Easy Fall Melt and Pour Soap Recipes for Beginners

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October 22, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon Leave a Comment

These easy fall melt and pour soap recipes are perfect for even beginner soapmakers. They can be scented with your favorite fall fragrance oils or your choice of fall essential oil blends. Keep reading to learn how to make six bars of homemade fall soaps in two designs using a single mold for seasonal holiday gifts.

A Celebration of Fall!

For as long as I can remember (or at least since the last time I stepped foot into a classroom) fall has been my favorite season. I love not just the crisp cool air that accompanies autumn’s entrance, but also the deep connection I feel with nature as wildlife change habits to prepare for the winter ahead. Fall is when I reflect on the things that have passed as well as the future to come.

The squirrels tease us with fluffy tails as dart in and out of trees foraging for nuts to store for winter. The colors of scenery change to burnt umber, reds and oranges. The leaves fall to rejuvenate the earth the following year in a cycle of life that reminds us, that though some things end, new things are always born.

When I was in the fourth grade, my class was given an assignment. We were to collect, at minimum, leaves from 40 different trees. These leaves were then preserved between two sheets of wax paper, identified and compiled into book form. My parents later used that book for one of their Boy Scout troop meetings.

While I, unfortunately, can no longer identify all forty of those tree leaves, that class project certainly brought me closer to nature. And it gave me a better appreciation of all the living things around us.

With this reflection in mind, I really wanted to create a few fall melt and pour soap recipes. So I picked up an acorn and leaf silicone mold at a local craft store. I then combined a variety of melt and pour soap bases with not just mica colorants, but some fun eco-friendly biodegradable glitter as well, to create unique one of a kind melt and pour soaps for fall.

Easy Fall Melt and Pour Soap Recipes for Beginners

I used a Wilton mold I picked up at Joann’s for my fall melt and pour soap recipes. If you aren’t able to find this particular mold, you can use any silicone mold of your choice. Simply adjust the follow melt and pour soap recipes accordingly to fit the size of the molds you’ve chosen. I do this by pouring unscented plain melt and pour soap into the molds cavities. Once hardened, I weigh the soap to figure out the amount needed for my fall melt and pour soap recipes. Alternately, you can purchase a similar fall silicone soap mold here.

Fall Acorn Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

This fall soap idea is pretty straightforward and the easiest of the two fall melt and pour soap recipes. It requires only a single melt and pour soap base, an Almond Milk & Chia fall fragrance oil, a soap colorant and a dash of glitter. The kids will have fun helping you make this fall acorn recipe to gift to their own friends and family members. This fall soap recipe yields three acorn shaped soap bars.

Ingredients:

7.5 oz. melt and pour soap base, white or clear
.15 oz. Almond Milk & Chia fragrance oil
brown mica or brown soap color bar, to suit
biodegradable brass or gold mice, to suit

Melt and Pour Soap Making Tips:

Before you get started on my fall melt and pour soap recipes, here are a few soap making tips and tricks to help you achieve soap making success.

You can use either clear or white melt and pour base for this recipe. If you use a white soap base, your fall acorn soaps will be more of a pastel color, while a clear base will give you a dark, rich color. I want to remake these myself using a clear base and a brown sparkle color bar!

Should you choose to substitute the fall fragrance oil, then be sure you know what the max usage rate is for that fragrance oil you’d like to use. You don’t want to exceed that amount. At the same time, some usage rates are rather high.

The skin safe usage rate for the Almond Milk & Chia fragrance oil is over 90% for soap. But obviously you can’t make a bar of soap using more fragrance oil than product. Therefore I recommend a usage rate of 2-5% for this particular fragrance oil. You can adjust that number depending on how strong you’d like the scent to be in your fall melt and pour soaps. For my fall acorn melt and pour soap recipe, I used the Almond Milk & Chia fragrance oil at 2%. You can tweak this number accordingly depending on your own personal tastes. (The fragrance oils for my fall melt and pour soap recipes were obtained from Wholesale Supplies Plus.)

If you’d rather use a custom fall essential oil blend recipe for your homemade melt and pour soaps, then I recommend a usage rate of no more than 2%. However, you should use less if the essential oil in your blend contains oils that are known skin irritants such as cinnamon leaf or clove.

Placing your soap mold on a cutting board will allow for easy transport while soap is still fluid. So if you’d like to speed up the amount of time it takes for your fall soaps to harden, simply transfer the mold on a cutting board to the fridge.

Additionally, spritzing the tops of your melt and pour soaps with a spray bottle filled with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol (also sometimes referred to RA in the soap niche) will remove any air bubbles you may have.

Ready to get started?

Melt and Pour Soap Making Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the melt and pour soap base. Cut the soap base into chunks and place inside a large glass Pyrex measuring cup, or similar. Then, heat in the microwave in 20-30 second increments, stirring after each heating, until melted. Take care not to overheat the soap base.

Now add the soap colorant of your choice and mix well. Follow the less is more guideline and slowly add additional colorant until you reach the desired color. (If using mica you may want to premix the mica with a bit of glycerin prior to adding it to the melted soap base.) Be careful not to add too much colorant or your soaps will bleed excess color when used.

Once the desired color is achieved, weigh out the fragrance oil and stir into the melted soap base. Set aside.

