From gratitude journals and DIY lip scrubs to homemade scented soaps, you can create and personalize your very own self-love experience with a DIY self-care kit! Taking the time to make one yourself is an excellent way to compile the things that are most important to you. Reduce stress and increase joy by making time for you with these tips for creating a self-care box.

What is a DIY Self-Care Kit?

A DIY self-care kit is a box filled with comforting items and activities that help you relax, feel good, and find peace on an otherwise busy day. Making your own self-care box is a great way to practice patience and kindness towards yourself — even if it’s only for a few minutes each day. Practicing self-love can help boost your physical health, improve your emotional health, and even make you a better caregiver.

Things to Put in a Self Care Kit

While your self-care kit will be unique to you, there are a few broad categories that you might want to include. However, these are just self-care box ideas — feel free to add whatever you find most nourishing to your own mind, body, and spirit.

Bath and Beauty Items

Because the physical impacts of stress and overwork are often the ones we notice first, including things that reduce and alleviate physical ailments can pave the way for a calmer state of mind. Get comfortable with cozy slippers and a luxuriously soft robe to set the scene for a few hours of self-care.

You might want to include some DIY bath bombs or a DIY foot soak in your kit to relieve muscle pain and sore feet. If your skin is what suffers most when you’re under stress, consider including a soothing face mask, a DIY sugar scrub, or a DIY lip scrub to restore a healthy glow.

Calming Food and Drink

Another self-care idea: letting yourself indulge in your favorite foods and drinks. Include your most beloved bar of chocolate or bottle of wine, and enjoy these luxuries without guilt. Maybe you favor hot chocolate, gourmet coffee, or a relaxing herbal tea. No matter your preference, including a little something for your tastebuds can go a long way toward restoring a more joyful you.

Mindfulness Aids

Including items in your self-care box to restore and heal your body is a key first step toward physical relaxation. But don’t forget to add things that can help you maintain that newfound calm by restoring your mind and spirit. Sensory items, such as your favorite scented candle, a white noise machine, or a playlist of relaxing songs, can set the stage for a calmer mental state.

If you find solace in the written word, include a journal and some colorful pens to capture the things you’re grateful for on paper. A great book is also an excellent item to include, as it can provide a mental escape from daily worries.

Get Calm at Painting with a Twist

Loving yourself doesn’t end with a DIY self-care kit. Make time for you by joining a Zen Collection Painting with a Twist event at your local studio for an enriching and relaxing experience. We’ll provide the supplies, music, and calming atmosphere. All you need to bring is yourself and some stellar positive energy!

Spring is the time for new beginnings — and there’s no better way to begin anew than by finding yourself a new hobby! You don’t have to invest loads of time or money in finding something you love. In fact, some of the best hobbies to pick up this spring are inexpensive (or even free!). Check out these low-commitment spring hobbies you can enjoy on any budget.

Fun Spring Activities to Try

Container Gardening

Gardening is one of the best activities to do in the spring season! But if you don’t have a backyard for a massive garden or the time to care for one, that doesn’t mean you can’t test out your green thumb.

Container gardens are an easy way to grow herbs, vegetables, or flowers in a small space — like an apartment balcony or your front porch. Peppers, tomatoes, and cooking herbs are a great place to start if you want to grow your own food. Try your luck at starting plants from seeds or purchase plants that have already sprouted to increase your chances of success.

Reading

Maybe you were a reader as a kid but haven’t taken the time to read for pleasure lately. Or, perhaps you’ve never been a bookworm, but you want to learn a new skill or broaden your horizons. Either way, reading can be one of the best hobbies to pick up any time of year! A library card is usually free (or very cheap). Grab a book, find a local park with plenty of sunshine, and get lost in a storyline!

Knitting or Crochet

With the weather warming up, we’ll admit that making sweaters isn’t the first thing on anyone’s mind right now. But who says yarn crafting can’t be on your list of fun spring activities? Look at it this way — if you learn to knit now, you’ll have the rest of the year to make some awesome holiday gifts for your loved ones. For around $10, you can pick up yarn and needles from a local craft store, then consult YouTube for tutorials on how to get started.

Yoga

We’ve all been there — winter has taken its toll on your mental health, and now you’re ready to venture out for some fun springtime activities. Yoga fits the bill! With free yoga videos from resources like Yoga with Adriene, you can try yoga without having to drop serious cash on studio classes. No mat? No problem. Just use a towel or a carpeted floor, and get your zen on. Better yet, take your practice outside and enjoy the mood-lifting spring air! Or combine relaxation techniques with painting at a Painting with a Twist Zen Event!

