Wax and Bubbles

…..for that fresh drunken Irish clean feeling.

Glycerin soap, clear for a more transparent green or white for a more solid green color
Soap dye in green
Soap molds in shamrock shape or other St. Patrick’s Day shape
Microwave safe liquid measuring cup
Spoon
Popsicle stick or coffee stirrer
Knife

If using bars of soap, cut into three pieces. If using purchased glycerin blocks, cut off 2-3 pre-measured chunks. Place glycerin soap into a measuring cup, microwave for 20 seconds), then in 10-second intervals until melted. Add colors. Add a few drops and stir with a spoon. If you want the color darker, simply add more dye.

Slowly pour the liquid soap into the mold. Set aside to harden for 45 minutes to an hour.

After soap has cooled completely, pop them out of the molds.

*While you’re in the festive mood, why not make a St. Patrick’s Day Green Beer Candle:*

A glass beer mug
Candle gel
Standard paraffin wax
An appropriate wick length
Green candle coloring and fragrance if desired
A wire whisk
Standard candle making equipment

Take the wick, make it longer than you would need and tie it around a pencil. Place the pencil length-wise across the lip of the mug. Melt the gel over med HIGH heat on the stove or in a microwaveable-safe dish in the microwave. Once the gel is liquefied add green coloring and fragrance if using. Once fragrance and color is incorporated, pour directly into mug. You might want to hold the wick by the pencil straight up from the middle to keep it straight while pouring. Before starting the next step, allow the gel to fully harden.

Next step is to melt the paraffin wax in the same manor as above. Either way will work fine. While the paraffin is melting your need to whip the wax so as to add bubbles to the wax. Pour the whipped wax directly on the top of the gel in the mug. Be sure to hold the wick straight up and down do that it is even with the rest of the candle and won’t burn sideways. Let everything harden completely for a day or two before burning. Or use it for your St. Patrick’s Day decor while you party it up Irish-style this evening.

Making Peppermint Soap:

40 oz Olive oil
20 oz Palm Kernel oil
20 oz Pam oil
20 oz Coconut oil
5 oz Jojoba oil (added at trace)
4 oz Lavender EO (added at trace)
2 oz Peppermint EO (added at trace)
6 oz Alcanet diffused in 8 oz olive oil (added at trace)
34 oz filtered water
14.5 oz lanolin
Combined oils and lanolin at 100 degrees F. Mixed with stick blender. Poured into loaf mold and covered with plastic wrap. Wrapped in blankets for 24 hrs and then cut into thick strips of soap and wrap in cloth or plastic wrap. Store in a cool, dry location.

Making Peppermint Lip Balm:

1½ oz beeswax pellets
1 oz cocoa butter
1½ oz shea butter
2 ozs. sweet almond oil
1-2 teaspoons peppermint essential oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E liquid

In a very small pan, add the beeswax and melt over the lowest setting.
Once melted add the cocoa butter chunks and shea butter, let melt, and
then add the sweet almond oil. Heat through. Add the Vitamin E oil.
Remove from stove and pour into a glass measuring cup for easy pouring
into lip balm containers.

Add the peppermint oil. Stir peppermint oil in
and pour into lip balm containers. If the mixture starts to harden, place in
the microwave for a few seconds to re-melt and then pour. Makes 6 oz.

Making Peppermint Lotion:

3 tbsp paraffin
1/2 cup shea butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp glycerin
10-15 drops peppermint essential oil

Slowly heat paraffin with the oils in a double boiler. Stir until blended. Add in the glycerin and remove from heat. Let cool before using.

Making Peppermint Scented Candles:

1/2 teaspoon peppermint essential oil
Wicks
Wick holder
1/2 pound beeswax
1/2 pound soy wax
Small paintbrush

1. In a double boiler, heat beeswax and soy wax until melted, about 180 degrees. Check temperature with a candy thermometer. Turn off the heat and add peppermint oil.

2. Cut 3 inches of wick; tie a knot at one end. Thread the loose end through a wick holder, and pull so the knot is secure under the holder.

3. Dip the wick and holder with wax until coated; this will stiffen and straighten the wick. Press the wick holder into the bottom of your candle holder to affix. Let the wick dry.

4. Pour the wax into the candle, and fill to the edge. Let the candle dry for about 4 hours.

• Homemade Grass Soap

What you’ll need:
Scissors
Wheatgrass
Blotter paper
Flower press
Glycerin soap
Sharp knife
Glass measuring cup
Grass fragrance
4-inch mini loaf pan
Spray bottle filled with
Rubbing alcohol
Waxed paper
Twine

Cut a 5-inch-square section from a flat of wheatgrass. Pull out individual blades with roots attached, and lay in a single layer on a sheet of blotter paper. Top with another piece of blotter paper. Sandwich between pages of a flower press. Let dry, two to three days. Cut glycerin soap (we used clear and white) into small pieces with a sharp knife. Fill measuring cup. Microwave on medium heat until melted. If desired, add a few drops of grass fragrance.

For a bar with long blades: Trim the dried grass to desired length, removing roots. Pour a thin layer of glycerin into a loaf pan. Lay five to seven blades on top, and let dry for 30 seconds. Spray with alcohol to eliminate bubbles, cover with more glycerin, and spray again with alcohol.

For a bar with chopped grass: Mix cut dried grass into glycerin, and pour into pan; spray with alcohol. Let harden, 2 hours. Freeze 20 minutes; release from pan. For gifts, wrap stacked bars in waxed paper, and secure with twine.

