Handmade Soap Making for Kids

DIY soap bars- really?

So, I had no idea there was so much to learn about soap making or so much you can do with soap making. My dear friend, Kelly Sauvage, spent several hours with me giving me a condensed overview of handmade soap making for kids and actually making soap with me. She hopes that you love making soap as much as she does. Thank you, Kelly. I had SO much fun.

How do you make soap?

There are three main ways to make soap- Hot press Process (HP), the Cold press Process (CP) and the Melt and Pour (MP) soap making techniques.

How to make soap at home without lye

Both hot and cold process require using lye and that takes extreme care because lye is a dangerous substance that requires special handling to prevent burns. Once the soap process is complete and there is “saponification”, the danger of the lye is gone. Crazy, huh? Makes me feel sorry for all those people long ago that had to make soap and handle lye regularly!

BUT, we used the Melt and Pour soap making technique that starts with soap supplies that have already gone through saponification so you just…well…melt and pour it into the molds. Someone else already did the lye step for us! How nice of them. This is a safer method for Handmade Soap Making for Kids

Soap making for beginners

Kelly purchased two types of soap ingredients to use: a clear soap base and a white soap base. We used them both in these CUTE aquarium soaps. This post will feature making aquarium soaps, but the options are unlimited on how you can make the soap look. Your creative mind will immediately begin thinking of other soap ideas you would like to try! I can see how this could become addictive.

It is wise to have all the ingredients and items you may want to use in your soaps gathered and ready before starting. Melted soap base hardens quickly and doesn’t wait for you to run and get things once you have begun. That being said, you can re-melt the soap base if it hardens before you are ready. 

There is a supply list at the bottom of this post. I noticed that some of the scents and colors can be used in both handmade soap making and candle making. That would make them useable in the WTN post on making ice candles if you haven’t tried that one yet…but I digress…(squirrel!). Kelly had a tote full of scents and a tote full of colors so that made this step easy- except that it was hard to decide which one to use!

How to make soap step by step (Melt and Pour)

The soap bases came in small sections on the big block, and we cut the number of sections off that we wanted to use to fill the six bars that were in the mold. The soap is soft and not difficult to cut.

The first layer of melted soap we used was the clear soap base. This clear soap will look like the water in the “aquarium” and will be where we place some small fish add-ins that can be seen from the front of the soap.

Kelly's amazing soap add-ins

Now, Kelly had been busy at work ahead of time making these amazing little fish and seaweed add-ins for us to use. She has molds for this and painstakingly added melted soap base of various colors into these tiny molds. When she makes soap, she likes to have everything in the soap be made from actual soap, nothing plastic. This is so cool.

On her counter were all kinds of items made from soap that I would have thought were real. Her husband says that he has almost popped soap berries and nuts in his mouth!! That would be shocking, for sure! But seriously, Kelly has made her own molds out of real items that when made in the actual color of the item look so real- blackberries, gum drops, pecans, small pumpkins. It is amazing, she is very talented.

But it is also fine to use small items in the soaps (like little toys) for the children to find as the soap is used up. Kelly said that kids really like this. So, when trying this soap tutorial, look for some very small plastic fish and seaweed in the craft or discount store. I had thought it would look neat to use small seashells as well.

Note: If there are small toys in the soap then they shouldn’t be used by little children that may put the small items in their mouth.

How to make melt and pour soap

Place the clear soap base in a measuring cup that is heat safe and place it in the microwave according to the directions on the package. We heated it several times in short bursts until it was completely liquid. Kelly used a heat gun to measure temperature, desiring about 145-150 degrees, but the package will direct you on the specifics for your clear soap base.

Add and stir in a small amount of blue coloring and the scent you would like to use according to the directions on the bottles.

Spritz each cup in the soap mold with isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle. Kelly said this is to be done before pouring and between each layer of soap base. It helps the layers to bond together.

Tip: If you choose to color the water blue, make sure to use a very light blue so you can see through it easily. If it is too dark, you will not be able to see the fish when the soap is finished.

Filling the soap bar molds

We poured the clear soap base to fill the molds to about ⅓ full and then let it set up a little bit. Lightly spritz the soap with alcohol and then gently place your small items (the fish and seaweed) in each soap in various arrangements for variety. I loved this part. Don’t press the fish in, just place on the surface of the clear soap base. Spritz lightly again after the fish and sea life are added.

We then poured a little more of the clear soap base over the fish to hold them in place. This filled the soap mold to about ⅔ full.

After cleaning out the measuring cup (the soap base can be re-used by the way), we let the soaps harden.

Next it was time to cut off and heat several sections of the white soap base. This will be the background of the aquarium, making it possible to see the fish more easily. 

When it is melted add more of the scent that you used in the clear soap base if you would like. Do not use any color. Kelly had several ecofriendly, biodegradable glitters that work in soap, so I just had to add some sparkle to the white soap base. Who can resist some bling? This is optional of course. 

Kelly checked the temperature of the base and we let it cool a bit before pouring so it wouldn’t melt the clear layers. She said that there are neat effects in soapmaking from the mixing of the clear and white soap bases before they are set, but we don’t want them to mix and swirl. We want there to be a distinct clear layer to look like water and a distinct white layer as a background on this soap aquarium.

After spritzing the soap that was in the molds with alcohol, we gently poured the white soap base layer in, and this filled the molds even to the top. 

Hurry up and wait...for the soap to harden

Now…wait for it to harden. It’s hard to wait, but it really didn’t take very long. One of the advantages of the melt and pour soap making technique is that it doesn’t take long for the soap base to harden. And you can use it immediately. The other methods must set and cure for several weeks! 

You can see the delight on my face as I peeled back the silicone molds and set the soap bars free. It was like Christmas to see the aquarium bars of soap with fish floating inside. I just love them! 

Kelly took pictures of me during the soapmaking process, and this may be the first post that you see me in the pictures! I’m always behind the camera. Hi!

You can make your own bath soap...scented aquarium soap bars

Just look at these soaps! So cute. There are six soaps in the mold Kelly had, and I have six grandkids. Guess what each one got in their stocking? 

Kelly has also made molds for yellow soap duckies. Wouldn’t that be cute?

Local handmade soap

I’m hoping that Kelly will have her Etsy shop and website up soon so I can share her amazing soapmaking with you. Her business name is Dry Creek Soap Co. She will offer her soaps and some of her soap add-ins for others to use in their soapmaking. She works primarily with Cold Press soapmaking. I’m excited for her. She was so generous with her time and her soaps are wonderful. I’m sure it will be a great success.

Thank you again, Kelly, for sharing your skills, kitchen and supplies with Welcome To Nanas. You are a dear person and friend.

Please, attach pictures of your soaps and I will share them with Kelly!!

Supplies for Handmade Soap Making for Kids

Tip from Kelly: Watch the weekly ad at Hobby Lobby for sales on soap making supplies.

• Soap bases- Clear Glycerin Soap Base and/or White Soap Base
• Skin safe Fragrance (optional)
• Blue skin-safe coloring
• Biodegradable, Eco-Friendly, Skin and Eye Safe Glitter (optional)
• Very small items to add in soap- like small Plastic Fish
• Mold for rectangle soaps
• Isopropyl alcohol (91%)- in a spray bottle
• Rubber spatula- heat resistant
• Measuring cup that is heat-resistant
• Measuring spoons
• Microwave (or double boiler)

ENJOY!

If you try this craft, let me know! Go ahead and leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.