Painting at Painting with a Twist!

Spring has so much to offer in the way of bright colors and lovely sunshine. Sure, you could take up photography to capture the beauty of the changing seasons, but that can get pricey. Instead, try putting your spin on a springtime scene with paint and a canvas!

For much less than the cost of a fancy camera, capture some springtime magic and make memories at a painting event. At Painting with a Twist, we’ll provide all the supplies you need and even give you step-by-step instructions during your painting event, so there’s no pressure when picking up your paintbrush — or your new hobby! Relax and enjoy the spring vibes with friends and some wine at a painting event near you.

Halloween and festive decorations practically go hand-in-hand. And while macaroni art bats and construction paper pumpkins might seem a bit juvenile nowadays, there’s no reason why you can’t still get into the arts and crafts spirit! This fall, try these easy and fun Halloween arts and crafts ideas to get you into the spooky mood!

Jack-O-Lantern String Art Sign

If you’re looking for cute Halloween arts and crafts to decorate a festive entryway table or hang on a wall, this jack-o-lantern sign is ideal. It looks intricate, but it should be easy enough for the most novice DIY-er!

Grab a piece of wood – the size is dependent on how big you want your sign to be – and paint it a bright Halloween orange. Lightly draw or trace a jack-o-lantern face onto your board and hammer nails along your outline. Finally, take black string and wrap it around the nails, crisscrossing it sporadically across nails to fill in the jack-o-lantern’s features. Knot the string to secure it, and trim any extra. This is an excellent craft for adults, or you can handle the hammering and let your kiddos do the painting and stringing!

Spooky Luminaries

Your home will look delightfully creepy this Halloween with these spooky luminaries flickering on your table!

Collect and clean a few glass jars (pasta jars, pickle jars, whatever you have handy!) and spray them with shimmery and translucent spray paint in your favorite Halloween color. Then, use a black paint pen to draw a scary design on the outside, like a graveyard, haunted house, or jack-o-lantern. Make sure to color your image in with your paint pen. After allowing your jars to dry overnight, pop a tea candle into your jar to light up your Halloween design with an eerie glow.

One-of-a-Kind Halloween-Themed Paintings

Not in the mood to brainstorm and prep Halloween arts and crafts ideas? Let Painting with a Twist plan everything for you! Whether you’re an experienced painter or you’ve never touched a paintbrush, you can create a Halloween masterpiece at a themed Painting with a Twist event!

At our studio, a professional will guide you through your painting, from pumpkins to witch hats to the creepiest of characters, all while you socialize and sip on your favorite adult beverages. We even host themed Trivia Nights – get into the Halloween spirit by showing off your knowledge of fictional wizards or your favorite trio of sister witches.

Foam Tombstones

Foam tombstones are perfect outdoor décor to spookify your front lawn! Pick up some large pieces of foam for cheap at your local craft store, and sketch your tombstone outlines. Using a standard kitchen bread knife, cut your tombstone shapes out of the foam.

Once you have your “stones,” you can either carve your inscription into the foam with a small paring knife or take the easier route and simply paint the words on as the finishing step later on. To make your foam tombstones look like real stone, layer coats of black, gray, and white spray paint, allowing your foam to dry between each one. Finally, add your inscription if you chose not to carve it, stick skewers into the bottom, and place your decorative tombstones in your yard.

Fallen Leaf Ghosts

The best DIY Halloween decorations for kids have two things in common: they are simple, and they don’t require too many supplies! These leaf ghosts certainly fit the bill.

Have your little ones gather some fallen (and decently sturdy) leaves in the yard or on a nature walk. Have them paint the front and back with opaque white paint, and add two little eyes with a black Sharpie. Stick the leaf ghosts to your windows, put them in a basket as a centerpiece, or string them up on a garland for an almost-effortless Halloween decoration!

Are you ready to take your arts and crafts night to a new level? Head to a Painting with a Twist near you for a Halloween-themed painting event! We’ll have all the painting supplies you’ll need set up and ready for you when you arrive. Just bring your friends and your spookiest cocktail concoctions, and you’re ready for an art-tastic night of Halloween fun!

The party has been planned for months and now no one can make it. Rather than canceling it altogether, make the most of technology by hosting a virtual celebration! Digital get-togethers are trending right now, so hop on board and make the most of your upcoming celebration with these virtual party ideas.

