8 Home Spa Ideas To Promote Relaxation

Make yourself a priority with these calming and relaxing home spa ideas, all with the help of some DIY magic.

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Bath Caddy Abeautifulmess
Courtesy JACKI MOSELEY/abeautifulmess.com

Create a Bathtub Caddy

Bathtub caddies are popular for good reason. What a perfect spot for bath salts, a cup of tea and an iPad playing your favorite movie.

Make your own by crafting one out of Lucite, like this one by A Beautiful Mess. It’s a cinch if you’re handy with a drill. It’s made of items easily found at the hardware store, like PVC window molding and clamps.

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Diy Wood Stool For Shower 1 80 1560x2048
Courtesy Zoe/pineandpoplar.com

Make a Spa-Worthy Stool

Whether you use it in the shower while breathing in some aromatherapy or in front of your mirror carrying out your skincare routine, a shower stool like this one from Zoe Hunt of Pine and Poplar is a relaxation must-have.

Hunt says the shower’s humidity is no match for the durable urethane-coated stool. “It’s pretty, functional and has already lasted us longer without any signs of wear than any other shower stool we’ve purchased in the past,” Hunt says.

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shower mat
Courtesy Caitlin & Manda/themerrythought.com

Set Up a Spa-Like Bathmat

You know when you go to a spa and the shower floors are made of narrow cedar planks? Bring that same feel to your bathroom with a wood-slat bathmat, greeting you as soon as you step out of the shower.

If you’re comfortable with a saw and nail gun, you can tackle this DIY project, says Manda McGrath of The Merrythought. The one they built has held up for years. “We love the clean, modern look and the natural element that the wood has brought into the bathroom,” she says.

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How To Use Essential Oils In The Shower
Courtesy SHARON GAROFALOW/themerrythought.com

Scent Your Shower

Aromatherapy makes you feel like you’re at a spa, calming nerves and boosting energy. You shouldn’t place a corded diffuser in or near your shower, for obvious reasons. So instead, make this DIY alternative that’s as easy as working a string through a lava stone. Hang from your shower head, and add your favorite essential oil to the stone regularly.

Sharon Garofalow, who created this project for Cupcakes & Cutlery, says this “turns my shower into the perfect me-time moment. Whether I’m looking to relax with a little lavender or need eucalyptus to help my stuffy sinuses, I always have a lava stone diffuser in my shower.”

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Shower Plant
Courtesy Molly Madfis/almostmakesperfect.com

Add Greenery

Many mental health experts agree houseplants can make people feel more at ease. No wonder you often see plants dotting spa interiors.

Follow Almost Makes Perfect‘s lead and make a shower-friendly beaded plant hanger with wood beads and planter bowl with holes in the bottom. (Drill them out, if necessary.) Add humidity-loving plants, and enjoy!

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Shower Plants
Courtesy @simply2moms/simply2moms.com

Heat Your Towels

Is there anything more relaxing than wrapping yourself up in a warm towel after a soothing bath? Purchase your own heated towel rack and install it yourself, says AnnMarie Christiano of Simply2moms. No hard-wiring required.

“The installation was super easy,” she says. She also used a Command hook to hide the cord behind the towels hanging on the towel bar. “This helped with the aesthetic in the bathroom, so we weren’t looking at a plug and cord hanging down the wall,” she says.

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Adult Caucasian Female Relaxing Alone In A Small Wooden Home Sauna
AzmanJaka/Getty Images

Include a Sauna

If you have enough space, consider building an at-home sauna. If you put it off the bathroom, you can jump right from the sauna to your shower. And if you’re an experienced DIYer, you can install it yourself. If not, hire a pro to do it for you.

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Jets of clean water flowing in the shower cabin.
VladK213/Getty Images

Install a Rain Shower

After a spa treatment, you’ll often head into a fancy spa shower complete with a rain shower head. Welcome that tranquil, nature-inspired experience into your own shower by installing one yourself.

It’s easy. Just use a crescent wrench to remove the old one, wrap the outlet pipe grooves with plumber’s tape and tightly screw on the new shower head.

Rich Allen of An Organized Season loves the shower head he installed and offers a little bonus advice: “Order some extra adhesive discs that attach the handheld shower head holder to the tile wall. I have found that the one provided by the manufacturer did not last very long.”