How-Tuesday: Mini Soap-on-a-Rope

Etsy.com handmade and vintage goods
julieincharge

Story by Julie Schneider

Published on Feb 16, 2010 in Make

As an industrious kid, I spent summers and school vacations in my super secret craft laboratory concocting a veritable encyclopedia of projects: everything from my oven-baked Shrinky Dink jewelry line (rest in peace, Julie’s Jewels) to a microwave-frenzied era of homemade lip balms and melt-and-pour soaps. Fast forward through many bygone crafty victories and incidences best forgotten and I found myself organizing Craft Nights at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. We’ve hosted several jam-packed bath and beauty Craft Nights, including making lip balm and sugar scrubs.

When Angie Barrett of SudsNSuch sent me her instructions for creating soap-on-a-rope, I had a sneaking suspicion that this project might be met with similar enthusiasm by my crafty pals who haunt the How-To section of our blog. So, without further ado, read on for a tutorial that would make for a great project at your own Craft Night!

 

 

Supplies Needed:

  • Approximately 4 ounces of melt and pour soap base
  • Mini bath puff
  • Fragrance oil (I used Cherry Blossom from Sahara’s Supplies)
  • Blueberry seeds for exfoliation
  • Bath bomb mold (I also got mine from Sahara)
  • A spoon for mixing
  • A knife for cutting
  • Measuring glass to melt your soap in

 

 

Have all your supplies? Okay, let’s get started! First you need to cut up your soap base and measure out 2 ounces. Melt it in the microwave (about 20 seconds should do the trick), add about 1/4 tsp fragrance oil, a bit of blueberry seeds, and mix it all together.

(Note: I don’t recommend making your soap outside like I did. I only did this for the purpose of taking pictures in the natural lighting.)

 

 

 

Now, set your mini puff in one half of the bath bomb mold. I recommend greasing the mold a bit so your soap doesn’t stick.

 

 

 

 

 

Carefully pour your soap mixture into the mold. You’ll need to pull the puff away from the sides a bit to get it in there. Pour slowly so the puff has time to absorb some of the soap. Now, go grab a cup of coffee and wait for this to dry.

 

 

 

 

Is it dry? Alright, next step!

Measure out another 2 ounces of your soap base. Melt it and add your fragrance and blueberry seeds like last time. Pour it into the other half of your mold. (Don’t forget to grease it!)

 

 

 

Unmold the dry soap that you made earlier. I tried doing this with the first half still in the mold but the mold won’t close completely and you’ll have a little gap between the two halves.

Very carefully and very slowly set it into the melted soap, puff side down. You’ll want to put something under it to catch the soap that runs out over the side. Trust me, now matter how slow you go, it’s going to happen.
We’re done! Well, almost. Go grab a book or watch TV (or browse Etsy) for about 30 minutes and then come back and unmold your creation.
Congrats, you just made a mini soap-on-a-rope!

Thank you to Angie Barrett from SudsNSuch for sharing this project with us.

Related Items

100 comments

Sign in to add your own