How to Host a Virtual Party

Before hosting a virtual party, it’s important to figure out how to have a virtual party with little-to-no technical challenges. A little preparation and mindfulness of virtual etiquette can go a long way when planning your online party.

Send an online invitation.

There’s a distinct difference between hosting a virtual happy hour with your friends and inviting people to a formal celebration, such as a virtual bridal shower or birthday party. Planning — and attending — an online celebration requires a little more preparation than an informal digital get-together. When you send an online invitation, make sure to include a link to the online video conferencing platform you will use and instructions on how to connect.

Include your contact information — and be ready to help troubleshoot.

For the technology-challenged, provide your phone number and offer to help troubleshoot connectivity issues prior to the party.

Remind folks of anything they need to prepare for ahead of time.

If you’d like your guest of honor to receive gifts before the party, include registry information and the best address where guests may send gifts. And if your guests need to prepare anything for the party, send multiple reminders weeks and days in advance.

Give attendees a day-of reminder to attend.

Digital events can be easily forgotten! On the day of the party, remind guests a few hours ahead of time when and how to join the celebration. Be sure to email and text!

Fun Virtual Party Themes for Any Celebration

Make your celebration memorable with a unique party theme or activity that makes guests feel connected, despite celebrating from afar. Here are some suggestions to help you plan the virtual party of the year!

Host an online fancy dinner party.

This is one dinner party where the menu doesn’t matter! Ask guests to dress to the nines and join you for a fancy dinner party at their respective homes. Guests can prep their meal ahead of time, and when the party starts, the host can kick things off with a toast before diving into the meal. If you want to add an extra layer of fun — and your guests are up for it — you can ask guests to prep a three-course meal (appetizer cheez-its, main course pizza, and ice cream for dessert absolutely count). As the night progresses, the host can announce when it’s time to move onto the next course. Remember, the key is to dress up, have fun, and not get wrapped up in the logistics of what’s on the menu.

If you’re celebrating a special someone, make sure to recognize that person in toasts and take turns sharing birthday/graduation/marriage advice.

Fun for graduation and adult birthday parties!

Get creative with a virtual paint party!

There’s an inner artist in each of us. So for your upcoming online celebration, help your guests tune into their inner artist and host an at-home paint party! Whether you’re looking for virtual birthday party ideas or a unique way to celebrate a bride-to-be, Painting With a Twist’s Virtual Live Painting Parties are easy to implement and a meaningful way to connect with party-goers.

Here’s how it works: as the host, you’ll order paint kits to be delivered to each guest’s home in advance. (Sidenote: if you’re hosting a children’s birthday party, there are painting options for children, too!) On the day of the party, you’ll walk through the step-by-step instructions included in the kit. Some kits even come with a video tutorial for extra assistance! Once all steps are completed, everyone will have a masterpiece they’ve created all on their own!

Ideal for bachelorette parties, birthday parties for children and adults, and bridal showers!

Organize a craft cocktail show and tell.

Aperol spritz, anyone? Get ready for an evening of fancy sips when you host a DIY cocktail party! Ask guests to take turns teaching everyone how to prepare their drink of choice. Make sure your attendees have enough time to gather the supplies they need for craft cocktail night.

Once everyone has a turn to demonstrate their cocktail mixture, you can polish off the evening with virtual party games!

Ideal for bachelorette parties and adult birthdays!

Invite guests to a cake decorating challenge.

Whether you’re celebrating a mom-to-be or hosting a virtual bridal shower, get everyone to commemorate the guest of honor by decorating a cake at home! During the online party, guests will have approximately 30 minutes to decorate a cake. Creativity and unique decorating supplies are highly encouraged. To up the ante, the host can provide a theme for the cake-off. For example, a fun bridal shower cake theme may be the couple’s honeymoon destination.

While this party requires zero cake decorating experience, guests do need to prep a little before the party begins. When sending out online invitations, make sure to include preparation instructions so guests are prepared the day of the virtual party.

Ask guests to:

1. Pre-bake or order a pre-made cake from the grocery store.
2. Collect decoration supplies. Encourage folks to get creative with what they have at home — no need to buy professional cake decorations. Suggested supply list: icing, sprinkles, craft supplies, toys or figurines, flowers.
3. Set up their computer or phone in a place where other virtual attendees can see them decorating the cake.

The guest of honor will be touched by everyone’s effort to make their day extra special. Plus, everyone ends up with their very own cake! What’s sweeter than that?

Great for baby showers, bridal showers, co-ed baby or bridal showers, and birthday parties!