Next, place your soap mold onto a cutting board, if desired. Dust the inside of the soap mold’s three acorn cavities with eco-friendly, biodegradable glitter. Then slowly pour the melted soap base into each of the cavities of your mold.

Spritz the the top of the liquid soap you just poured with rubbing alcohol, if needed, to remove any air bubbles. Then follow with the second of my fall melt and pour soap recipes to make a set of three fall leaf soaps on the other side of the mold.

Once all the soaps have hardened, unmold and then wrap tightly in foodservice film.

Yield: 3 soaps

Acorn Fall Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

Learn how to craft acorn shaped DIY fall soaps with this easy melt and pour soap recipe. These fall soaps can be scented with your favorite fall fragrance oils or your choice of fall essential oil blends.

Materials

7.5 oz. melt and pour soap base
.15 oz. Almond Milk & Chia fragrance oil
brown mica or brown soap color bar, to suit
biodegradable brass or gold mice, to suit

Instructions

Once the desired color is achieved, weigh out the fragrance oil and stir into the melted soap base. Set aside.

Spritz the the top of the liquid soap you just poured with rubbing alcohol, if needed, to remove any air bubbles.

Once all the soaps have hardened, unmold and then wrap tightly in foodservice film.

Fall soap ideas. Easy beginner melt and pour soap ideas for fall inspired leaf shaped soaps. These homemade melt and pour soaps make lovely DIY seasonal fall gifts for friends, family and teachers.

Fall Leaf Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

While this fall soap idea is slightly more complex than the acorn soap recipe, it’s still an easy enough melt and pour soap recipe for beginners. My fall leaf soap is poured in two separate layers to add visual interest and is scented with a fall inspired Wild Berries & Mimosa fragrance oil. This fall soap recipe yields three leaf shaped soap bars.

Ingredients:

3.75 oz. clear melt and pour soap base
5.25 oz. white melt and pour soap base
.2 oz. Wild Berries & Mimosa fragrance oil
crimson or copper soap color bar or mica, to suit
yellow or gold soap colorant or mica, to suit
brass or gold biodegradable glitter, to suit

Melt and Pour Soap Making Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out 3.75 oz. of the clear melt and pour soap base. Cut the soap base into chunks and place inside a large glass Pyrex measuring cup, or similar. Then, heat in the microwave in 20-30 second increments, stirring after each heating, until melted. Take care not to overheat the soap base.

Now add the yellow or gold soap colorant of your choice to the melted soap base and mix well. Slowly add additional colorant until you reach the desired color. Then stir in a bit of gold or brass biodegradable glitter to suit.

Next, weigh out .1 oz. of the fragrance oil and stir into the melted soap base.

Then slowly pour the clear melted soap base evenly into each of the three leaf shaped cavities of your mold. Spritz the the top of the liquid soap you just poured with rubbing alcohol, if needed, to remove any air bubbles. Set aside until the soap has hardened.

Once hardened weigh, heat and melt 5.25 oz. of the white melt and pour soap base. Add crimson or copper soap colorant to suit.

Follow with .1 oz. of fragrance oil. Mix well. Set aside and allow the melted soap to cool slightly or just before the soap starts to form a film on top.

Next, spritz the tops of the clear soap base in the mold with rubbing alcohol. Then dust the tops of the soap in the three leaf cavities with eco-friendly, biodegradable glitter.

Spritz again with rubbing alcohol, then slowly pour the white melted soap base into each of the leaf cavities of your mold over top of the existing clear, hardened soap base.

Now spritz the the top of the liquid soap you just poured with rubbing alcohol, if needed, to remove any air bubbles.

Once your fall soaps have hardened, unmold and then wrap tightly in foodservice film.

Leaf Fall Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

Learn how to craft leaf shaped DIY fall soaps with this easy two-layer, melt and pour soap recipe. These fall soaps can be scented with your favorite fall fragrance oils or your choice of fall essential oil blends.

Materials

3.75 oz. clear melt and pour soap base
5.25 oz. white melt and pour soap base
.2 oz. Wild Berries & Mimosa fragrance oil
crimson or copper soap color bar or mica, to suit
yellow or gold soap colorant or mica, to suit
brass or gold biodegradable glitter, to suit

Instructions

Next, weigh out .1 oz. of the fragrance oil and stir into the melted soap base.

Once hardened weigh, heat and melt 5.25 oz. of the white melt and pour soap base. Add crimson or copper soap colorant to suit.

Follow with .1 oz. of fragrance oil. Mix well. Set aside and allow the melted soap to cool slightly or just before the soap starts to form a film on top.

Next, spritz the tops of the clear soap base in the mold with rubbing alcohol. Then dust the tops of the soap in the three leaf cavities with eco-friendly, biodegradable glitter.

Spritz again with rubbing alcohol, then slowly pour the white melted soap base into each of the leaf cavities of your mold over top of the existing clear, hardened soap base.

Now spritz the the top of the liquid soap you just poured with rubbing alcohol, if needed, to remove any air bubbles.

Once your fall soaps have hardened, unmold and then wrap tightly in foodservice film.

