One area of my home that I sometimes overlook in my decorating is the bathroom. So for this month’s craft, I decided to make a gift that is both useful and lovely to keep around all year long in this particular space. It requires a nominal investment at the craft store of roughly $15.00 and is quite easy to make. This project will require a little soap making experience; however, I must admit that I cheated a bit by purchasing “Melt and Pour” soap kits at the craft store for $4.99 each (the most expensive item on my list). These kits only require that you melt the pre-formed block of soap and pour it into the molds provided in the kit. It’s that easy!
Now, to get started….
MATERIALS
2- “Melt and Pour” soap kits
2- bottles of liquid scent for soap (I chose Sun Ripened Raspberry and Misty Rose)
1- bag of basket accents paper shred, white, pink, or red make great colors for this project
1- package containing a 3 inch red wooden heart
1- package containing 8 – 10 one inch red wooden hearts
3 - yards of Valentine-themed wire edged ribbon
1- bottle of tacky glue or a mini glue gun (your personal preference here)
One 10-inch acrylic display/storage case with lid (available at most craft stores in round, square, or oval shapes for around $1.50). You can also use one of those old-fashioned glass mason-type or canning jars, with a hinged lid.
DISPLAY CONSTRUCTION
1. First, you need to make your soaps. Follow the directions carefully on your soap making kit package. Most are quite easy; I just microwaved a chunk of the soap block for 15 seconds, and waited for the soap to form a skin so I could pour the liquid into my mold. Add fragrance, and in no time, I had a pretty heart-shaped soap ready to pop out of the mold! I put my soaps in the fridge so they would harden faster. It only took about 20 minutes and they were ready to pop out of the mold. If you use the flexible, thin plastic molds, be sure to pop them out with both your thumbs, applying even pressure on both ends of the soap, so that it doesn’t crack or bend when it comes out. Also make certain that your soaps are completely cooled before you attempt to remove them from the molds. Removing them while still warm will cause them to break and crumble.
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