, Eat Make Grow Blog Hop, and Frugally Sustainable.

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