Howcast

How to Turn Soap Slivers into a New Bar Of Soap

Howcast — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:03:22 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Gather soap odds and ends Accumulate soap odds and ends until you have at least a cupful.
Step 2: Soak the slivers Put the slivers into a small saucepan, cover them with water, and let them soak for about a day, stirring the mixture now and then.
Step 3: Boil some soap soup Bring your soap soup to a boil, stirring it occasionally and keeping an eye on it, so it doesn’t burn.
Step 4: Add oil Remove it from the heat, and stir in a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil for each cup of liquid.
TIP: Mix in a few teaspoons of uncooked oatmeal for an exfoliating bar, and the zest of a lemon, lime, or orange for a nice citrus scent. You can also add a few drops of food coloring.
Step 5: Let it cool Pour your concoction into lightly greased muffin tins, cardboard boxes, or plastic molds from craft stores, and let them harden.
Step 6: Cut cool designs Cut the new bars into any size or shape you like with a knife.
FACT: The average person uses 656 bars of soap in his lifetime.

You Will Need

Soap slivers
A small saucepan
Water
Olive or vegetable oil
Molds
A knife
Oatmeal
Zest of a lemon
lime
or orange
Food coloring

How to Make Trinket Melt & Pour Soap

Howcast — Mon, 19 May 2008 23:00:38 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Check if trinket fits Before starting, make sure the trinket you picked out fits inside the mold.
Step 2: Cut base into cubes Cut your base into 1-inch cubes to allow for easier melting. You can approximate the amount to melt by seeing how many chunks fit into the mold.
TIP: Use a clear glycerin base if you want your object to be visible inside the soap, and a milky, opaque base if you want it to be a hidden surprise.
Step 3: Heat soap base Place your soap base into the glass bowl or measuring cup, cover the top with plastic wrap, and heat in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. If the base isn’t completely melted after 30 seconds, remove it, stir it with a whisk, and re-heat at 10-second intervals, stirring in between, until it is. Don’t forget to replace the plastic wrap each time.
Step 4: Gently stir Remove the base from the microwave and gently stir with the whisk, to avoid creating air bubbles.
Step 5: Pour thin layer Pour a thin layer of melted soap base into the mold.
TIP: Avoid using a loaf-shaped soap mold—you’ll have to slice up the finished soap, and may end up cutting through the objects inside.
Step 6: Spray with alcohol Spray the top of the mold with rubbing alcohol to get rid of any excess bubbles and let it cool a minute or two, until a thin skin forms.
Step 7: Place object Place the object of your choice on top of this layer, then top off the mold with more melted soap base.
TIP: You may want to use a toothpick or chopstick to push the objects down or reposition them to your liking.
Step 8: Spray alcohol again Spray the top of the mold again with rubbing alcohol.
Step 9: Let mold sit Let the mold sit for several hours at room temperature—or in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Step 10: Pop out soap When the soap is fully hardened, pop it out and let the scrubbing begin.
FACT: Soap was taxed as a luxury item in many parts of Europe well into the 19th century —when the tax was finally removed, average folks were finally able to lather up.

You Will Need

A lb. or two of soap base
A cutting board
A serrated knife
A microwave
A microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup
Some plastic wrap
A whisk
A spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
The soap mold of your choice
And the small
fun object of your choice
A chopstick or toothpick (optional)