Melt and pour fall soap scents & recipes. These easy fall melt and pour soap recipes are perfect for even beginner soapmakers. They can be scented with your favorite fall fragrance oils or your choice of fall essential oil blends. Learn how to make six bars of homemade fall soaps in two designs using a single mold and working with no lye. Simple beginning melt and pour soap recipes for DIY holiday gifts for friends & family.

If you like my easy, fall melt and pour soap recipes for beginners, then be sure to pin these recipes to Pinterest for later. You can also find and follow Soap Deli News blog on Pinterest here. Alternately, you can also discover more fall soap ideas here. Or try one of my other easy melt and pour soap recipes.

For more homemade soap recipes and DIY gift ideas, be sure to follow Soap Deli News on social media. You can follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: Homemade Gift Ideas, Soapmaking Tagged With: autumn, crafts, easy, fall, fall crafts, gift idea, kids project, melt and pour soap, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, soap tutorial, soapmaking

Snickerdoodle Soap Cupcakes with Melt and Pour Soap & Essential Oils

October 16, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 6 Comments

Cookies and cupcakes were a regular part of my childhood growing up. Since cutting back on sugar however, sometimes food scented soaps are the next best thing. Learn how to make homemade snickerdoodle soap cupcakes for your bath or shower. Made using melt and pour soap, this easy soap cupcakes recipe is naturally scented with essential oils and is simple enough for even beginners to craft.

Isn’t it amazing how just the scent of food can trigger so many memories? Everytime I smell the warm cinnamon sugar fragrance of a snickerdoodle cookie, I’m instantly taken back to my childhood. From as young as four I often found myself in the kitchen making snickerdoodle cookies with my mom. They were my absolute favorite cookies at the time! And while I loved licking cake and brownie batter off mom’s hand blender beaters, rolling sugar cookie dough in cinnamon and sugar was the most fun.

I still get nostalgic whenever I see snickerdoodles in the store at our local Fresh Market. Making snickerdoodles with my mom as a kid is still one of my favorite childhood memories. While I’ve (mostly) giving up baking cookies for more grown up green things, I’ve since turned the tables and have been teaching my mom some new tricks in the kitchen.

While eating snickerdoodle cookies isn’t something I do all that often (it’s hard to forget the evils of sugar and inflammation when you have fibro) making snickerdoodle soap cupcakes is a fun (sugar free) experience that allows me to enjoy their warm seasonal fragrance!

Food inspired soaps are always popular because of their fun scents. Not only do the kids have fun with these at bathtime, they’re also great for adults! After all, what’s more fun than self care for the kid in you? I used a cupcake mold to make these cute snickerdoodle soap cupcakes. This mold contains both the top and bottom mold portions of the cupcake. So not only are these soaps easy to make, you basically get two molds for the price of one!

Whether you’re selling your homemade soap creations or making them for yourself, using a mold to make the whipped icing eliminates the trial and error of making soap icing. Not only does it save you time, the tops always come out perfect.

How to Make Snickerdoodle Soap Cupcakes (with Melt and Pour Soap)

Snickerdoodle Essential Oil Blend

There are snickerdoodle fragrance oils that you can use to make snickerdoodle soaps. I wanted to use an essential oil blend because I had the essential oils already.

To make a snickerdoodle essential oil blend, combine:

5 drops sweet orange essential oil
2 drops cassia or cinnamon essential oil
1 drop clove essential oil

To be honest, I was surprised at how wonderful this smells! The three oils combine for a sugary sweet and cinnamon spice scent that’s perfect for making snickerdoodle cupcake soaps.

You can create a master blend in an empty essential oil bottle, or you can add the essential oils by the drop. I give you directions to use it either way in this recipe.

(For my snickerdoodle essential oil blend recipe I used essential oils from a past Simply Earth essential oil box. If you’d like to give them a try, use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to receive a FREE bonus box worth $40 with your first order. You’ll also get an e-coupon for $40 off anything on your next purchase. Free diffuser anyone? Take advantage of this offer here.)

If you do use a snickerdoodle fragrance oil blend, you can use twice as much as you would an essential oil. I would start with the amount suggested in the recipe and add more as needed to get the scent that you want.

Cupcake Mold for Soap Cupcakes

I wanted to make soap cupcakes, but I don’t like piping soap on top for the icing. I consider myself pretty crafty, but cake decorating is not among my talents. My mom used to make cakes all the time however. Which worked out well enough for me. She was pretty intent on piping the perfect flowers for her cakes, so I always got to eat the icing flowers that didn’t quite make the cut. (As photographed above. Me at age six in 1981 wearing a nightgown for the evening. Remember those?)

Whipped soap isn’t an easy recipe to master. It tends to be soft, so iced soap cupcakes are hard to package for gifts or for selling.

Rather piping soap icing, I picked up this silicone cupcake soap mold instead. It makes adorable two piece cupcakes with melt and pour soap. Now the icing tops for my soap cupcakes are always perfect. And they won’t get dinged or damaged when you handle the soap.

Melt and Pour Soap Bases for Soap Cupcakes

I wanted these soap cupcakes to look like real snickerdoodle cupcakes, so I used two different kinds of melt and pour soap.

For the icing, I used white melt and pour soap base. The essential oils, which contain vanilla, turned it cream. So it looks like real vanilla icing.

I wanted the cake part to be darker, so I used a cream or almost tan oatmeal soap and added real cinnamon.