Take your virtual party outside for a patio picnic.

Whether you’re celebrating the graduate or hosting a birthday for dad, a virtual patio picnic is a wonderful way to celebrate. Ask party attendees to set up lunch or an afternoon appetizer outside, along with their computer, before they join the party.

As the host, you can dress up your outdoor space a bit for the honorary guest with some simple streamers and balloons. The simple decorations will make the party feel a little more festive! Finally, make sure to have some activities planned for the picnic: trivia, pictionary, charades, and bingo are all easy, family-friendly games that can be played virtually. Some interactive games can help break the ice and give everyone hilarious entertainment.

Fun for graduation parties and baby showers!

A little social distancing doesn’t have to spoil the fun! Connect with your loved ones online and add in a few of these creative tips to really get the party going. And if you’re really looking to bring the party, host your celebration with one of our Twist at Home virtual live events! We’ll help you and your guests get the materials you need to create your very own masterpieces all while staying comfortable at home.

Do you constantly feel like you’re juggling a thousand things and one misstep would make everything come crashing down? Yep, we’ve all been there. With the 24/7 demands of today’s world, it’s important to have an outlet; a place where you can escape the daily stress, relax and express yourself.  Sounds far-fetched, doesn’t it? We don’t think so! Your escape could be as simple as picking up a paintbrush or making a necklace. DIY craft activities have consistently proven to have tremendous benefits for both your mind and body!

Check out some super cool DIY craft ideas for wine lovers everywhere below!

PAINTING (WITH WINE)

Well obviously we’d start here, right?! But seriously, painting (especially when it’s paired with friends….and wine…) can definitely boost your mood! People who haven’t attended Painting with a Twist before are usually hesitant to come because they think “Oh, I’m not an artist” or “I don’t have artistic skills. I can barely draw stick people!” Well guess what, you don’t have to be anywhere NEAR a professional artist to have FUN in our studios. You’ll be surprised by how great your DIY painting will come out AND you’ll have so much fun in the process. You’ll laugh with (hopefully not AT) your friends and make hilariously awesome memories, we promise.

TWINE WRAPPED WINE BOTTLE

LOVE this one.  Super easy and you can use it as a centerpiece with several in a row or as a standalone on a bookcase or mantle. All you need is an empty wine bottle (bummer, right?) and waxed twine.  Start at the top and work your way down. Tie a knot at the end to keep it from unraveling. Add some extra flare with silk or burlap flowers. Pro tip: DON’T cut the string as you work. You WILL be short at the end, despite how accurate you think you measured. Check out this example on Pinterest!

WINE GLASS PAINTING

Who doesn’t love a personalized wine glass?! We love seeing all the funny sayings and quotes on the glasses brought into our studio. Did you know we offer DIY wine glass painting events, too?! Check your local studio’s calendar or request a private party!

WINE CORK MONOGRAM

Get some use out of all those corks you popped at our studio and at home! Pick up a 16” or so cardboard or wooden letter cutout shape from your local craft store and super glue the corks onto it! You’ll have an adorable masterpiece and you’ll have a blast making it. Invite your girlfriends over for a DIY craft night! You’ll all walk away with something special and personalized!

WINE CORK COASTERS

Ok we had no idea how many uses there were of CORKS! Seriously, look it up on Pinterest. We love this one because it’s fun to do AND functional. It’s a simple project and will give your house and your dinner parties an extra flare (while also protecting your furniture!) All you do is glue each cork together with a hot glue gun in a circular pattern. Then, glue a ribbon of your choice around the bundle.  Voila!

We hope you enjoyed these wine-inspired DIY craft ideas! Now, grab your apron and get to crafting!

Our favorite way to DIY? With a twist: Upcycling. If you’re like us, you might have a few Painting with a Twist pieces hanging around your living room… hallway… bedroom… you get the idea. We’re a dedicated bunch of Twisters so we embrace the *face palm* from our families and friends when we bring [yet another] painting home from a paint and sip class. This DIY is so simple yet so chic.

Let your creative goddess shine for the world to see it- use a piece of art to create ANOTHER piece of art. All while keeping your precious sunnies protected in your purse. It will only take a few minutes to make this stylish sunglasses sleeve to show off your artistic side.

Supplies

• An old Painting with a Twist painting
• An old tee-shirt
• Scissors
• Permanent Marker
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticks
• Spray glue adhesive

Dying to see a video on how to do this? We’ve gotcha covered. Click here to watch!