A Christmas Gift You Can Make In One Hour (or less)

Handmade Soaps Make Thoughtful Gifts

It’s easy to create hand crafted soaps. Just melt, pour and unmold. If you want to get creative, you can add color and smell! For the very advanced, try a soap shape inside of a soap or other adding other objects!  The possibilities are endless.

Did you know that candle molds also make excellent molds for soaps?

Directions:

1. Start with a soap base, these melt easily in a double boiler on your stove top or can be put in a glass container and melted in the microwave.

2. Cut soap in small chunks. Microwave in glass container for about 30 seconds while covered loosely with a paper towel. Check to see if melted, if not continue microwaving in 5 second intervals.

There are many options of scents and additives for your soap. Liquid soap fragrance should be added immediately after the soap base has been melted. Be sure to add only a small amount of scent oil to the soap because too much may result in the soap not hardening.

3. Add color if desired. Add a few drops, and stir. Add more drops until desired color is reached.

4. Add a few drops of scent. Stir and sniff. If it does not seem strong enough you can add more drops. The scent will fade slightly after the soap hardens.

Scents of lemongrass & orange, cucumber melon, vanilla, blackberry vanilla cinnamon are a few of the choices available.

You can add coffee grounds, poppy seeds, chamomile leaves, lavender seeds, citrus peels, dried herbs or rose petals. Oatmeal and cornmeal are also great additives that make a great scrub soap.

5. If you are adding items to your soap place them in the mold. This will allow them to be on top when the soap is finished. (You can also place in after the soap if you wish the items to be on the bottom.)

6. Pour melted soap into a mold and let set. Do not bump or move the soap for one hour. Let set completely overnight before removing from the mold. 

Your soap can be wrapped in plastic wrap from the kitchen. Adding a label makes this look like a specialty soap from a boutique.

Your gift is now ready!

For more great craft ideas visit our website.