Gifting friends, family, co-workers teachers, and others with a jar of your own signature Luxury Hand and Body Cream will definitely put you on the map. It’s a homemade gift you would actually like to receive! It’s that good. And what better time than this weekend to make Christmas gifts? It’s quick and easy!

Not particularly crafty? No worries. If you can assemble, empty, stir and mix well, you’ve got what it takes to make dozens of these gifts start to finish in a single evening. And the best part? About $5.00 per gift, depending on where you buy the ingredients and containers—all of which are readily available in supermarkets, drugstores, and online.

Here’s the routine:

Purchase the specific ingredients
Mix them together
Divide between your choice of small containers
Apply a label or gift tag
Embellish as you desire, and there you go.

Done, and in no time flat!

Ingredients

To make this lovely hand and body cream (or call it lotion) you’ll need 5 ingredients:

1. An 8-oz. tube any fragrance Bath & Body Works Ultra Shea Body Cream. Again, this year, I’m using Bath & Body Works’ fragrance A Thousand Wishes because it is fabulous (packaging seems to vary from one year to the next). Available at Bath & Body Works (in-store or online), also Amazon.

2. Any brand 4-oz. jar Vitamin E cream.

3. Any brand 18-oz. fragrance-free baby lotion

4. Any brand 32-oz. fragrance-free hand lotion

5. One 4.5 oz. tube Vaseline Jelly Cream (or Lotion)

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Electric mixer or hand whisk
a gallon-size zip-type or another plastic bag
Any 6 oz., 4-oz., 2-oz., or other type lotion jars with lids. Small pump bottles work if you can find them in the size you need.

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients

Empty all five containers into a large mixing bowl.

2. Whip it

Using an electric hand mixer or whisk, whip together until well incorporated, about five minutes.

3. Fill a large zip-type bag

Using a rubber spatula or other kitchen utensil, transfer the lotion to the bag. Close the top. Using scissors, snip off a small portion of one of the bottom corners to create a simple “piping” bag.

4. Fill jars or containers of choice

Fill the jars by gently squeezing the bag so the lotion extrudes from the snipped corner. I use these 4-oz. plastic jars in cobalt blue with black lids because they make an elegant presentation.

MORE: Best Creative and Inexpensive Homemade Holiday Gifts!

5. Give your signature lotion a name

Create small labels or tags with your message of choice.

6. Embellish as desired

That’s it. Beautiful, homemade gifts that will be well-received because you have just created a high-quality hand and body cream (or is it lotion?).

Because all of the ingredients except for the shea body cream are unscented, your lotion will have a very light, subtle scent—certainly not overpowering or offensive. Simply lovely.

This recipe as stated, yields about 66 oz. total, or 16 (4-oz.) jars of fine hand and body lotion (or cream, whatever you choose to call it. However, your mileage may vary depending on how long and vigorously you whip the lotion. Be careful to not make it too fluffy. I find that no more than five minutes is ideal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Must I use the exact brands shown?

No, however, the product type is important and approximately the quantity/size shown because the proportions are important. This is not an exact science so if you were to find say fragrance-free hand lotion in 15 oz. size, using two of them (30 oz.) would not adversely affect the outcome, although you would be about 2 oz. shy of total product at the end. That being said, try to locate the sizes shown if at all possible.

Where can I find pretty jars with lids?

You can find all kinds of plastic jars with lids (I wouldn't recommend glass for this project) at Amazon (see links above). Or look in any hobby and craft store like Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Walmart, and so forth.

If I cannot find the products and shown is it OK if some are not fragrance-free?

I would avoid that if at all possible! Mixing fragrances could make for a very odd if not unappealing outcome! But let me be quick to add that I have not tested mixing fragrances at all. You might come up with your own signature blend! Just know going in that a failure might be pricey if you have no choice but to throw it all away. The ingredients are simple to find online, in any supermarket or drugstore, Walmart or Target.

Everyday Cheapskate participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Luxury Homemade Hand and Body Cream

This is the homemade gift you'd actually love to receive! High quality, very lightly scented, and non-greasy!

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Make Your Own

Cuisine: Gifts, How-To

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4-oz.

