A scented surprise
Make your own bar soap: an easy, affordable Christmas gift
Homemade bar soap comes together quickly and carries a lovely, gentle scent. Wrap a few bars as a small surprise for a neighbor, coworker, or teacher. Mix in aromatic herbs, spices, or dried citrus and flowers to give each piece its own character.
Christmas soap bar: supplies
- Clear soap base
- soap dyes
- (silicone) soap molds
- scented decorations, such as cinnamon sticks, star anise, rosemary, dried lemon slices, and flower petals or dried flowers
Christmas soap bar: instructions
- Melt the soap base slowly in a water bath, stirring gently to avoid creating air bubbles, which are difficult to remove and can make the soap’s surface appear dull.
- Shave a few thin slices of soluble soap dye into the melting base. Start with a small piece and add more as needed. You can also blend colors—for example, combine red, blue, and green to make brown.
- Once the color is thoroughly mixed and the base is free of bubbles, pour it into the molds. Work quickly, because the mixture sets immediately. Place the decorations in the mold either before pouring the soap base or right after. You can only adjust them briefly.
- Let the soap cool and solidify. If you’d like, punch a hole in the corner of each bar and thread a lovely ribbon through it.
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