Category: General Crafts

Recycling Greeting Cards into a Placemat

I have a file drawer jammed full with assorted greeting cards…that have arrived over the last year FREE from assorted charities and organizations. I have enough to send a birthday card, a get-well card, a thinking-of-you card, a thank you card and a card with a pretty picture where I can write my own message…to everyone I know for the rest of my life! And they keep coming! I can hardly wait for the influx of Christmas Cards to arrive.

I was ready to pitch them all until I went to a meeting of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fire Company last week. One of our members mentioned she was almost out of Get-Well cards that she sends to our members and others as needed. Another woman said she uses cards to make placemats. My goodness! I have cards!! So, I came home and cleaned out the drawer.

Mixed in with all the free cards are the ones I have purchased over the years. I try to pick up ones with photographs made by local artists and they are blank inside. I find these at almost every craft show I go to. Some are good to cheer people up; others are low key for folks that are sad. I put these cards back in the drawer.

Now the drawer looks like something I can handle!

Next, I looked up making placemats using greeting cards and found one tutorial that used circles cut from the cards. They were mounted on card stock and laminated with clear Contact paper. So, I headed to WalMart.

I found the card stock in office supplies but couldn’t figure out where to find the sticky clear Contact paper. Office supplies? Nope. Craft supplies? Nope. I finally asked someone. It is with the home furnishing stuff…with the kitchen drainers, etc. Who knew Contact came in all different colors and patterns to use as drawer and shelf liners. Boy am I out of touch!

While I was sorting out cards, I picked out nine Birthday cards that had pictures of flowers. I used a circle template and drew around the flowers I wanted to use.

I cut out the circles and played with the arrangement. One card had a nice rectangular image, so I made that the center.

I used two 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheets of card stock and taped them together (on the back) as my base.

Once I liked the arrangement, I used glue stick to keep them from shifting while I used the Contact paper.

I did the back first. Then I flipped it over and attempted to do the front. No small challenge to get it started. Somehow, it seemed to work in spite of my technique with just a few wrinkles. I trimmed around the edge and I now have a pretty placemat.

I was feeling pretty smug about my success and decided to try another one using pictures from a Greyhound calendar. (Just so you know…being SMUG is dangerous!!)

I ended up having enough pictures to make two placemats, with the larger pictures as my center focus. However, getting the Contact paper to go on smoothly was a real PAIN! It was determined to wrinkle and stick everywhere I didn’t want it to! From a distance, not too bad. Up close they were a wrinkled mess. I think the calendar paper was not as sturdy as the cards so they refused to stay flat. Anyway, I did it. Not sure if I’ll make any more, but I can say I tried!

So, if you are getting free cards in the mail and don’t use them, look for folks who do use them…or try making a placemat! If you have any tips about using clear Contact I could use them!! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Travel Soap that Works!

By now you know that my favorite bar of hand soap is my Aloe Vera soap that I make myself (see https://marykisner.com/a-healing-aloe-vera-soap/). That’s great when I’m mostly washing my hands at home. However, when I go out of town…like I was this past weekend…I really wanted to have my soap with me. I was already taking small sample size soaps with me to give out at the conference, but without a way to use one in the hotel room I was stumped. The bar really needed to sit on something so it could dry between uses.

I did have 2 oz. tin containers about 2″ round that would easily hold the small bar. Then I needed some way to keep it up off the bottom of the container while it dried. I found I had a sheet of plastic canvas grid that is used with yarn to make coasters. I marked off a few 2″ squares and cut them out. Trimming the corners slightly allowed the plastic to just fit in the bottom of the tin. The small bar of soap just fit and enough air could circulate around it so it dried between uses.

The tin was small enough to fit in my cosmetic bag, and I was able to leave it open beside the hotel sink to dry. My hands were very happy!

When I got home, of course I wanted to make more of these to give as gifts. I found several bars of Aloe Very soap that I had made recently. Instead of starting from scratch I decided to remelt these bars and pour them into smaller molds.

