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Homemade Baby Shower Soaps

by Betty DeWille

Please visit Betty's new site Quick and Easy Recipes for great recipes and free printables.

I used these stork-motif, melt and pour soaps as favors for my daughter's baby shower. They were a huge hit and people loved the fragrance. As well, they were taking home something useful, instead of the usual knick knack.

Homemade Baby Shower Soaps
What You Need:

• melt and pour soap
• fragrance oil of choice
• soap coloring
• soap molds
• tulle circles
• ribbon
• decorative charms

Melt and Pour Baby Soaps
What You Do:

Prepare the melt and pour soap according to the directions on the package. The specific directions will vary according to the type of soap, but melting is usually done in a double boiler or microwave oven. Do not boil or overheat the soap.

When the soap base is melted, add color and scent. I used baby powder fragrance. The amount added will depend on your preference, and how much soap you are making (usually about 1 teaspoon of fragrance per pound of soap, but check with your soap manufacturer instructions, as yours may vary slightly). It is always best to start with a smaller amount of fragrance then add a little more if needed; too much fragrance may cause your soap not to set right.

When adding the soap color use a little at a time and don't add so much that the bubbles become colored as well; they should remain white or clear.

When choosing the molds, check the product description which should tell you how much soap is needed to fill each mold. Multiply the number of ounces specified for each mold, by the number of soaps you wish to make; this is the approximate amount of melt and pour soap that you need to buy, but it's always nice to have a little extra in case of mishaps. My soap mold held four ounces of soap.

If you are planning on making your soaps in different colors, be sure to melt your soap in batches so you can color each batch individually. If your soap hardens too quickly simply remelt it and start over.

Once you have added both fragrance oil and soap color, pour the melted soap into the molds, then gently tap the molds several times to allow any air bubbles to rise to the top. Allow to set.

Unmold soap, and proceed with remaining batches until you have the number of colored soaps required.

Allow your soaps to rest for best results. Leave out on a flat surface for about a day, allowing them to harden properly and become more durable for handling.

For presentation, I used pastel colored tulle circles from the wedding section of the craft store. However, you can use any tulle yardage and cut it to suit your needs.

Place a stork soap in the center of the tulle, then bring up the sides to form a sack. Tie closed with pretty ribbon. After you have knotted the ribbon, thread on a decorative charm, then tie a bow, moving the charm to fall in front of the bow. Alternatively, you can hot glue the charm over the center of the the bow for a decorative accent.