Cinnamon can be irritating to children or those with sensitive skin. If you’re giving these soap cupcakes as a homemade gifts, you can skip the cinnamon and add some mica or soap colorant to get a darker color.

Adding real spices like cinnamon to melt and pour can be tricky. Cinnamon tends to clump in the melted soap. To avoid this, you can stir the cinnamon in a little bit of glycerin or rubbing alcohol and add it to the soap.

I just added it to the soap and stirred it really well. If there are clumps, press them against the side of the container with the back of a spoon to break up the clumps. There may be a few small clumps of cinnamon left, but I think it gives the soap a more realistic look.

Either way you add the cinnamon, it will tend to settle to the bottom of the soap. To help it stay dispersed through the soap, let the soap cool until it just starts to form a film on the top. Then stir a few times and pour. The cinnamon is less likely to settle when you pour the soap at a cooler temperature.

Snickerdoodle Soap Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients:

8 ounces white melt and pour soap
10 ounces white or cream melt and pour soap
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon snickerdoodle essential oil blend (or 64 drops sweet orange, 24 drops cassia, and 12 drops clove, divided)

Instructions:

The top and bottom are two separate pours, so let’s start with the icing on the top of the soap cupcakes. Cut white melt and pour soap into 1 inch cubes and microwave 30 seconds at a time until melted. Stir every 30 seconds.

When it’s melted, add ½ teaspoon of the snickerdoodle essential oil blend or 32 drops sweet orange, 12 drops cassia, and 6 drops clove. (Here’s an easy essential oil conversion chart if you need it.) Stir well and pour into the top, or the icing, cavities in the mold. Spray with rubbing alcohol to remove air bubbles.

Now cut 10 ounces of cream or white melt and pour soap and microwave it as before. When it’s melted, add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and stir well to remove lumps.

Then add ½ teaspoon of your homemade blend or 32 drops sweet orange, 12 drops cassia and 6 drops clove. Stir well.

Pour into the cupcake or bottom part of the mold. Spray with rubbing alcohol to remove air bubbles.

Let sit until completely cooled, about an hour.

Remove the soap from the mold. This mold is very flexible, so they will come right out. Use a knife to score the tops of the cupcakes and the bottom of the icing tops. Scoring the soap helps the two pieces stick together better.

Melt about half an ounce of white soap for 10 seconds in the microwave. Carefully spoon it on top of the cupcakes and set the icing on top. Let sit until completely cooled.

If you’re gifting or selling these snickerdoodle cupcake soaps, you can package them in clear bags and add a ribbon to the top.

Yield: 4 soap cupcakes

Snickerdoodle Soap Cupcakes

Learn how to make homemade snickerdoodle soap cupcakes for your bath or shower. Made using melt and pour soap, this easy soap cupcakes recipe is naturally scented with essential oils and is simple enough for even beginners to craft.

Materials

8 ounces white melt and pour soap
10 ounces white or cream melt and pour soap
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon snickerdoodle essential oil blend (or 64 drops sweet orange, 24 drops cassia, and 12 drops clove, divided)

Instructions

When it’s melted, add ½ teaspoon of the snickerdoodle essential oil blend or 32 drops sweet orange, 12 drops cassia, and 6 drops clove. Stir well and pour into the top, or the icing, cavities in the mold. Spray with rubbing alcohol to remove air bubbles.

Now cut 10 ounces of cream or white melt and pour soap and microwave it as before. When it’s melted, add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and stir well to remove lumps.

Then add ½ teaspoon of your homemade blend or 32 drops sweet orange, 12 drops cassia and 6 drops clove. Stir well.

Pour into the cupcake or bottom part of the mold. Spray with rubbing alcohol to remove air bubbles.

Let sit until completely cooled, about an hour.

Melt about half an ounce of white soap for 10 seconds in the microwave. Carefully spoon it on top of the cupcakes and set the icing on top. Let sit until completely cooled.

Soap Cupcakes DIY with melt and pour soap and natural essential oils. The perfect in shower treat and DIY beauty gift! Learn how to make homemade snickerdoodle soap cupcakes for your bath or shower. Made using melt and pour soap, this easy soap cupcakes recipe is naturally scented with essential oils and is simple enough for even beginning soap makers to craft. Gift them to yourself for self care or make them for DIY holiday gifts throughout the winter season.

Love my snickerdoodle soap cupcakes? Then be sure to pin this soap making tutorial for later.

More Seasonal Winter Soap Recipes for DIY Holiday Gifts

Looking for more beginner melt and pour soap recipes? Try one of these other DIY holiday soap gift ideas!

Want more great ideas? Then follow me across your favorite social media channels. You can find and follow Soap Deli News on Blog Lovin‘, pinterest, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: Christmas gift, crafts, cupcake, diy, easy, essential oil blend, essential oil recipes, essential oils, gift idea, holiday gift, melt and pour soap, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, snickerdoodle, soap tutorial, soapmaking, winter, winter skin care

Rubber Ducky Soap Tutorial for Kids Who Love Sesame Street

June 25, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 1 Comment

Learn how to make fun DIY rubber ducky soaps for children’s gifts or party favors with this easy rubber ducky soap tutorial. They’re the perfect bath time treat for kids who love Sesame Street!