Since I had 3-4 bars of two different colors, I melted them separately.

These bars were originally colored with calendula petals. One batch got a little darker than the other.
These bars had originally been colored with a drop of green soap tint.
I added a few extra drops of essential oil, just to refresh the scent…
…and I poured them into small heart-shaped molds.
These plastic grids just fit into the tins.
First, I wrapped each soap in plastic wrap to keep it dry until I gave it someone. Then I dropped the plastic grid piece into the tin. With a label on the back of the tin it’s ready to be a gift!

My solution for a travel soap worked great!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Difference Between Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils

Essential Oils

Many of the projects I’m working with now include at least one essential oil. These oils impart a subtle scent to the products I’m making with added benefits like being soothing to the skin, or especially healing to damaged skin. Many essentials oils can be taken internally or can be used in aromatherapy.

Essential oils are extracted from different parts of a plant, such as flowers, stems or roots, usually through the process of steam distillation and are not cut with a type of carrier oil. Essential oils are difficult to reproduce synthetically since they can be made up of 50-500 different naturally occurring chemicals found in the plant. Many of these chemicals have not even been identified.

Most of the oils I use are essential oils. With a few exceptions, my products are meant to be soothing or healing to the skin…whether human or canine! For example, my lotion bars and soaps often include Lavender and Manuka Essential oils.

The Flea and Tick repellent includes Lemongrass, Eucalyptus, Rose Geranium and Lavender essential oils. This mixture needs to be safe for the dog’s skin.

Oils used in the flea and tick repellent.

Fragrance oils

Fragrance oils are created in a laboratory. One of the main benefits of using these oils is that they are are non-volatile and the scent generally lasts longer than essential oils. However, they don’t provide the same health benefits as essential oils. They are designed purely for the purpose of mimicking a scent. Fragrance oils are problematic because these synthetic compounds are drying and irritating to the skin and can cause many other health problems. These compounds are hard to get away from as they’re found in most commercially offered cleaning products, room fresheners, personal care products, laundry soap, baby diapers, toilet paper, food, drinks, candy, toys and so on! If you have allergies, you have already learned how to read the fine print on products you buy.

A benefit of fragrance oils is their cost! They cost about half as much as the essential oils. Taking advantage of their long-lasting scent, I use fragrance oils in a few products. In my air-dry clay air freshener, I’ve found the essential oil lasts about a day. The fragrance oil will last for several weeks. In an air freshener, the scent is what matters to me.

Before I realized the cost difference, I used Citronella essential oil in my beeswax candles. I could have saved some money with the fragrance oil…although I don’t know if that scent would still repel mosquitos or if it’s something in the components of the oil that is given off when the candle is burned. We’ll see this summer!

Read Labels Carefully!

I can see it would have been very tempting to use a Lavender Fragrance Oil instead of Lavender Essential Oil in my products, since I use so much of it, but I think I would not have been able to say my products are good for your skin. However, they might have had a nice strong scent of Lavender for a longer time.

Read labels carefully on the products you buy. If it is supposed to be soothing to your skin, make sure it says Essential Oil! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly if you have questions, at marykisner@comcast.net.

Natural Bug Repellent for Dogs

All my work with essential oils has been geared for human use. I’ve been asked if this salve or that lotion can be used on their dogs and cats for their skin issues. (At the end of this post is an article from a veterinarian about which essential oils are safe for dogs and cats. This helped me a lot in choosing which oils would be safe in my spray.)

Today was my “chemistry experiment” day…where I experimented with making a Flea and Tick Repellent for dogs (but not cats). Here are two books I just got that have lots of recipe ideas.

The recipe I’m using today came from a website on the internet. Most of the recipes are pretty similar, with water, essential oils and something that serves as an emulsifier to disperse the oils in water.

Forgot to add the 1/4 teaspoon of Polysorbate 20 to the recipe. It was the emulsifier.