How to Customize Melt & Pour Soap

Howcast — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:37:01 +0000

Instructions

: Some people’s skin is sensitive to certain dyes, oils, or exfoliates—research your choices first before using them.
Step 1: Cut base into cubes Cut your base into 1-inch cubes to allow for easier melting. You can approximate the amount to melt by seeing how many chunks fit into each mold. In general, a pound of soap base will make about 3 medium-sized bars of soap, or numerous smaller ones.
Step 2: Heat soap Place your soap base into the glass bowl or measuring cup, cover the top with plastic wrap, and heat it in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. If the base isn’t completely melted, remove it, stir it with a whisk, and re-heat it at 10-second intervals, stirring in between, until it is. Don’t forget to replace the plastic wrap each time.
Step 3: Gently stir Remove the melted base from the microwave and gently stir it with the whisk.
Step 4: Stir in dye To add color, stir the soap dye or colorant of your choice into the melted soap base.
TIP: Synthetic soap dyes create the brightest colors, but natural ingredients—like curry or cocoa powder, pureed pumpkin, spinach, carrots, or beets—offer subtler shades.
Step 5: Add scent To add scent, stir a few drops of scented oil into the melted soap base. Popular scent choices include everything from almond or vanilla, to green tea or watermelon.
Step 6: Add texture To add texture, stir in an exfoliating ingredient. Popular choices include dried strawberry seeds, thick coffee grinds, or oatmeal.
TIP: Heavier exfoliants may sink to the bottom of your mix. To avoid this, let your soap base cool a little before stirring them in.
Step 7: Pour into molds Pour your soap base into the soap molds.
Step 8: Spray alcohol Spray the top of each mold with rubbing alcohol to get rid of any excess bubbles.
Step 9: Let molds sit Let the molds sit for several hours at room temperature—or in the refrigerator for about one hour.
Step 10: Remove & enjoy Remove the soap from the molds, and enjoy.
FACT: The human body creates about 1.5 million dead skin cells per hour—so exfoliating soap can help slough off old skin to reveal the newer, softer you underneath.

You Will Need

A lb. or two of soap base
A cutting board
A serrated knife
A microwave-safe glass bowl or measuring cup
Some plastic wrap
A microwave
A whisk
A spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
Soap molds
The soap dye or colorant of your choice
The scented oil of your choice
And the exfoliants of your choice

How to Make Melt & Pour Soap

Howcast — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:37:57 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Cut soap into cubes Cut the soap base into 1-inch cubes to allow for easier melting. You can approximate the amount to melt by seeing how many chunks fit into each mold. In general, a pound of soap base will make about 3 medium-sized bars of soap or numerous smaller ones.
TIP: A wide variety of exotic soap bases–like milky-white olive oil or avocado-cucumber–are available from craft supply stores and websites.
Step 2: Heat soap base Place your soap base into the glass bowl or measuring cup, cover the top with plastic wrap. Heat it in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. If the base isn’t completely melted after 30 seconds, remove it, stir it with a whisk, and re-heat it at 10-sec intervals, stirring in between, until it is. Don’t forget to replace the plastic wrap each time.
Step 3: Stir gently Remove the base from the microwave and gently stir it with the whisk.
TIP: Don’t stir too hard — it will create excess air bubbles in the melted base.
Step 4: Pour into molds Slowly pour your base into the molds.
TIP: A wide variety of soap molds are available, but muffin tins, tart pans, and heat-resistant ice cube trays will work, too.
Step 5: Spray with alcohol Spray the top of each mold with rubbing alcohol to get rid of any excess bubbles.
Step 6: Let molds sit Let the molds sit for several hours at room temperature–or in the refrigerator for about one hour.
Step 7: Flex & pop out When the soaps are fully hardened, simply flex the molds a little and pop them out.
FACT: According to Roman legend, soap comes from Mount Sapo, where animals were regularly sacrificed by fire–locals used the melted animal fat and wood ashes to clean their clothes.

You Will Need

A lb. or two of soap base
A cutting board
A serrated knife
A microwave-safe glass bowl or measuring cup
Some plastic wrap
A microwave
A whisk
A spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
And soap molds