Cost: Varies

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Electric mixer or whisk
Gallon-size zip-top plastic bag
Any 6 oz., 4-oz., 2-oz., or other type lotion jars with lids. Small pump bottles work if you can find them in the size you need.

Ingredients

8 ounce Tube any fragrance Bath & Body Works Ultra Shea Body Cream.
4 ounce Any brand Vitamin E cream.
18 ounce Any brand fragrance-free baby lotion
32 ounce Any brand fragrance-free hand lotion
4.5 ounce Vaseline Jelly Cream

Instructions

Empty all five containers into a large mixing bowl.
Using an electric hand mixer or whisk, whip together until well incorporated, about 5 minutes.
Fill a large zip-type bag. Using a rubber spatula or other kitchen utensil, transfer the lotion to the bag. Close the top. Using scissors, snip off a small portion of one of the bottom corners to create a simple "piping" bag.
Fill the jars or your containers of choice by gently squeezing the bag so the lotion extrudes from the snipped corner. I use these 4-oz. plastic jars in cobalt blue with black lids because they make an elegant presentation
Give your signature lotion a name then create small labels or tags with your message of choice.
Embellish as desired

Notes

Links for ingredient sources and also a photo tutorial are also in this post.

This recipe as stated, yields about 66 oz. total, or 16 (4-oz.) jars of fine hand and body lotion (or cream, whatever you choose to call it).

Your mileage may vary depending on how long and vigorously you whip the lotion. Be careful to not make it too fluffy. I find that about five minutes is ideal.

Tried this recipe?Mention @EverydayCheapskate or tag #EverydayCheapskate!

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Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Posting Guidelines

Audrey Quick says:

October 9, 2021 at 2:57 pm

On the Bath & Body Works website, Ultra Shea Body Cream comes in many fragrances, but not A Thousand Wishes. So I will have to choose another fragrance.

Mary Hunt says:
October 9, 2021 at 6:18 pm

You could substitute this variation, or yes select another fragrance (they’re all fabulous!)

Homemade lotion says:

October 9, 2021 at 11:33 am

I gave the lotion as gifts a couple Christmas’s ago and it was a big hit…even had people asking for more!
Jeanette J

Mary Hunt says:
October 9, 2021 at 6:20 pm

Isn’t that awesome when our homemade gifts leave our giftees hoping to stay on our gift lists? That’s the best compliment ever.

LeeAnn says:

October 9, 2021 at 7:26 am

Just wondering… you recommend glass jars but the link you gave on Amazon is acrylic. Does it matter?

Mary Hunt says:
October 9, 2021 at 6:21 pm

Makes no difference! Acrylic is ideal for mailing—lighter weight and of course less fragile

Denise Hagen says:

December 13, 2020 at 4:17 pm

I just made a batch of the lotion, using the ingredients in your instructions. I love it! I made it for Christmas gifts for my gal pals. It’s inexpensive to make but works just like a luxe lotion. It was so easy to make too. It’s hard to find a hand made gift that isn’t food. BTW, they have been getting your caramel corn and vanilla recipes as gifts for years. This lotion is another tool in my toolbox. I look forward to your posts everyday. Thanks for the practical inspiration.

rebecca anne cuevas says:

December 9, 2020 at 10:04 am

I have got some of the BEST home made cleaners from you Mary!!!!! Thank you so much

Nora Mejia says:

December 7, 2020 at 11:37 am

Mary you are the best! I read your post every day. unbeknowst to you, i started reading your books and little by little working on getting myself out of debt. I am proud to say I have been on a great journey, financially speaking. I really love your ideas such as making your own lotions which is also financially sound Happy hoilidays to you !!!

Jean Marshall says:

December 7, 2020 at 9:18 am

I have saved the little plastic jars of Almay non-ooily eye make-up remover pads for years. Now I know what to do with them. 🙂

Mary Hunt says:
December 7, 2020 at 10:15 am

Great idea, Jean!

Homemade Body Lotion:A Gift You’d Actually Love to Receive

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients

2. Whip it

3. Fill a large zip-type bag

4. Fill jars or containers of choice

5. Give your signature lotion a name

6. Embellish as desired

Frequently Asked Questions

Must I use the exact brands shown?

Where can I find pretty jars with lids?

If I cannot find the products and shown is it OK if some are not fragrance-free?