Last week I prepared to make this spray by ordering the 8 oz. spray bottles, the Lavender Hydrosol (basically lavender-infused water) and Rose Geranium essential oil. I already had the other oils. Then it was recommended I include an “emulsifier” to help the various essential oils disperse in the water. So, I ordered the Polysorbate 20.

I chose 8 oz. spray bottles because I was planning to give these to several folks that would test it for me.

I did not have enough Lavender Hydrosol to use only that instead of plain water, so I portioned it out so each spray bottle had 2 ounces. It smells really good!

Since the total amount of drops of essential oils measured to about 1/4 teaspoon, I added 1/4 teaspoon of the Polysorbate 20 that would help disperse the oils in water.

Then I filled the bottle the rest of the way with filtered tap water, screwed on the spray top and shook it up. Looks like the oil is dispersed just fine!

This spray is just for dogs. My research into which essential oils are safe showed that this will work for dogs, but NOT for cats. See the information below:

What Veterinarians Say About Essential Oils

I’d like to share what various veterinarians have recommended for which essential oils are safe for dogs and cats. There are many long lists of essential oils that are BAD for your pets. It’s easier to show you the list of oils that are SAFE for your dogs and cats.

This list came from Dr. Maranda Elswick, who is a licensed Veterinarian in Florida and Virginia:

Essential Oils Safe for Dogs include:

Cedarwood oil, Chamomile oil, Citrus oils (including lemon oil and orange oil), Eucalyptus oil, Fennel oil, Frankincense oil, Helichrysum oil, Lavender oil, Lemongrass oil, Certain mint oils (peppermint, spearmint), and Rose oil.

Essential Oils Safe for Cats include:

Chamomile oil, Jasmine oil, Lavender oil, and Rose oil.

So you can see, it matters what your pets are exposed to.

If you find your dogs or cats are experiencing mild respiratory irritation after inhaling an essential oil, move them to an area with fresh air.

If an essential oil causes irritations after contact with your pet’s skin or fur, wash the area with a pet-safe dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn.

If your dog or cat ingests an essential oil, consult with your veterinarian or poison control center immediately. Do NOT induce vomiting.

Good advice from Dr. Elswick!

I will make sure that the label on the final spray bottle will say NOT FOR CATS! I may also print out the list of safety warnings above on how to help your dog or cat if they have a reaction to this spray.

That was my chemistry experiment of the day! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly if you have questions at marykisner@comcast.net.

A Dog Shampoo for Fleas and Ticks

Now that I’ve fallen in love with making my own soap and learning about the uses of essential oils in skin care products, why not think about making a shampoo bar for dogs that would help with fleas and ticks? While I don’t have a dog to care for, my greyhound connection is always giving me great ideas about products I could make.

Usually, I start collecting ideas by going to Pinterest. That always gives me ideas about what other folks have tried. Lots of folks have dog shampoo bars for sale or recipes to make your own. They are “all natural” and “safe” and cute!

I guess a dog’s needs are becoming just as important as they are to their owners. The chemicals in commonly used treatments for fleas and ticks are pretty strong and frequently systemic.

“Give your dog this pill and fleas and ticks will die if they bite your dog.”

“Put this chemically-laced collar on your dog and the chemicals will be absorbed into their skin…and the fleas and ticks will die if they bite your dog.”

Then dog owners are faced with the side effects of the chemicals…skin irritation, vomiting or even respiratory problems. Just like with people, sometimes the side effects of a treatment are not worth it!

Basically, you want to remove the fleas and ticks before they bite your dog. Any soap and water will do the trick. Often Dawn dish washing liquid is used as the base for a liquid shampoo. Shampoo bars start with simple soap bases, like Goats Milk or Shea Butter soap bases. Then essential oils can be added that naturally repel fleas and ticks.

CAUTION: Do not apply essential oils directly to the skin. Essential oils are extremely potent and can cause irritation, itchiness, redness and other side effects when applied undiluted. Always use a neutral, plant-based oil that is safe for the skin (like coconut oil, sweet almond oil or jojoba oil) to dilute essential oils before applying them to your pet’s skin.

