Mother's Day Gifts

It's almost Mother's Day! It's time to get my crafting on... I needed a little inspiration so I stopped by Michaels Craft store a few day's ago. I ended up finding so many idea's it was hard to choose just one. I do have a passion for making soap so I grabbed a few soap supplies and some super cute paper while I was there. Then headed home to create a Mother's Day gift.

  I decided to make lavender oatmeal and apple heart soap. They turned out really cute and I am so excited to give them to my Mother!!

Supplies needed:

clear glycerin soap (Michaels)
white glycerin or goats milk soap (Michaels)
fragrance for soap (Michaels)
soap coloring
large plastic or glass measuring cup
tin foil
bread loaf pan or loaf sized container
mixing spoon
cheese grater
cutting board
knife
a small spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol
oats- if you are going to make lavender oatmeal soap, I chose to use quick oats instead of regular because I wanted my oats to be a little smaller

**Michaels also carries soap making kits with all the soap supplies needed in them**

Start out by forming a piece of tin foil into a square by pinching the foil to create sides. I learned this on YouTube, super handy trick!
Place cut blocks of clear glycerin in a large measuring cup. Put the measuring cup into the microwave and microwave soap in 30 second increments, stirring every 30 seconds until the soap blocks are melted. Next stir in your color and fragrance, pour melted soap into foil form.

You want to wait until the soap is hard enough to form into a heart. Keep you eye on it because it hardens really fast. I had to re-melt mine a second time because I waited too long. Once it is firm enough to handle but still warm and flexible remove the foil. Trim a little off each end so that it fit's  into your form. Keep the extra soap that you trim off for later. Roll each end into the center to form a heart shape. Make sure that your finished heart is not taller than your form. Set aside.

Next get your cheese grater out and start shredding soap. I shredded a bar of white glycerin and the remaining soap that I trimmed off before I made my heart.

Next melt almost a whole container of white glycerin depending on the size of your form. I stacked cut bars of glycerin in my container to get an idea of how much I would need, don't forget to take in account the space that the heart will take up. To much is better than not enough. Pour a small amount of melted soap into the bottom of your form and place the heart into your form and hold in place until it stays by itself. Make sure your soap is not too hot or it will melt your heart and make a mess. Once your heart will stay in place spritz it with the alcohol to help the soaps stick together. Then fill the rest of your form until the heart is totally covered in soap. Make sure to pour your soap slowly so that it has a chance to fill the inside of the heart. Gently tap the container once it is full.

Spritz the top of the soap with alcohol again. Now sprinkle your soap shavings on top and gently press them into the melted soap so that they will stick when the soap cools.

Wait a few hours or even over night before removing soap log from form. If you used a plastic container gently pull sides of container away from soap, next turn the container upside down and put your hand underneath the container to catch the soap. Gently shake out the soap. If you are using a bread loaf pan run a knife around the edges before you turn it over and shake out the soap. It does help to put your soap into the freezer for a few minutes before trying to remove it from it's container. Some of the shaving from the top will fall off, that's normal.

Now you are ready to cut your soap, yea! Put your soap on a cutting board, trim off a small amount of each end first. Next cut bars into your desired thickness.

I had to take lots of pictures of my pretty soap when I was done, I am so proud of it! 

Here is the Lavender Oatmeal soap:)

  For this soap I used goats milk soap. I made 2 layers, one white and one purple. Make sure to spray the soap with alcohol between layers. I also added lavender fragrance, which smells really good. Sprinkle and press oats on to the top of the soap log before it cools.

Now for packaging....

The purple and silver polka dot paper is from Michaels and do I love it! I also grabbed small white paper bags from Michaels, they are in the wrapping section.

I saw a similar idea on Pinterest and decided it would be perfect to put my soap in. 

Cut your paper in your desired size and sew 3 edges making a paper pocket. Embellish however you want! These paper pockets would also be really good for chocolate candies, hint-hint. Don't all mother's love chocolate?!?

Happy Mother's Day

I hope someone spoils you too!