How to Make Soaps as a Homemade Valentine's Day Gift

Looking for a unique Valentine’s Day gift idea? Try making heart-shaped glycerin soaps for your loved one. They’re cute, smell great and easy to make. Your loved one will think of you with each wash. Follow these steps to find out how to make them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Everything in the kit you can find in the resources box below.
• 2 glass Pyrex measuring cups
• Unscented glycerin soap base
• A sharp knife
• Soap mica
• A heart shaped soap mold
• An eye dropper if your fragrance oil doesn’t have a dropper top
• A metal spoon
• A large plastic bag
• Soap colorant
• Fragrance oil

1. First, you’ll need to go shopping for ingredients. You can shop at craft stores or online for what you need; but for the easiest option, see our resources box for a Valentine’s Day soap making kit (as pictured) that contains everything you need in one easy package.

2. You’ll need a clean, clutter-free space to make your Valentine’s Day gift. Your kitchen counter or table works great.

3. Lay down a large plastic garbage bag over your work station for easy clean up later.

4. Have all of your ingredients and utensils at hand and ready to go.

5. First cut the glycerin soap base into small cubes for easier melting. Use a sharp knife or metal dough cutter. Each cube should be approximately the same size. Aim for ½-inch by ½-inch cubes.

6. Place the cubes of glycerin soap into a glass Pyrex measuring cup. Put the cup into the microwave. Melt the soap on high for short intervals, between 15 to 20 seconds, until all or most of the soap cubes are melted. If small chunks remain, stir the melted soap with a metal spoon for a few seconds. If small chunks still exist, replace the cup in the microwave and heat it for a short 10 second burst.

7. Once the soap cubes are completely liquefied, your handmade Valentine’s Day gifts are ready to start taking shape--and scent.

8. Pour a small amount of soap into another glass Pyrex measuring cup and add the colorant one to two drops at a time. Stir slowly but thoroughly in-between drops until you reach a medium shade of the color you want. For added sparkle, add a colored mica (like sparkles for soap).

9. Now slowly pour the colored and melted soap into the clean mold just where the word portion (I’m yours) is. Pour the soap until the soap level is just shy of flooding over into the main cavity of the soap mold. Don't over-pour. It will ruin the lettering effect.

10. Next add the colorant to a large batch of liquid soap, adding only a drop or two at a time. Stir slowly but thoroughly before adding more. You're aiming for a lighter version of the letter’s color to give contrast against the darker wording. Add a little mica for added sparkle.

11. You will now want to scent your large batch of glycerin soap. Add fragrance a few drops at a time until you achieve the strength you want. Depending on how many soaps you make, you will usually want to add anywhere from 5 to 10 drops of fragrance for every 3 oz. bar of soap. So, if you're making 4 bars of 3 oz. soap, you will want to add between 20 to 40 drops of fragrance oil to your large batch.

12. Stir the glycerin soap mixture slowly but thoroughly to ensure the fragrance and colorant are well mixed. Before you pour your large batch of glycerin soap into the molds you'll want to check two things: 1) Is there a think “skin”-like coating of solid soap on the surface of the soap you poured into the letter section of the molds? 2) Is the batch still too hot to pour? If your batch doesn't have a thin coating and it's still steaming, the decorative lettering portion you first poured will melt and bleed into the base soap. Be sure the large batch is cooled to the point of almost thickening before you pour.

13. Once the liquid soap is cool enough, slowly and carefully pour the soap into each mold cavity until the soap level is just below the top of the mold.

14. When all the soap molds are filled, let them sit undisturbed for at least an hour. Then you can carefully move the soap mold to another safe place. Allow them to sit up for another 6 to 12 hours.

15. Clean up your work area. Make sure to remove all traces of soap, colorant and fragrance oil from your utensils.

16. When your handmade soaps have cooled completely, they're ready to be removed from the soap mold. Place a clean, dry towel on a table or counter. Carefully overturn the mold so the soap faces down on a towel.

17. Carefully grasp one heart-shaped mold and use your thumbs to slowly and evenly apply pressure to pop the soap out of the mold. Repeat with each soap.

18. If your soap doesn't come out of the molds easily, place the entire soap mold in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Allow the soap to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then remove the soap from the mold as described in the previous step.

19. Place your competed soap in a decorative organza bag. Label with a Valentine’s Day gift tag.

20. Store soap in a cool, dry place until you're ready to give them as gifts.

Tips & Warnings

• For a more masculine scent, try either a musky type fragrance or a vanilla. If you buy the kit you can make 2 batches, one for him with the more masculine scent and one for you with the jasmine scent.
• When melting the soap, be sure to heat it only in small bursts. Never allow the soap to melt to the point of boiling. That damages the moisturizing properties of the glycerin.

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[voliegurl]

on 11/29/2008 It will be here before you know it, great gift idea 5* and recommendation!