by Heather Tomasello

Created on: February 07, 2009

Homemade Soaps: A Lovely, Inexpensive Gift

You can make boutique-quality soaps in your own kitchen with a few hours, some basic supplies, and a trip to a local arts & craft supplies store (or by ordering supplies online.) Homemade soaps make wonderful, inexpensive gifts for Christmas, Mother's Day, birthdays, and Teacher Appreciation Days. This is a particularly fun activity to try with children because clean-up is a snap - afterall, it's just soap! A sponge and warm water is all it takes to tidy afterwards!

Basic supplies for soap making include soap base in either glycerin (clear) or white. These may also come with fragrance, such as cucumber melon, olive oil, etc. Beginning soap makers may want to purchase buy both glycerin and white soap base. The two can be combined and layered to create interesting effects.

Next you'll want soap coloring (food coloring works as well) and fragrance oils of your choosing. Rose, peach, apple, cucumber melon, and others are available at crafts stores. Finally, select soap molds. These come in a variety of shapes - squares, circles, ovals, hearts, turtles, ducks (fun for the children) and others. You can also get creative with items you may already have in your home such as ice cube trays, small plastic containers, candy molds, etc.

Once you've assembled the ingredients of your choosing, here is the basic method to making soap. There are many different variations, of course, depending upon the types of soap you want. However, any soap you make will involve melting the soap base. You can do this in a microwave oven or on the stovetop. If you use the blocks of soap base, approximately six cubes equal one bar of soap. Craft stores sell soap melting pots, however these are not necessary. Soap base can be melted in a pot on a stovetop over low heat, stirring often. This prevents the base from sticking on the bottom of the pan and burning. The base may also be melted by microwaving, again on a medium to low setting. Microwave for one or two minutes at a time, checking and stirring often.

Once the soap is in liquid form, you can add the fragrance or coloring to your preference. A few drops of color or fragrance go a long way - add to the desired strength/color.

Next, pour the liquid soap into the molds, tapping lightly to release air bubbles. Allow to cool and harden completely. Do not try cooling in the refrigerator as this will cause sticky condensation to form along the soap. One the soaps have cooled (at air temperature) you can turn the mold over and genty apply pressure to "pop" the soap from its mold. Let stand for several hours. Then wrap in plastic wrap.

Most recipes work equally well using the white or glycerine soap base. You can layer the two (allowing each layer to cool completely before adding a new layer) or swirl them together for an interesting opaque, creamy soap.

To create spice bars, add 1/2 to 1 tsp. of spice to white soap base. Cinammon, clove, ginger, rosemary, and even ground green tea work well. I also like to make an exfoliating bar with ground almonds or cornmeal added to white soap base.

The sky's the limit as far as what you add to make your own signature soap. Use your imagination, and happy soap making!

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