Just as burning a Citronella candle will keep mosquitos away, essential oils like Lemongrass, Eucalyptus and Neem oil have strong scents and will serve the same purpose.

The scent of Lavender oil naturally repels fleas and ticks, making it unlikely that any will burrow into your animal’s fur. It also prevents tick eggs from hatching, so if they did make it onto your dog’s skin, they would not be able to reproduce and would quickly die off. Lavender oil is extremely soothing and has antibacterial properties to help prevent infection.

Fleas hate the scent of Lemongrass oil and will generally stay away from it. The active ingredients, citral and geraniol, are natural repellents.

Cedarwood oil, Rosemary oil, Clove oil and Manuka oil are some of the others that are effective.

Basically, you can mix 5-10 drops of these oils to your dog’s regular shampoo and it will keep the pests away. In a solid shampoo bar, the oils are added after the soap mixture is melted and before pouring the mixture into molds.

You can also mix the oil with water and make a spray for your dog’s coat or pet bed. Adding essential oil to a diffuser is another great way to debug your house.

I made up a simple batch of a dog shampoo bar with Goats Milk and Shea Butter soap bases, Vitamin E oil (for a preservative), and Lemongrass, Lavender and Manuka essential oils. Amounts of each are still being tested with a pet groomer.

Now we’ll wait and see if the bars are the right size and shape for the groomer to use. My experiment of the day! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

From a Collection to a Collage

Profile of an Artist: Toni Duchi

Today I’d like to tell you about a very talented and artistic friend of mine: Toni Duchi. She also happens to be my connection to Nittany Greyhounds and has been a friend for over 30 years.

While she has many creative talents, I think her current endeavors in making mixed media pieces (also called Assemblage Art) have produced some stunning pieces. I call them collages, which is defined as…an artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface. Let me share an example of one she made specifically for me.

The Collection

Two years ago, Bert and I drove across the country to visit Ted’s family in California. We planned our trip to go through many National Parks along the way. As we traveled, I tried to NOT collect tacky t-shirts that I would never again. Instead, I picked up some books about the parks we were visiting and a few postcards that did the views justice. I did take a lot of pictures, but nothing was as good as the professionally done ones that got chosen to be on a postcard. At gift shops there were some tiny medallions representing each park, and even some polished rocks from the Petrified Forest. I wasn’t sure what I would do with these things, but they fit in my suitcase!

Books and pamphlets.
Postcards
Rocks and shells

When I got home, I had a pile of stuff (called a collection) that was fun to look at, but eventually ended up sitting on a shelf.

Making a Collage with my Collection

Finally, I begged for help. Toni told me to choose a section of the country or part of the trip that had special meaning to me. It was obvious most of the stuff I had saved was from the Southwest; the landscape was so different from what I saw here in Pennsylvania.

I picked out an assortment of items from postcards, medallions, rocks, fossils and a Native American symbol (the metal hand below):

Part of my collection

I handed this stuff over and had no idea what she would create with it. Several weeks later, this is what she brought me!

My collage of the Southwest.

This shadow box collage is 12 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches. It beautifully represents my memories of the Southwest. The postcards became the background and the three-dimensional pieces built up the scene. She added a few pieces of driftwood she had on hand to pull it all together. Amazing!!!

This now sits on my desk and I’m reminded every day of the places we visited. The guide books are nearby if I want to read more. I still have more postcards and rocks leftover of the many other places we visited, but his collage pulls together a whole host of memories.

With all the various projects I enjoy doing, designing scenes like this is NOT one of my talents. Thank you, Toni!

A Second Request for Toni

I recently had another design dilemma that Toni helped me with. I was working on a new wall hanging for my living room. It will be a sampler quilt wall hanging using new colors for the room…silver and burgundy. Here are the blocks laid out on the floor to show the colors:

These quilt will have burgundy inside borders between the blocks.

I showed these blocks to Toni and asked if she’d make me something to go on the wall by the front door. Using her talents with polymer clay, she made me a framed collage made of individual tiles in silver and burgundy. Here are some pictures!