Growing Up with Sesame Street

I was born in the 70s. So, like many other Genexers, I grew up watching Sesame Street. My favorite character was always a toss up between Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster. However, my mom bought me a Cookie Monster plush – which is hiding out somewhere in my parents basement right now – that I absolutely adored. I’d make him paper chocolate chip cookies as a child to feed to him. And occasionally I’d even try to feed him real chocolate chip cookies. While they certainly created a crumbly mess, I was determined to never let my Cookie Monster go hungry.

And then of course, there is the famous pair, Bert and Ernie. Their unique sibling like relationship reminded me, that while we may not always get along, at the end of the day we make up with one another and move forward. It’s also hard to forget Ernie’s rubber ducky song. Tub treats, whether it’s a rubber ducky soap or a bath bomb, definitely make bath time more fun – even in adulthood. Thus, Sesame Street was the inspiration for this rubber ducky soap tutorial.

No matter who your favorite Sesame Street character is, or was, they are all amazing and unique individuals. I love that the characters are all so very different from another. Yet they still find ways to connect, come together and help each other out. Looking back, Sesame Street was educational in many ways. The show helped me excel not just through teaching letters, words and numbers. It also offered a social education. Sesame Street is, and always has been, a safe space where every child can find acceptance and learn kindness. And that is why I’m so excited about Sesame Street’s Yellow Feather Fund.

Sesame Street Yellow Feather Fund

Sesame Street started was created almost 50 years ago as a way to help level the playing field for underprivileged children. They have since continued to do that in a multitude of ways, and in more than 150 countries around the world. The Sesame Street Yellow Feather Fund is a continuation of this goal. A grassroots avenue for fans and supporters, this charity is working to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children wherever they are.

I actually just learned about this charity last week. However, I found their mission to help every child meaningful to me on a personal level.

Education is so important. It teaches us more than just reading, math and facts about the world around us. It also teaches us how to think for ourselves, reach for goals and strive for success. The mission of the Sesame Street Yellow Feather Fund is really an extension of the show’s goals. It’s objective is to bring education to children in need. Not just to kids in the United States (where we are so fortunate to be afforded so many opportunities) but also to children around the world.

Some of their work includes the following.

Their “See Amazing in All Children” initiative helps reduce stigma and misconceptions about autism which affects 1 in 68 kids.
They help military families cope with tough situations like deployment, injury or even returning to civilian life.
Their girl Muppet characters, such as Zari in Afghanistan and Chamki in India, show both girls and boys the importance of educating and empowering girls, while also encouraging them to dream big.
To help young refugees who have had to flee homes and schools, this charity also works with the International Rescue Committee to bring education directly to children affected by this humanitarian crisis.

You can learn more about the Sesame Street Yellow Feather fund on their website here.

Rubber Ducky Soap Tutorial

If you have a Sesame Street fan of your own at home, then add this rubber ducky soap tutorial to your project list! Not only are these melt and pour soaps a cute gift idea for a child or grandchild, you can also make them for rubber ducky party favors for a child’s birthday party or baby shower.

Rubber Ducky Soap Recipe

This recipe rubby ducky soap recipe yields six 3.5-ounce bars with approximately 1.5-2 ounces of whipped soap.

Ingredients for Rubber Ducky Soaps:

3/4 pound of clear suspension melt and pour soap, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons banana fragrance oil
Blue mica soap dye
1 tablespoon blue eco-friendly fine cosmetic glitter
2 teaspoons white eco-friendly fine cosmetic glitter
1 cup whipped soap base
2 tablespoons liquid vegetable glycerin
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Materials & Supplies:

Oval silicone soap mold
Small rubber ducks
Spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
1 microwave safe measuring cup
Reusable piping bag
Large frosting tip

Rubber Ducky Soap Making Instructions:

To make these DIY rubber ducky soaps, you’ll start by adding 1/2 pound of the clear melt and pour soap to a measuring cup. Melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring and repeating until completely melted.

Next, mix in banana fragrance oil, blue mica and blue cosmetic glitter.

Spray your soap mold with the rubbing alcohol to prevent bubbles on the bottom of the soap.

Then pour the soap mixture into your mold.

Now spray the tops of soap you just poured with rubbing alcohol to prevent air bubbles on the tops of the soap.

Allow the soap to harden at least 3 hours or until completely firm. Then gently remove from the mold.

Once the oval soaps have hardened, you’re ready for the next step.

Add whipped soap base and glycerin to mixing bowl. Mix for 1 minute using an electric hand blender.

Then fold the cornstarch into mixture. (This will help to avoid having the cornstarch dust up when you use the mixer.)

Now add the remaining 1/4 cup of melted clear soap base to mixture. Mix for 1 minute.

Follow with the white cosmetic glitter. Add the glitter to the mixture then beat until the mixture forms peaks. (This is the same process as basically making meringue.) If your frosting is not stiff enough, add a bit more cornstarch and mix in. Repeat until the mixture is firm.

Now add the soap frosting to your piping bag.

Spray the tops of the oval soaps with rubbing alcohol. (This will help the whipped soap adhere to the soap.) Then, working quickly, pipe the frosting onto your soap. (The frosting will begin to harden after about 5 minutes, so you may want to practice before hand.)

