by Susan Hibberd

Created on: March 25, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

Making guest soaps for the holiday season can be great fun, and is something that all the family can enjoy.

Guest soaps can be quickly and easily made, but don't wait until the guests are on their way. Making soap is an activity that can be carried out at any time of the year, so when you need something to cheer you up and calm you down, think about making some soap! It's also a great activity for children, not only increasing their creativity, but also helping to teach them how things are made.

Unless you are an experienced soap-maker, I would stick to one of the two following method for making guest soaps. You can find more details about these processes in some of the other articles on Helium just type soap into the search box.

Melt-n-pour soap

Melt-n-pour soap is clear glycerine soap that is soft, transparent and easy to melt. This makes it ideal for quick soap projects. You will need to buy some proper soap colorants if you want to color your soap, but you can use any essential oil to give it a wonderful smell.

You just have to melt the soap in the microwave and pour it into a mold. It really is that easy! Choose molds that will make a pretty shape, and aren't too big. Remember that these are guest soaps and will only be used for a short time. You can search online stores such as eBay for soap-making materials. Look also at companies which sell chocolate-making supplies, because the molds are often very similar. A mold for making rose-shaped chocolates, for example, would be ideal for guest soaps.

As this soap is transparent, it is a shame to add things that will turn it opaque. Make the best out of it's properties by layering the colors or adding floating inclusions that will be highlighted by the soap's clarity.

Things you can add to the soaps include flowers petals, jewels, small plastic toys, erasers and glitter.

Grated soap

You can make your own guest soaps from grated ready-made soap. Choose a color and perfume that you like and grate the soap. Add a few desert-spoons of water to a saucepan and melt the soap gently until you can mix it into a putty-like consistency. Add more water if necessary.

When the soap is melted you can press it into bought molds or make your own molds from plastic items around the house. I have found the cookie cutters placed on grease-proof paper work well. Don't let your mixture get too wet, and this is a great way to shape your soaps.

You can make soap balls from your mixture as well. Simply take a teaspoonful of the melted soap and roll it in your hands until it is a perfect ball. If you don't want to keep getting the soap on your hands, use plastic gloves the thin type they use in hospitals.

Any kind of herbal additives can be mixed into the soap before it is pressed into the mold. Try lavender petals, rosemary leaves, fine oatmeal, milk powder or bran. You can even add a few drops of essential oils or some honey for extra goodness.

Carved soaps

An alternative to making your own soap is to carve bought soaps into interesting shapes. Use lino-cutting tools, or those used for sculpture and with practice you can make some fine examples. Leaves, birds, flowers and even figures are all great things to start with. Save the shavings and melt them down as above.

Guest soaps are a great way to say welcome' to your guests and home-made is always best. Your guests will be happy to know that you have taken the extra time to make things special for their visit.

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