This piece is 16 1/2″ by 20 1/2″.
A close-up of the saying and the tiles. The pattern on each separate tile has been pressed into the clay.

Amazing! I will treasure this picture forever! Thank you, Friend!

If you’d like to see more of Toni’s work, her store on Etsy is called the PaisleyArtStudio. Her work often has tiny hidden greyhounds or inspirational sayings added to the collage. I really appreciate her ability to visualize and create such stunning works of art! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net. Thanks!

Healing Lotion Bars with Manuka Essential Oil

A lotion bar is a convenient way to have hand lotion nearby. They are easy to make, easy to carry in your purse or briefcase and safe to put in your carry-on luggage without worry about restrictions on liquids.

I’ve been making lotion bars for several years and I was interested in making them not only convenient but also healing for your hands. I tried to incorporate Manuka honey into the mix, but it doesn’t incorporate easily and I couldn’t add enough to make a difference. I tried using Aloe Vera gel, but that posed a similar problem. The heavy gel would sink to the bottom of my mix and the last bar I poured was big glop of Aloe Vera gel! Very frustrating!

I often start with Calendula-infused olive oil (see my post from April 7, 2021) and calendula has healing properties of its own, but I have a few folks that can’t use that herb. Lavender also has healing properties so I decided to use that.

About Manuka Essential Oil

Then I discovered Manuka Essential Oil was on the market. This essential oil has been found to have many of the same healing benefits of Manuka honey, and does not have the issue of being a bee product. The oil is made through steam distillation of the leaves, branches and other parts of the tree…no bees involved! That’s good, because folks who are very allergic to bee stings could also be triggered by honey and other bee products.

Manuka essential oil, like Tea Tree oil, possesses antifungal and anti bacterial properties. Unlike Tea Tree oil, Manuka oil is non-toxic and non-irritating. It is 20-30 times more active that Tea Tree oil against certain bacteria and more effective against strains of fungi and viruses. It is safe and soothes symptoms of itching skin, rashes and exzema.

Essential oils also do well when added to hot oil/wax mixtures. A small amount can make a difference. Now I had a better way to enhance the healing properties of my lotion bars.

(Please note: Do not use Manuka Essential Oil directly on your skin…always mix it with a little carrier oil like almond or olive oil.)

First Make Lavender-infused Olive Oil

Most lotion bars start with a good olive oil infused with herbs. Instead of using dried calendula flowers, I decided to use dried lavender buds. This would be better for some folks.

Infusing olive oil with lavender is the same process I used to infuse calendula (see the recipe below). I basically did the quicker method.

I started with a 1-quart canning jar and used about 2 cups of lavender flower buds. I simmered the oil/flower mixture for about 6 hours. Once I strained the flower buds out of the oil, I had about 2 cups of oil. I stored this oil in the refrigerator until I was ready to make these lotion bars.

Making the Lotion Bars

Now that I had the oil prepared, I was ready to make the lotion bars. Here’s the recipe:

You can see, the recipe is the same whether you are making Calendula-or Lavender-infused oil. The rest of the ingredients are shown below.

I measured and/or weighed out the ingredients into a glass heat-proof measuring cup, set the cup into a saucepan with water and slowly brought the water just to a boil. Then I reduced the heat until everything melted.

After removing it from the heat, I mixed in the Vitamin E (which acts as a preservative), the Lavender essential oil and the Manuka essential oil.

I poured the now clear, hot mixture into molds. This time I chose the paw print mold.

Your choice of mold will depend on what you plan to put them in and how many you want to make…the smaller the mold, the more you make. These bars do need a container of some kind. To take up less space they could be dropped into a zip lock bag, but the tins really are easier. I used 2 oz. tins with a clear window in the lid. I put a sticker/label on the back so folks know what it is (you may laugh, but I also make small soaps like this and it pays to label everything). When the bars are cool, I like to wrap them individually in clear plastic wrap so they look nice until I give them away!