Once you’ve piped on the soap frosting, add a rubber duck to the top of each bar of soap.

You can then package your cute rubber ducky soaps as desired. I recommend using large cellophane treat bags with a ribbon to tie the top closed.

The kids will LOVE these fun rubber ducky soaps at bath time! The ducks even squeak when you squeeze them.

Don’t have time to make these DIY rubber ducky soaps? Then be sure to pin this easy melt and pour soap making project for later!

More Soap Making Ideas Kids Will Love

If you like this rubber ducky soap tutorial, then you may also enjoy some of my other melt and pour soap recipes. The following soap making tutorials use melt and pour soap bases and make great DIY gifts for kids!

For more homemade soap recipes and ideas be sure to follow my boards on pinterest. You can also find me on your favorite social media platforms! Follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up to receive my newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: crafts, diy, gift idea, gifts for kids, kids, melt and pour soap, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, party favor, soap tutorial, soapmaking

Summer Beauty Recipes: An Easy Seashell Soap Tutorial & More Ways to Care for Skin This Summer!

May 23, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 9 Comments

Celebrate summer with nine summer beauty recipes from top bloggers. Easy recipes for DIY seashell soaps, mermaid fizzing bath salts, an aloe vera face mask and more!

Summer Beauty Recipes

Summer means more time outdoors, vacations and fun! So to celebrate the excitement and opportunities of summer, I wanted to share an amazing collection of summer beauty recipes. Not only will you enjoy making these summer skin care products (on a rainy day perhaps?) you’ll also love using them! Keep reading to discover how to make a super easy seashell embed soap. Plus find eight more summer beauty recipes you can make from some of my favorite fellow bloggers.

Summer Beauty Recipe Inspiration

I grew up on trips to Myrtle beach every summer until I was sixteen. Most of those years, we saved money by camping out in a campground. Not only did it give me a greater appreciation for the outdoors, I also learned that you should ALWAYS wear flip flops when using a campground shower. (Thanks, Mom!)

One of my favorite things about staying on a beach campground was the lack of hotels. Sure, there were lots of people, but there were no hotels to mar the skyline. Just beach and plants and trees. It was easy to make daily discoveries of beautiful shells, sand dollars, tiny crabs and clams in the sand.

Much like my early adventures in a hometown creek that fed into our river, I always tried to take at least one of my live discoveries home with me. While at home, I tried to create a habitat for crawdads I caught. At the beach, I took baby clams and other small (yet to be identified) creatures home in a bucket of sand and water.

Being that Myrtle Beach is a good 8-9 hour drive from my home in Virginia, these tiny sea creatures never managed to survive the trip. However that didn’t stop me from trying. Being the stubborn girl that I was (and still am apparently) I tried again year after year, until the camping trips ended. My parents, probably in their wisdom to never argue with a strong willed little girl over something so simple, never protested. Although I’m not sure how they DIDN’T looking back. An eight hour drive in an old school Dodge van with zero air conditioning and sea water left quite the lingering aroma.

Making Beach Themed Seashell Soaps

My DIY seashell soaps are a nod to those carefree summer beach trips of days past. They are reminiscent of time spent outdoors in the sun and sand. Long days hunting for seashells and mysterious creatures hidden just under the sand as the waves roll in and onto the beach.

What makes this summer beauty soap project so easy?

Made using a melt and pour soap base, this soap making tutorial incorporates pre-made soap embeds into the recipe. This eliminates some of the challenges that come with working with embeds as a beginning soapmaker. It also saves you money, as you’ll only need one soap making mold for this soap tutorial. This helps reduce the otherwise more expensive costs of investing in multiple soap making molds. There’s also no need to work with lye. So if you’re still not ready to make cold process soap, then this soap making project is perfect for you!

Save on materials & time by purchasing pre-made elements for your summer beauty recipes.

While you can make your own melt and pour soap embeds for my beach soaps, this can be challenging and time consuming. Therefore I chose to use pre-made seashell soap embeds that I purchased from a fellow soapmaker. I used seashell soap embeds that I purchased from Spruce Mountain Soap to make this soap making project both simpler and faster.

My seashell soap is the perfect summer beauty recipe for cleansing your skin on hot summer days. Made with a blend of fresh litsea cubeba and peppermint essentials oils, these fun beach inspired soaps help to brighten and energize dull skin. Discover my summer soap making tutorial and recipe below. And don’t forget to check out the other summer beauty recipes for everything from an aloe vera face mask to mermaid fizzing bath salts after the recipe!

Summer Beauty Seashell Soap Recipe

Soap Ingredients:

21 oz. clear melt and pour soap base
3 mL litsea cubeba essential oil
1 mL peppermint essential oil
12 drops amyris essential oil
1-2 oz. white melt and pour soap base
skin safe blue mica powder, of choice

Soap Exfoliate Ingredients:

1 teaspoon calendula flower powder
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon cornsilk powder

Additional Materials & Supplies:

seashell, beach rocks or sea glass soap embeds
rectangle silicone soap mold
digital scale
graduated transfer pipettes
glass measuring cups or bowls
spray bottle with 99% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
utensils (for mixing) and a large Chef’s knife
cutting board
measuring spoons
microwave
your imagination

Instructions:

Being by weighing out the clear melt and pour soap base. Cut the base into chunks and combine in a large Pyrex glass measuring cup. Heat the cubed soap the microwave in 30-second increments until melted.

