As a farm educator at Crooked Pines, I’m always looking for new ways to connect our community with the magic of rural living. One of my favorite activities is sharing DIY projects that celebrate our abundant harvests and showcase the bounty of nature. Today, I’m excited to dive into the world of handmade candles and natural skin care products – two fantastic crafts that allow you to bring the farm straight into your home.
Handmade Candles
Whether you’re seeking a cozy ambiance or hoping to infuse your space with soothing aromas, homemade candles make a wonderful addition to any farmhouse. The process is surprisingly simple, and you can customize the fragrances, colors, and vessels to match your unique style.
Soy Wax Candles
Soy wax is a renewable, biodegradable alternative to traditional paraffin. It burns cleanly, without releasing harmful toxins, and the finished candles have a smooth, creamy appearance. To make soy candles, you’ll need soy wax flakes, cotton wicks, essential oils (for scent), and containers like mason jars or tins. Start by melting the wax, then carefully pour it into your chosen vessels, leaving room at the top for the wick. Once the wax has hardened, trim the wick, adding a sprinkle of dried botanicals for a rustic touch.
Beeswax Candles
If you’re lucky enough to have your own beehives, or access to a local beekeeper, consider crafting beeswax candles. Beeswax has a natural honey-like scent and a higher melting point than soy, resulting in a longer-lasting flame. The candle-making process is similar to soy, but you’ll need to work quickly, as beeswax hardens faster. Consider adding dried herbs, edible flowers, or citrus zest to create visually stunning candle designs.
Scented Candle Blends
Experimenting with essential oil combinations is half the fun of making candles! Try earthy, grounding scents like cedarwood, vetiver, and patchouli for a cozy, cabin-inspired ambiance. For a refreshing, uplifting vibe, blend peppermint, eucalyptus, and lemon. And for a romantic, floral touch, mix rose, ylang-ylang, and jasmine.
Natural Skin Care Products
Beyond candles, the farm provides endless inspiration for crafting your own nourishing skin care items. From creamy lotions to invigorating scrubs, these homemade treasures allow you to control the ingredients and customize the formulas to your unique skin type.
Moisturizing Lotions
Harness the hydrating properties of shea butter, coconut oil, and aloe vera to create lush, creamy lotions. Incorporate soothing herbs like calendula, chamomile, or lavender for an extra dose of skin-loving benefits. For extra nourishment, add a few drops of precious rosehip seed oil or sea buckthorn oil.
Exfoliating Scrubs
Gently slough away dull, dry skin with a homemade sugar or salt scrub. Combine your chosen exfoliant with moisturizing oils, like olive, jojoba, or sweet almond, and enhance the blend with gentle clays or ground oats. Don’t forget to infuse the mixture with aromatic herbs and spices, like vanilla, cinnamon, or ginger.
Nourishing Face Masks
Treat your complexion to a dose of deep hydration with a luxurious clay-based face mask. Start with a bentonite or kaolin clay base, then add nourishing honey, yogurt, or aloe vera for extra skin-soothing benefits. Elevate the mask further by incorporating soothing chamomile, brightening turmeric, or clarifying activated charcoal.
Sustainable Farming Practices
Of course, no farm-inspired crafts would be complete without a nod to the sustainable growing practices that make our bounty possible. At Crooked Pines, we’re committed to nurturing the land through organic cultivation, ethical animal husbandry, and a deep reverence for the natural world.
Organic Crop Cultivation
Our permaculture-inspired gardens are brimming with a diverse array of heirloom vegetables, fragrant herbs, and vibrant flowers. We rely on biodynamic gardening techniques, such as companion planting and mulching, to enrich the soil and promote the health of our pollinators. This holistic approach allows us to cultivate an abundant, resilient harvest without the use of harsh chemicals or pesticides.
Ethical Animal Husbandry
In addition to our lush gardens, Crooked Pines is home to a small herd of pasture-raised livestock. Our heritage breed pigs, chickens, and goats enjoy a life of freedom, roaming the fields and basking in the sunshine. When the time comes, we process our animals with the utmost care and respect, using humane slaughter methods that prioritize their wellbeing.
Herbal Remedies and Tinctures
As a farm educator, I’m passionate about sharing the healing power of plants. From soothing herbal teas to nourishing skin salves, the abundance of our medicinal herb garden provides the foundation for a wide range of natural remedies.
Medicinal Herb Gardening
In our gardens, you’ll find an array of antioxidant-rich herbs, like echinacea, tulsi, and ginger, alongside calming favorites like chamomile, lemon balm, and passionflower. We carefully cultivate these plants using organic methods, ensuring their potency and purity.
Traditional Salves and Balms
One of my personal favorites is our Herbal Healing Salve, a beeswax-based ointment infused with the soothing properties of calendula, plantain, and comfrey. This versatile balm helps to nourish, soothe, and protect the skin, making it a staple in our family’s natural first-aid kit.
Community Supported Agriculture
At the heart of Crooked Pines Farm lies our deep commitment to community. We believe in fostering connections between growers and eaters, celebrating the seasonal rhythms of our region, and inspiring the next generation of farm stewards.
Farm-to-Table Initiatives
Throughout the year, we invite our neighbors to join us at the local farmer’s market or to become members of our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. These initiatives allow us to share the abundance of our harvests while forging meaningful relationships with the people who nourish our bodies and souls.
Educational Farm Workshops
Beyond our produce and products, we also offer a variety of hands-on educational workshops for all ages. From preserving the harvest to experimenting with natural dyes, these interactive sessions invite our community to immerse themselves in the joys of farm life. By sparking curiosity and cultivating hands-on learning, we hope to inspire the next generation of farm stewards.
As you can see, the creative possibilities on the farm are truly endless. Whether you’re drawn to the warm glow of handcrafted candles or the skin-nourishing properties of homemade lotions, I encourage you to dive in and let your imagination run wild. After all, the best part of farm life is celebrating the abundance of nature – one craft, one harvest, one memory at a time.