When I package them, I include a card with the ingredients. On the back I’ve pasted a paragraph describing how to use them. The card says they will melt at temperatures above 75 degrees, but while they may soften, I haven’t found that to be a problem.

Now I’m ready to have lunch with some high school friends! Maybe they’ll agree to test these lotion bars! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Simple Guest Soaps for Gifts

I’m in production mode today to make enough tiny guest soaps for a future greyhound event. I’m pretty sure I have enough molds to do it all at once, but I always have an extra mold ready just in case.

I decided to use plain goat’s milk soap base, since it seems to work for most everybody and did not need extra ingredients. The point of these soaps is the shape of the soaps…dog bones and paw prints!

Here’s the recipe:

I started with 3 pounds of soap base so I could do a double batch.

I chopped up the soap into 1″ cubes (approximately!) and piled them into two 4-cup glass measuring cups. This made 1 1/2 pounds of soap in each cup.

I set the cups into water in saucepans and brought the water to a boil. I turned the temperature down so the water would just simmer.

When the soap was all melted, I added the soap tint, the biodegradable glitter and the lemon essential oil. The glitter just gives the soap a little sparkle!

I poured the soap into the silicone molds. No need to be too exacting…it is hard to pour into these tiny cavities. The extra dribbles just lift off easily. I use a spray of alcohol at the end to disperse any bubbles that form on the surface of the soap.

And my double batch turned out OK!

Finally, I’ll package the soaps up with about three in a cellophane bag. I always make up a card to go with each item I make that includes a list of ingredients…you never know what folks may be allergic to!

This batch did not take too long…most of the time is spent watching the soap melt! Clean up with soap projects is so easy, compared to dealing with beeswax crafts. It just washes away!

You can buy goat’s milk soap base at craft stores and Amazon. Silicone molds can often be found with the candy making supplies. Have fun!

Comment here or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net. Enjoy!

Beeswax Citronella Candles

Getting ready for summer bug season? A citronella candle is always handy on the patio as the weather warms up. I figured with all the DIY ingredients I have here, it should be easy as pie. NOT! The directions to make these candles in a canning jar came from a website I read almost every day, (https://joybileefarm.com), and it didn’t sound too hard.

I collected some small canning jars meant for jam and a pound of beeswax. I had ordered citronella essential oil and the special wick anticipating this project.

From the website directions, apparently the size of the wick is important: “Beeswax is a hard wax with a melting point of 145 to 147 degrees. The wick needs to maintain the flame long enough for a pool of wax to form. This pool of wax feeds the candle flame and ensures that the candle stays lit. It’s the citronella essential oil vaporizing in that pool of wax that keeps the mosquitoes away.”

Here is my version of the recipe:

I collected the ingredients and my equipment.

First, I poured the beeswax into the measuring cup and put it into the saucepan with water. I brought the water to a boil and reduced the heat to keep it simmering.

Then, I attempted to get the wicks stuck to the bottom of the jars. The wicks were stiff with wax so I didn’t think this would be hard. HA! How to stick a small piece of metal the bottom of a glass jar so it would stay stuck while I poured hot wax around it?? I was sure glue wouldn’t work and the beeswax had not melted enough yet to dip it into the wax. So, I improvised!

I reached for my small piece of BlueStik, a reusable adhesive putty, that I’ve used to stick all kinds of things, like the back corner of a hanging picture so it sticks to the wall and doesn’t hang crooked. A tiny piece on the bottom of the metal base of the wick and it stuck just fine to the bottom of the jar.

Now, this whole business of using two sticks and a bobby pin to support the top of the wick so it stays straight up while I pour the wax, was a challenge.

It really did work once I figured it out. After pouring the wax, I could move the bobby pin down to the sticks so it held the wick straight. It really was coordination issue for me. It might have helped if the sticks were squared off instead of round…maybe pencils could work?

Anyway, I did all this while I was watching the wax melt. I’ve never tried melting that much beeswax at one time. In the future, a metal pitcher dedicated to melting beeswax would be better. Then it could just be stored without having to clean out the container when I was done. I did notice they were for sale on Amazon, of course!