Once melted, use the graduated transfer pipettes to measure out and add the litsea cubeba and peppermint essential oils to soap. Follow with the amyris essential oil. Then stir the soap to mix in the fragrance.

Now pour a few ounces of the clear melted soap base into a separate measuring cup. Stir in a pinch of the blue mica and set aside.

Position your soap mold at an angle on a stable surface on a cutting board. (I used a cardboard box I cut at an angle for this step. I place the cutting board on the box, then put the mold on top of the cutting board for easy transport.)

Next, measure out the exfoliants into a small bowl. (You can make substitutions as desired for this step. The purpose of the exfoliants is to mimic the look of beach sand.) Mix to combine.

Then add a small amount of the mixture to each of the cavities of your soap mold.

Now slowly pour the clear melt and pour soap base onto the exfoliants and into the soap mold. Be sure to leave room for the seashell embeds by only filling each cavity about 1/3 of the way.

Use a utensil to reposition the exfoliants along the bottom of the mold as desired. Then spritz the top of they poured soap with alcohol to remove any air bubbles. Allow the soap to cool and harden before proceeding to the next step.

Once the first layer of soap has hardened, place the mold flat onto your work surface.

Now weigh out the white melt and pour soap base. Cut into chunks then heat in a microwave safe container in 20-30 second increments until melted. Set aside.

Spritz the tops of the soap in the mold with rubbing alcohol. Then place your seashell soap embeds onto the hardened soap, arranging as desired.

If necessary, gently reheat the remaining clear melt and pour soap base as well as the blue soap base. Then pour the clear soap base into each of the mold cavities leaving a small amount of space at the top.

Add a drizzle of both the blue and the white soap base into the melted clear soap base in each of the cavities. Use a utensil to gently swirl the white and blue bases as desired.

Spritz with rubbing alcohol to remove any air bubbles. Then allow the soaps to cool completely.

Once the seashell soaps have fully solidified, gently remove the soaps from the mold. You can clean up the tops or edges of your soap bars with a small knife or a potato peeler.

All that’s left is to tightly wrap your seashell soaps in foodservice film. They’re now ready for use or gifting!

Like my easy seashell soap tutorial? Then be sure to pin it (along with the other summer beauty recipes you’ll find below) for later.

Alternative Ways to Make Seashell Soaps

Of course, you don’t have to make your seashell soaps the same way I did. The great thing about artisan soap making is that is unique to the creator. So don’t be afraid that you’ll mess up or get it wrong. There really is not right or wrong way to craft your own artisan soaps for summer.

If you have a loaf mold, you can go into more detail creating water designs. Pictured above is a slice from the ocean portion of my mermaid soaps I made two years ago. You can find the tutorial for my melt and pour mermaid soaps here.

Alternately, Spruce Mountain Soap sells a beautiful Island Dreams Soap (pictured) that you can draw further inspiration from.

More Summer Beauty Recipes to Try

Ready to try your hand at even more summer beauty recipes. Following you’ll discover eight more gorgeous skin care recipes that are perfect for your summer skin care routine!

After Sun Aloe Face Mask Recipe

This easy DIY aloe vera face mask recipe from A Life Adjacent is a wonderful addition to your summer beauty routine. It’s not only moisturizing — it can also soothe sunburn, irritation, and redness, as well as aid in calming the inflammation caused by acne breakouts. (Also be sure to check out my own aloe after sun lotion bar recipe for natural after sun skin care!)

Beach Body Coffee Scrub Recipe

Coffee scrubs are by far one of my favorite summer beauty recipes for summer skin care. This beach body coffee scrub recipe from Botaneri is great for exfoliation and gives a teeny hint of color to the skin.

DIY Mermaid Fizzing Bath Salts

These DIY fizzing mermaid-inspired bath salts by Creative Green Living are easier to make than a bath bomb but just as fun to use! Your kids will love using this fun bath fizz as they splash and play in the tub.

Mermaid Whipped Soap Summer Beauty Recipe

This mermaid whipped soap recipe from Everything Pretty is so light and fluffy! Learn how to use a melt and pour soap based to make a creamy whipped soap that’s perfect for the shower or as a shaving soap before you head to the beach.

All-Natural Sunscreen Lip Balm Recipe

While you get chapped lips in winter, you can get burned lips in summer. Making this project from Garden Therapy a must for your to-do list of summer beauty recipes! Protect your lips with a homemade sunscreen lip balm. It will keep your lips safe from sunburn, make them kissably soft, and it’s made of all-natural ingredients!

Natural Solid Perfume Recipe

Learn how to make this solid perfume recipe at Life-n-Reflection. This natural perfume DIY is a luxurious multi-layered scent of the heady, rich florals jasmine and geranium with a top note of sweet, citrusy grapefruit. Blended with natural beeswax and oil and poured over delicate dried jasmine flowers into zero waste tins, this makes a lovely natural beauty gift.

DIY Melt & Pour Cactus Soap

Make these adorable shea butter melt and pour cactus soaps from Lydi Out Loud in just minutes for last minute gifts or party favors. Boasting a refreshing natural lime scent, these easy DIY soaps are perfect for an invigorating summer shower! (Discover more succulent soap inspiration and recipes at Soap Deli News here.)

