Last-Minute So-Easy-a-Guy-Could-Do-It Valentine's Day Gift

Ladies: Thank you for your patience while I walk through this project with the men. You can just skip down to the pictures if you'd like, since I know you're all intuitive enough to figure this out in 4 seconds flat.

No offense to the menfolk out there; I'm just sayin' that I know you last-minute types are super stressed right now and can't imagine taking on a big project for a gift. This will take you less than five minutes. Seriously.

And you have everything already at home. Or if you don't, you can race to the grocery store on your lunch break and get what you need:

• jar

• sugar

• dishwashing liquid

(bonus points for nice-smelling and pink)

I used Ajax's Ruby Red Grapefruit liquid; it makes for a perfect pink for Valentine's Day and it smells AWESOME.

I found this super easy recipe here:

She has lots of awesome ideas and I loved this scrub recipe of hers because it doesn't use oil, which I found to be a bit cloying in other recipes I've used.

Okay, so here's the play by play (like my sports lingo guys?):

1. If you don't have an empty jar, find one in your fridge and clean it out. I know you have at least a jelly jar or one with spaghetti sauce in there. Or, if you're already at the store getting sugar and dish soap, look for canning jars. [Bonus: canning jars come with cute labels you can use. I didn't realize this until I'd already made mine.]


2. Pour about a cup full of sugar into a bowl and then squeeze a dollop of dishwashing liquid in after it.

See how pretty?

Kind of cotton candy pink.

3. Mix the liquid and sugar around until you get a nice consistency, not too dry, not too runny. You do NOT need a lot of dish soap. Start with a small squirt and work your way up. Add more soap or sugar as needed.

4. Dump it in your jar.



5. Add a label. (Guys, you can make one of these at work [I used InDesign] so that all you have to do is slap/glue it on when you get home. Handwritten is fine.) Greenbean had a great idea for decorating the jars, too.



I put contact paper on one side of the label so that it could get wet without ruining it. Then I Mod Podged (Guys, that's craft talk for a product that's similar to white glue) the back of the paper and stuck it on the top of the jar.

The moisture from the Mod Podge discolored the paper a bit, but I actually like the different variegated colors it created.

I made these for women at work, and they all loved it. It's soooo easy! I might just add a drop of food coloring next time and use it for other holidays. St. Patrick's Day scrub, anyone?

So there you have it guys.* Super simple. And cheap.

And your lady won't think it's either one.

Now hurry!

* and lovely ladies who were so nice to click on my link!



P.S. Ladies, feel free to make this for your man. When I was making my batch, my too-cool teenage stepsons came in and tried it out of pure curiosity. They LOVED it!





Linking to: