Easy Holiday Gift: Homemade Soap

I made soap. True story. You totally can, too.

It was a lot like cooking. A lot. Chopping, heating, flavoring, mixing, pouring. Setting in the freezer to chill. I used Pyrex and a spoon. Poppy seeds. A baking sheet. The kitchen smelled like lavender, lemongrass, peppermint. I won’t lie: the hardest part by far was remembering not to taste-test. 

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Tip

You could totally get kids involved in this homemade gift if you like. It’s super-easy and kind of a lot of fun.

The Annie’s Mac & Cheese of soaps

I think the reason it was so easy is because I essentially made the Annie’s Mac & Cheese of soaps. I used the “melt and pour” method, where you start with something that’s already soap — but really big, really boring soap — and just make it all pretty and stinky and bite-sized. The alternative method requires you to mix lye with other ingredients. Lye is highly corrosive and generally sort of terrifying to those of us who trembled our way through high school chemistry and have been known to cut ourselves badly with a stalk of Brussels sprouts. If you knew how recently I’ve said, “Thank God I’m not a surgeon, right?” I’m confident you’d support me in the melt and pour.

Correctly spelled printable labels below

And hey, maybe you’ll try it too? Based on my experience gifting these left and right last year, I’ve put together a list of everything you need, which you can click through and buy via my affiliate links on Amazon if you like. (And if you do, thanks for helping to keep Umami Girl up and running.)

I made four “flavors”: Peppermint, Lemongrass Poppy and Orange Poppy (the poppy seeds act like little exfoliating microbeads, which is cool but also sounds like muffins, right?), and Lavender, which I totally know is not spelled Lavendar (like calendar?), so I definitely did not have to reprint my labels at ALL.

You can make whatever scents you like, but if you want to make the same ones I did, I’m including PDF files of printable labels below because I love you dearly.

Omnipotent much?

That’s it! You made soap. Omnipotent much? The best part is the dishes clean themselves. Just add water.

Print

5 from 5 votes

Easy Homemade Soap

These creamy, pretty-smelling soaps are a dope handmade gift. People will love them, but psst…they’re basically the Annie’s Mac & Cheese of homemade soaps. Melt and pour. So easy.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Active Time15 minutes mins

Additional Time15 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Low-key DIY

Yield: 6 bars

Author: Carolyn

Cost: $40

Equipment

• 4-cup glass measuring cup or spouted bowl
• Silicone Soap Molds
• Cookie sheet

Materials

For the soap

• 1 pound Shea butter soap base
• 10-20 drops Essential oils
• 1 tablespoon Poppy seeds optional

For the labels

• Avery 22820 labels
• UG Orange Poppy + Lemongrass Poppy Soap Labels
• UG Peppermint + Lavender Soap Labels

To wrap

• Clear gift bags

Instructions

• Cut a one-pound block of soap base into rough one-inch squares and place in glass measuring cup.
• Microwave on high in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until melted — about 90 seconds total.
• Stir in 10-20 drops essential oil (to “taste”) and about a tablespoon of poppy seeds, if using.
• Place soap mold on cookie sheet for stability, then pour soap mixture evenly into molds. Tap out any air bubbles or pop with a toothpick (or don’t, honestly).
• Freeze for 15 minutes or so, until set. Gently pop soaps out of molds. 
• Don’t you almost feel guilty giving these as gifts because they’re so easy? Don’t.
• Cut a 2-inch strip of waxed or craft paper to wrap around each bar of soap. Secure with a printed label. Place one or two bars of soap into each gift bag, tie with ribbon or included twist-tie. 
• Give give give! 

Notes

Method adapted from Gluesticks