DIY Strawberry Lip Scrub

This strawberry DIY lip scrub with coconut oil is another of my favorite summer beauty recipes. Perfect for exfoliating, this recipe from Country Hill Cottage makes dry, chapped lips feel and look smooth, soft, and supple. The scrub removes dead skin and moisturizes your lips at the same time. (You may also enjoy my own pink lemonade lip scrub recipe.)

Summer Beauty Recipes & Inspiration on Pinterest

I’m always amazed by the creativity of others. Pinterest is a great way to expand on that creativity and find inspiration. If you’re looking for more summer beauty recipes for your next DIY adventure, then be sure to follow my boards on Pinterest. You’ll discover great DIY ideas for making 42 homemade sugar scrubs, 12 summer skin care recipes for dry skin, 17 whipped sugar scrubs you can buy or DIY, 10 magical summer skin care recipes for your inner child, a foaming strawberry salt scrub recipe and a unicorn glitter butter recipe (pictured.)

For more DIY soap making ideas and summer beauty recipes, make sure to follow me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up to receive my semi-weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Homemade Gift Ideas, Soapmaking Tagged With: after sun, bath and beauty, bath salt recipe, beauty recipes, body scrub recipe, face mask, lip balm recipe, lip scrub, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, natural beauty, perfume recipe, soap tutorial, solid perfume, summer, summer skin care, sunscreen, whipped sugar scrub

Creative Cactus Soaps (To Buy or For DIY Soap Making Inspiration)

May 13, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

Cactus soaps are all the rage these days. Now that unicorns and mermaids seem to be trending down, cacti and succulents are trending up. While it may seem strange to bathe with a soap that mimics a plant with sharp needles, that doesn’t seem to be off putting where artisan soaps are concerned.

Buy them to add a touch of summer to your guest bathroom or to give as simple housewarming or hostess gifts. Or simply gather inspiration for crafting your own unique DIY cactus soaps at home. Plus discover 7 soap making tutorial for making homemade succulent soaps as your next weekend soap making project.

Creative Cactus Soaps for Succulent Lovers

If you love cacti and other succulents, then be sure to shop these amazing artisan soap finds from Etsy. Beautiful cacti and succulent soaps for handmade gifts or DIY inspiration. Here are just a few of my favorite handcrafted cactus soaps. For more soapy inspiration, be sure to visit my collection of artisan soaps on Etsy here.

Clockwise: Desert Blooms Cactus Soap by Grouchy Owl Soaps / Cactus Flower Soap by Skyline Soapworks / Blooming Cactus Soaps by Joan’s Garden / Succulent Garden Soap by Sinfully Scented Shop

Clockwise: Succulent Soap Gifts by BeeUtifully Organic / We’re Rooting for You Succulent Soap Gift Box by Sunbasil Soap / Southwest Succulent Soaps by Soap Etiquette Inc. / Cactus Succulent Soap Favor by Seaside Soap Kitchen

Clockwise: Green Cactus Calendula Infused Soaps by Calendula Skin Soaps / Cactus Succulent Soap Favors by So Cute Soap / Artisan Succulent Soaps by Wild Poppy Soap Co. / Cactus Flower Soaps by Honey Butter Bath Co.

Clockwise: Desert Rose Cacti Soap by Moon Shine Suds / Potted Succulent Soap by Seapoint Trade / Fresh Succulent Soap Garden by Joan’s Garden / Sedona in Bloom By Trinity Soaps

Clockwise: Cactus Succulent Desert Bloom Soap by Land of Soap / Tequila Sunrise Eagles Inspired Soap by A Sea of Soaps / Margarita Cactus Gardeners Soap by Grounded Sage Skincare / Unscented Mini Cactus Goat Milk Soap by Soap Nerd Shop

Clockwise: Rustic Cactus & Sea Salt Soap by The Little Soap Store / 3D Crafted Cactus Soap by Nerdy Soap / Cactus Soap Favors by Sunbasil Soap / Cactus Flower Soap Bar by Wild Elephant Soap

Make Your Own DIY Cactus Soaps

Cactus Soap Making Molds

Ready to make your own DIY cacti or succulent soaps? You can find a plethora of unique and interesting soap molds for making cacti or succulent soaps and embeds here. (Including the cactus soap molds pictured above from Gold Miss Craft Supplies.)

Cacti & Succulent Soap Tutorials

Also be sure to check out this collection of cacti & succulent soap tutorials for even more DIY ideas for your next soap making project.

You can also learn how to make your own custom cacti and succulent soap molds with this soap mold tutorial from Soap Queen. Then use your homemade soap molds to make unique one-of-a-kind melt and pour soaps.

Love these handmade artisan soaps and DIY soap making ideas? Be sure to pin this post for later!

Discover more DIY soap making ideas you can craft for handmade gifts by following me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Pinterest, Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Decorating, Homemade Gift Ideas, Shopping, Soapmaking Tagged With: artisan, cactus, cold process soap recipe, cold process soapmaking, crafts, diy, gift guide, gift idea, handmade gifts, handmade soap, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, shopping, soap tutorial, soapmaking, succulent