Let me tell you, it took over an hour to melt a pound of beeswax! I had to add water to the saucepan before it was done. The last little bit of wax looked like a lone iceberg, smaller on top, more under the surface.

Then I added the citronella essential oil. WHEW…what a strong smell! (I guess that’s the point.)

I poured the wax into the jars, filling them about an inch from the top. I reserved a small amount of wax and kept it warm in the hot water on the stove.

Then I waited 10-15 minutes as the candle cooled and watched for any cracking. I topped each candle with a little more wax and walked away. I did not want to bump the table and dislodge the wicks. Several hours later the jars were still warm. By the next day, I could trim the wicks to 1/2 inch and put on the lids.

I now have five VERY fragrant citronella candles for the patio.

What did I learn?

Citronella essential oil is a VERY strong scent. By the time the candles were poured the whole house smelled of citronella and my stomach was unsettled. I had to find a way to counteract the smell.

Soooo…I made a batch of microwave popcorn! That was a much better smell!

I’m not sure I will ever make these candles again…or any poured candles for that matter. I think I would have to invest in a dedicated pitcher to hold the wax and figure out a better way to keep the wicks straight while they cooled. However, that BlueStik putty worked great! I think I’ll keep some on hand!

Please leave a comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net! Enjoy!

Make your own Dog Paw Balm & Protection Wax

Is your dog having trouble with his (or her, of course) paws in the winter with salt on the sidewalks? Is he biting or chewing on his paws like they itch…especially after a walk around the block in the spring? Taking care of your dog’s paws is an important part of being a dog owner. While this is true no matter what breed of dog you have, the greyhounds that are newly re-homed are not used to walking on gravel, salt or ice. They may be especially bothered with exposure to lawn care chemicals. Their feet are like our bare feet in the spring…remember how tender your feet are after a winter of protective shoes and boots. At any time in our lives, our dog’s feet could be affected by changing weather conditions, chemicals around them and their own changing health issues.

There are quite a few salves available on the market, from the simplest DIY recipe from the American Kennel Club to very expensive salves with Hemp oil in them and everything in between. I’d like to think we would have choices to find the one that works for our dog and is affordable.

In general, ingredients in these salves include oils (like olive oil, coconut oil and almond oil), shea butter and waxes (like beeswax, carnauba wax and paraffin wax). In addition, Vitamin E oil helps healing and serves as a preservative for the mixture. Essential oils like Lavender or Rosemary can also help with healing. I’m not sure the dogs care about the smell one way or the other but it can’t hurt.

The recipe I’ll share with you is very similar to the DIY recipe suggested by the American Kennel Club.

Here is the recipe I’ve used:

As you can see, I started with the calendula-infused oil I made recently (see the article, “Making Calendula-infused Oil…” published on April 8, 2021).

I kept the oil in the refrigerator until I needed it. The shea butter, beeswax and carnauba wax can be ordered from Amazon. The food-grade carnauba wax will leave a thin shiny coating that will help protect the paw pads from ice, salt or lawn chemicals.

This recipe begins with the glass measuring cup and saucepan with boiling water. Measure out your oil, shea butter, beeswax and carnauba wax into the measuring cup and set it in the saucepan of water. Bring the water to a boil and let it simmer until all the oil and wax is melted.

Remove the cup from the saucepan and stir in the Vitamin E oil and the Lavender essential oil.

Pour the melted ingredients into your holders. I first tried one ounce jars and then realized if I were trying to apply this balm to a dog’s paws, the jar would not be a convenient way to store and access it. Using these mini deodorant holders seemed like a much better idea. Even lip balm tubes would be easier to apply the balm. These are not too expensive from Amazon.

Allow the wax to cool completely before capping to prevent condensation from forming on the inside of the lids.

And my last step is always making a card to go with the item that lists the ingredients, with information on the back about how to apply it.

Take good care of your pets and they’ll have happy, healthy feet!

Please leave a comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net! Enjoy!