How to Make Confetti Melt & Pour Soap

Howcast — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:37:18 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Cut base into cubes Cut your base into 1-inch cubes to allow for easier melting.
Step 2: Heat soap base Place your soap base into the glass bowl or measuring cup, cover the top with plastic wrap, and heat it in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. If the base isn’t completely, remove it, stir it with a whisk, and re-heat it at 10-second intervals, stirring in between, until it is. Don’t forget to replace the plastic wrap each time.
Step 3: Stir gently Remove the melted base from the microwave and stir it gently, to avoid creating air bubbles.
Step 4: Add colorants Pour small amounts of the soap base into as many separate mixing bowls as colors you plan to use, and add the colorants to each. Keep at least half of your melted base aside to use as “background base” — the outer layer of soap that will contain the core of confetti pieces.
TIP: Your background base can be colorful too — just add dye or colorant to it at the same time that you dye the base for the inside colors.
Step 5: Spray with alcohol Pour a little background base into the loaf mold and spray it with rubbing alcohol to eliminate air bubbles and help the layers adhere.
Step 6: Pour confetti Pour a thin layer of the colored confetti base on a piece of wax paper and allow it to cool. If you have multiple colors, pour out some of each color.
Step 7: Cut base into confetti When the colored base has hardened—and the background base in the mold has formed a ‘skin’—break, chop, or cut the colored base into ‘confetti’ pieces, and scatter them over the background base in the mold.
TIP: A loaf mold, true to its name, will yield a loaf of soap that will ultimately be cut into slices—so remember that whatever you put in will be visible from a cross-section cut.
Step 8: Continue pouring layers Continue pouring in layers of the background base, spraying them with alcohol, and adding pieces of colored confetti once a skin has formed.
TIP: If any of the base starts to cool and harden before you’re done with it, pop it in the microwave on high for 10 to 15 seconds until it’s re-melted.
Step 9: Add final layer Top off the mold with a final layer of background base and spray it with alcohol.
Step 10: Let cool & slice Let your creation cool several hours or overnight, pop it out of the mold, and slice it up – then marvel at your speckled masterpiece.
FACT: Early American colonists made their own soap from rendered animal fat, and by 1700 some colonies were even exporting ashes and fats for soap production.

You Will Need

Two to 4 lb. of soap base
A cutting board
A serrated knife
A microwave
A microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup
Some plastic wrap
A whisk
Soap dyes in the colors of your choice
A mixing bowl for each color you choose
Some wax paper
A loaf-shaped soap mold
And a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol

How to Make Layered Melt & Pour Soap

Howcast — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:36:27 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Cut base into cubes Cut your base into 1-inch cubes to allow for easier melting. You can estimate the amount to melt by seeing how many chunks fit into each mold. In general, a pound of soap base should make about 3 medium-sized bars of soap, or numerous smaller ones.
Step 2: Heat soap base Place your soap base into the glass bowl or measuring cup, cover the top with plastic wrap, and heat it in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. If the base isn’t completely melted, remove it, stir it with a whisk, and re-heat it at 10-second intervals, stirring in between, until it is. Don’t forget to replace the plastic wrap each time.
Step 3: Stir gently Remove the melted base from the microwave and stir it gently, to avoid creating air bubbles.
Step 4: Pour into bowls Separate the soap base by pouring it into as many bowls as colors you plan to use.
TIP: For the best results, plan out the pattern you’d like to make ahead of time: whether it’s a rainbow of colorful stripes or just alternating bands of two or three colors, or anything in between.
Step 5: Add dyes Add the dyes or colorants to each of the separate bowls and stir.
TIP: Be sure to use only soap-safe dyes and follow any special instructions on the package.
Step 6: Pour first layer Pour the first layer into your mold.
TIP: You can use a loaf mold to make multiple bars that will all have more or less the same pattern, or multiple single molds to create unique patterns.
Step 7: Spray with alcohol Spray the layer you’ve already poured into the mold with rubbing alcohol to eliminate air bubbles and help the layers adhere. Let it cool until a “skin” has formed.
TIP: If the colored bases are starting to cool and harden, pop them in the microwave on high for 10 to 15 seconds until they’ve re-melted.
Step 8: Continue layering Slowly pour another colored layer over the first layer. Spritz it with rubbing alcohol and let it cool, allowing a skin to form over the top. Continue in this way until you’ve added all your colors in as many layers as you like.
Step 9: Let cool Let your creation cool for several hours or overnight, pop it out of its mold in the morning, and you’re ready to bathe in ribbons of color.
FACT: Clay cylinders containing fat boiled with ashes were found during an excavation of ancient Babylon–suggesting that soap making could have started as early as 2,800 B.C.

You Will Need

One to two lb. of soap base
A cutting board
A serrated knife
A microwave-safe glass bowl or measuring cup
Some plastic wrap
A microwave
A whisk
Soap molds
Soap dyes in the colors of your choice
A mixing bowl for each color you choose
And a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
A small baking loaf pan (optional) (optional)
And cooking oil (optional) (optional)