This DIY was inspired by a product I came across at Anthropologie that used dried blooms in a hair and body oil, and when I saw it I thought I would try making my own DIY version using the oils and fragrances I love. I love using oils as a moisturizer, and there was even a time when my skin care regimen consisted only of raw organic honey as a cleanser and coconut oil as a moisturizer. Now that I am older and wrinklier, I have since added many more steps to my skin care routine but I still love using oils as a hair and body moisturizer. I have tried many throughout the years including high end ones like L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil and Josie Maran Argan oil, and others from Whole Foods like jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, etc. I combined all the oils I really love, and this DIY is so easy and great because you can customize it however you like! It also looks really lovely on your vanity, and smells and feels so luxurious.

DIY: Floral Hair and Body Oil (www.withmichellekim.com)

I wanted to make these oils as Christmas gifts for all the women in my life, so I knew I would need supplies in large quantities. I still wanted to maintain quality, so I tried to use mostly organic oils and use the oils that I personally love using. This blend is really wonderful and I am very happy with it, but you can definitely customize it however you please. If the color is important to you and you want to achieve a clearer color, I would recommend coconut oil and sweet almond oil as those oils are more clear and less yellow. If you do use a good percentage of coconut oil, the oil will smell faintly of coconut but I found that the coconut smell fades and the perfume scent lingers.

My oil blend:

Additional materials:

dried rose buds (I bought mine in bulk!)
dried jasmine flowers
perfume oils (I got these and this)
clear boston round bottles with white droppers

I prefer having a dropper when using oils, so I ordered 4 oz. boston round bottles with white droppers here and 2 oz. boston round bottles with white droppers here. Oils are usually packaged in dark bottles as to avoid photo-oxidation (when the oil goes bad from being exposed to UV light), so it is very important to store these bottles in a place where it will not be exposed to direct sunlight.

I used a funnel to fill the bottles, which was a little messy! I think a large pipette would have maybe been a better method.

You can leave the bottles as is, but I wanted to make labels so the recipient would know the perfume scent in addition to the ingredients used. I printed them out on white card stock, cut them out, sealed it and adhered it to the bottle using M od Podge (satin finish). So easy and it makes a big difference!

My little army of oils! I'm excited to give these out as Christmas gifts, and I hope all the ladies in my life will love them as much as I do!

The Bridesmaid Season is a series I've been thinking about for some time, after having had the pleasure of being a bridesmaid four times (and counting!). It is a wonderful honor but it also comes with a bit of pressure - you want to create a memorable season for your bride and throw her a bomb bridal shower and bachelorette party. But as we know, anything wedding related can be costly and the costs can add up quickly. If you do have a tight budget - don't worry! You will just have to be a little creative and put in the time to DIY!

I wanted to share some of my ideas and the projects I have done in the past, targeted specifically to those bridesmaids that are willing to DIY but don't know where to start. I hope some of you find some inspiration from this series!

The Bridesmaid Season: DIY Flower Crown Veil (www.withmichellekim.com)

When I was thinking of ideas for my bestie's bachelorette party, I wanted her to wear something for her bachelorette weekend that was NOT the typical sash or tiara - she is not really a tiara kind of girl. Flower crowns are nothing new to the wedding game (our bride-to-be had worn a flower crown at her bridal shower that we had made using real flowers), but I thought this would be unique for her bachelorette weekend and be more suited to her style. I made her bachelorette flower crown using faux flowers so that it would survive the weekend, and also added a lace and ribbon veil to make it more festive. We were in Vegas for her bachelorette party and she definitely stood out from all the other brides-to-be, and she got compliments all weekend long!

This project is super easy, budget-friendly, and only takes about 30 minutes. There are hundreds of flower crown tutorials online, this is the way I make mine!

Supplies needed:

ribbon (I bought my ribbon at Michael's and lace ribbon here and here)
glue gun
wire (I used 22 gauge)
faux flowers
wire cutter
floral tape

I bought 3 different sized white flowers - make sure the flowers you pick aren't too big! I made the mistake of using huge white flowers the first time I made this, and although it had pretty sweet Lana Del Ray vibes, it was very heavy and I felt bad for the bride-to-be (sorry Crystal)! Don't make that mistake!

Cut your flowers using the wire cutters leaving about 1-2 inches of stem. If the flower head can pull off from the stem, do so.
Use the glue gun to reinforce the flower head to the stem by adding glue to the tip of the stem and pushing the flower head back on. This will lesson the chances of the flower heads popping off - you want the crown to be durable enough to withstand all of the dancing and whatever other activities may be happening that weekend.
Measure the size of your head with the wire. Go over the wire again, twisting as you go. If you aren't sure about the size for your bride, err on the larger side. When it is finished, you can always adjust it to make it smaller but you can't make it larger!
Pick 3 of your largest flowers, this will be your focal point. You can have the focal point be in the center or to the side, whichever you prefer!
Affix the flower to the wire using the floral tape. Try to get as close to the flower head as possible, and pull the floral tape tight as you wrap around the stem and down the wire.
After attaching your focal point flowers, start adding flowers on either side, switching sides as you go to maintain some symmetry. The flowers should get smaller and more spaced out as you make your way around the crown.
Leave a few inches at the back of the crown for your veil, and wrap the remaining wire in floral tape so the wire is completely hidden.
Cut your ribbon so that it is around 8 feet long. Tie the ribbon to the crown, once it is tied the ribbon will hang at approx. 4 feet. The more variety of ribbon, the better!

And that's it! How easy was that. Simple and quick, and I love that the bride can enjoy this as a keepsake.

The Bridesmaid Season: DIY Flower Crown (www.withmichellekim.com)

Happy DIY-ing!