HANDMADE, WITH LOVE // mother’s day gifts

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I rarely have the chance to take a proper luxurious soak in the bath, so when I do get the opportunity I make the VERY most of it.

I’m talking once that door is closed no one is allowed in. The rules are very simple: there shall be no questions shouted through the door, demands for food are to be met by the other half, and arguments defused on their own.

Meanwhile, in my watery sanctum, I have a treatment on my hair, a mask on my face, and a scented candle flickering on the windowsill. I grab the iPad, sink back into my perfumed bubbles, and for the next hour the outside world ceases to exist.

That little bit of precious me-time helps me recharge and cope with whatever the week has in store. Which is why, when thinking of special Mother’s Day crafts to make for this weekend, I finally decided on homemade bath bombs – a little bit of escape and indulgence in an otherwise hectic schedule.

I had originally planned to make them completely from scratch, but then I discovered that HOBBYCRAFT had collaborated with crafting queen Kirstie Allsop to produce a range of do-it-yourself kits; everything from candle making, to glass painting, to bath bombs.

I decided on the rose package, which included all the ingredients you need: citric acid, baking powder, cornflower, dried rose petals, rose fragrance and heart-shaped moulds.

After sifting the dry ingredients and combing them with my hands, I added the rose essence to a little spray bottle, with a few drops of some orange oil I already had at home (orange is known to be a calming fragrance). Next, I sprayed the liquid on to the powder, bit by bit, until the mixture had a crumbly texture, but firmly held together when I squeezed it into shape.

I sprinkled a couple of rose petals into the bottom of the mould, then pressed the bath bomb mixture firmly on top. With a gentle tap it came free, set in a lovely heart shape.

I left the bath bombs to dry and harden up a bit, then wrapped them in a cellophane gift bag.

Last year I went on a modern calligraphy course, so instead of a generic store-bought card I hand wrote one of my favourite quotes to accompany my Mother’s Day gift: ‘A mother’s hug lasts long after she lets go…’.

Then I remembered I had a small rose-gold art frame that I’d been meaning to do something with for ages. It almost perfectly matched the pink & gold ribbon I was using, so I filled it with the calligraphy quote instead to make a pretty keepsake.

What do you think of my indulgent Mother’s Day gift?