I am sharing how to make handmade soap by using an easy melt and pour base. For ages, I have wanted to make some DIY soaps. So, After doing some research, I decided to go for the easier melt and pour option. Also, I was surprised by how easy it was to make your very own soap.
There is another method of making soaps which involves using a chemical called Lye. It involves a longer curing time and is a bit more complicated. As I didn’t trust myself handling chemicals, I decided to pick up some melt and pour soap base off amazon. The melt and pour method is perfect for an afternoon craft project.
Also, I put together a Youtube video showing you guys how I made the soaps. Scroll to the end of this post for the video.
Choosing A Melt & Pour Soap Base
I picked up a soap base from Amazon, and I decided to go for a goats milk base. There are loads of different soap bases to choose from. You can get a clear base, shea butter base, argan oil base. As I ordered off Amazon my soap base arrived within a week, which was great. You may also be able to purchase this same brand soap base from your local craft store. So, check local stores for stock information.
What you will need to create your Handmade soap
Here is a list of the items you need for this DIY.
– Soap moulds ( silicone cake moulds are the same ) Honeycomb soap mould. Christmas silicone moulds.
– Essential oils and ingredients to add to your soap, ie honey, oatmeal etc
How To Make Melt And Pour Soap
In my video, I made two types of soaps. I made a honey, oatmeal and almond oil soap and I made a lavender and lemongrass soap. The fun thing about making soap is that you can get creative and experiment with different scents and recipes. So, Have a scroll through Pinterest for recipe ideas.
– Start by removing your block of soap from its plastic container. Then chop up your base into smaller chunks and add them to your glass bowl. After that, I used the microwave to melt my soap base. Next, I melted my soap into 30-second intervals. I would stir it using my wooden spoon between microwaving it. Once it was nice and smooth, I was ready to add my essential oils and ingredients.
– For the honey and oatmeal soaps, I added one tablespoon of honey and stirred until it melted into the soap base. I then added 20 drops per 400ml of the sweet almond oil. I added two tablespoons of oatmeal to the soap base and stirred it in well.
– For the lavender and lemongrass soaps, I added 30 drops of each oil into my soap base and stirred. If the scent is not strong enough for you, you can add more drops to your mixture.
– Next, I poured my liquid mixture into my soap moulds. If your soap starts to thicken before you pour then pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt it again.
– You can use rubbing alcohol on the back of your soap to stop bubbles from forming. I didn’t so this step. I didn’t mind the bubbles as they were on the underneath of the soap and you didn’t notice it.
– Pop your soap moulds into the fridge to set. I put soaps into the fridge for an hour, but the soap did set quicker.
– Once the soap has set, remove your soaps from the moulds. The soaps slip out of the moulds easily, and it’s oddly satisfying.
Wrapping Your Handmade Soaps
For Christmas gifts, I used some of the gingerbread and snowflake moulds. I popped them into a glass Kilner jar. Also, I made some bar shape soaps, and I used some old fabric scraps to wrap around the bars and used some twine to tie them. There are so many ways that you can wrap, and style them to give them away as presents. Whilst making these I thought they would be a great DIY for a wedding. They would be nice in the bathroom or to give away. You could personalise the scent too.
Have you had a go at making handmade soaps? Please share any recipes you have. I love to know if you make these, so please comment below, or tag me on Instagram. I found loads of recipes on Pinterest, so head over there for hundreds of recipes that use different blends of essential oils.
Thanks so much for popping by and reading today’s post. Don’t forget to check out my Youtube video sharing how I made the soaps. Please hit the subscribe button too when you are over on my channel.
Thanks for reading, Chat soon, Catherine.
Hello- beautiful project! My daughter and I are planning on making these and would be interested to know what size jars you used to present the soaps.
Thanks so much for reading lovely x
I've always been interested in making homemade soap! These turned out really great 🙂