Her website Costal Essence offers a number of recipes for making everything from bath bombs and soaps, to lotions, lip balm, and even glitter gel. But in her opinion, Christmas craft-making is a kid activity too. Roze has used decoupage to make cards, wrapping paper and boxes. Roze says that when she made decoupage boxes with her niece, they glued pictures onto a small, sturdy, cardboard box and lid. Then, using a sponge brush, they painted decoupage over the pictures, box and lid.
Decoupage provides a tough coating that dries hard and clear.
Roze says that the boxes make great gifts for children to give to their friends. In Burlington, Ont., a hand-made gift from a mother to her children every year has become a cherished tradition in Linda Hewines's home. She has made Christmas ornaments for each of her girls, now 19 and 21, every Christmas of their lives. The trail of tree decorations is documented, because she writes each girl's name and the date on the back of each ornament. One of the ornaments was created from the palate-curdling combination of 1 cup of cinnamon powder, cup of smooth applesauce and 2 tablespoons of white glue.