Tag: last minute

Difficulty: Beginners
Time: 1 hr
Yields: 9 small soaps

Checking out the melt and pour starter kit from Pure Nature, I learned two things: one, they’re a great way to get you and/or your kids into soap making, because it contains everything you need and it’s actually a lot cheaper to buy the kit than the ingredients separately; and two, they contain these clamshell soap molds that act both as a mold and packaging at the same time. How handy is that? You pour the soap, let it cool down and harden, close the lid, and the soap is ready and packaged. The kit contains a whole block of white melt and pour soap base, fragrance and 9 of these clamshell molds.

The sparkly Christmas soaps are a great starter project if you have a Pure Nature Melt and Pour Soap starter kit, but want do something a little bit more creative. In addition to the white melt and pour base and the fragrance that comes with the kit, you will also need clear melt and pour soap base, glitter, and a little chocolate mold of something Christmas themed. These you can get at $2 dollar shops, Spotlight, Look Sharp or the Warehouse.

Of course, you can make these soaps even if you don’t have the starter kit. In that case you will need 9 clamshell soap molds, in addition to the above ingredients (see full list of ingredients below).

PREPARATION: Cut up enough white melt and pour soap base to make 9 little soap embeds. Place them into a heat proof Pyrex jug and heat in the microwave in 20 second bursts until the soap has completely melted. Make sure you don’t bring the soap to boiling point. Pour the soap into the Christmas themed mold and spritz with some 99% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of the bubbles on the surface. Let the soap embeds harden and cool down completely before carefully removing them. Set aside for later use.

ONE: Cut up 5-6 rows clear melt and pour soap base into small cubes and add to a heat proof Pyrex jug. Heat on high in the microwave in 20 second bursts, until the soap has melted.

TWO: Add 1 teaspoon of fragrance and 1/4 teaspoon of glitter, and stir well.

Great Christmas fragrances to use are: Holly, Mistletoe, and Christmas Trees. Children  (and adults) love the Gingerbread fragrance. You can use essential oils for a natural option. Christmas blends usually include a combination of orange, pine, cinnamon, or peppermint essential oils.

THREE: Pour the soap into mold, filling it up to about 2/3 of the mold. Carefully place an embed (bottom up!) in the centre and push it down, so that the soap covers it.

FOUR: Spritz the surface with isopropyl alcohol to get rid of the bubbles.

Repeat with the other 8 molds.

Leave the soaps to firm up, so that you can pour the second layer. They ideal time to pour is when the soap is firm enough to support the next layer, without the hot, liquid soap pushing through the previous layer, but not completely solid.

FIVE: Cut 2-3 rows of white melt and pour soap base, and again heat in microwave until melted.

SIX: Check if the previous layer is solid enough by giving it a gentle push with the finger. If it gives way, but feels solid otherwise, it should be ok. Give the surface another quick spritz with alcohol, and then using a spoon, carefully ladle the melted white soap over the clear soap. Only fill the mold up to the ridge, otherwise you won’t be able to close the lid on it!

SEVEN: Let the soap cool down completely and harden before carefully putting the lids on. If you close the lids too soon, condensation will form inside the lids, which are a breeding ground for bacteria and mould!

If you decide to unmold the soaps, make sure you wrap them up! Glycerin soaps are prone to ‘sweating’ – collecting moisture on the surface.