• Striped Soaps

What you’ll need:
Glycerin soap
Peppermint oil
Plactic spoon
red food coloring or natural colors
Loaf pan
Fork
Knife
Cellophane
Tape
Twine

1. Melt the glycerin according to the package instructions, using 1/4 cup at a time.

2. Stir in a drop of peppermint oil (available at most health-food stores) with a plastic spoon; for the clear glycerin, add drops of red food coloring, stirring until you get the desired hue.

3. Pour the 1/4 cup of melted soap into the loaf pan. Let cool for 20 minutes.

4. Score the top with a fork. Repeat, alternating colors, until the pan is full.

5. Let set for 4 hours. Pop soap out of pan, and slice into bars.

6. Wrap each bar in cellophane; tape it shut, and tie with bakery string.

• Savon de Marseille

What you’ll need:
Tools and Materials
Double boiler
Olive oil-based soap
Essential oils
French green clay
Milk carton or mold
Knife
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 cup warm water

1. In a double boiler, completely melt a block of olive oil-based soap, but don’t let it boil. Meanwhile, add about a teaspoon of French green clay per pound of soap.

2. Once the soap is melted, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon essential oil per pound of soap base.

3. Pour the melted soap mixture into a mold, filling it to about 1 1/2 inches from the top. Allow the soap to sit until it is cool and hard, at least 2 hours.

4. Once it’s hard, use a knife to slice the soap into 1 1/2-inch bars.

5. Combine about 1 tablespoon fine sea salt and 1 cup warm water. Wash the soap bars in this salt-water solution. Let soap dry completely, then rinse it in plain warm water. (Source: Martha Stewart Crafts)

Almost as appealing as the beautiful soaps themselves is how easily they can be made.

To get started, you’ll need:

• Clear glycerin soap
• Natural food coloring
• Coffee stirrers
• A clean milk or juice carton (to use as a mold)
• Cooking Spray
• Ice-cube trays as your molds
(If you want a certain scent added to the soap, just add your favorite essential oils to the melted soap base. 7-10 drops should do the trip per this batch.)

Glycerin is usually sold in large blocks at crafts stores; to melt it, cut it into small cubes that will fit in a microwavable bowl or measuring cup. Heat glycerin in a microwave on high, stirring at 15-second intervals, until it’s completely melted. Mix liquid food coloring into bowl with a coffee stirrer. (Food coloring is very strong, so use it sparingly.) Coat the inside of the milk carton with the cooking spray. Pour in melted glycerin. Let cool completely (about 2 hours).Tear away carton, and, using a bench scraper, slice block into individual bars. Or place the melted ice-cube trays and after the glycerin is completely dry and hardened pop them out just like you would regular ice.

If you are giving these soaps as a gift you can buy simple material and by using a scrapbooking (jagged) scissors, cut the material into small squares. Wrap the finished glycerin soaps in the material and tuck the ends under and tie off with cordinating small ribbon. It is a nice added touch to take a small piece of cardstock and punch a hole in the cardstock with a hole punch and feed the ribbon through the hole before you tie it around the soaps.

I like to give these in a gift basket, with about three material wrapped soaps stacked up and the ribbon and cardstock label around all the soaps. It’s anice added touch for someone that is in the hospital or has the flu (add eucalyptus essential oil to the soap blend) along with chicken soup.

Here’s some basic recipes on how to make soaps. Most of the soap on the market contains chemicals and colors that aren’t good for your skin or your body. Making them at home is a great way to bypass all of those harmful ingredients.

• Cirtus Beeswax Soap:

4 ounces (114 grams) glycerin soap base (available at any healthfood store)
10 drops grapefruit essential oil
1 teaspoon beeswax

How to:

Melt glycerin over low heat in a double boiler or microwave. Add beeswax and remove from heat. Stir until wax is melted. Add essential oil. Stir and pour into mold.
The trick to glycerin when using melt and pour soaps is to keep the heat as low as possible. Too much heat will cause a mushy or beaded appearance after a very short storage time. Keep glycerin soaps sealed in plastic to keep the glycerin from attracting moisture from the air.

• Lavender Soap:

2 cups glycerin soap
1/2 cup dried lavender blooms (ground up in a food processor)
7 drops lavender essential oil

How to:

Melt glycerin in double boiler or slowly in microwave. Add lavender bloomks, stir until slightly cooled. Add essential oil. Pour into molds. Cool.

• Green Tea Chammomile Soap:

2 cups glycerin soap base
1 tablespoon powdered chamomile
1 tablespoon glycerin or aloe vera
3 tea bags of green tea

How to:

Melt glycerin base in double boiler on low heat. Blend the green tea, tear open the bag and combine with glycerin or aloe. Stir this mixture into melted glycerin. Pour into small tupperware style containers and leave uncovered until cool.

**Marlee Matlin To Guest-Star on Nip/Tuck and Robyn Charles over at Watching Showtime has the details. Read about it here.**
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WAX AND BUBBLES PRODUCT SHOWCASE:

General Wax & Candle Company has been providing quality candles since 1949. Their origins are in institutional sales such as restaurants and churches. These institutions burn millions of candles per year and always insist on the best quality. Many insist on using only General Wax candles. They pride themselves in creating the best burning candles in the industry.

Votives are arguably one of the easiest kinds of molded candles to make. They add a great deal of charm to just about any setting. The typical votive will burn for approximately 15 hours and will consume just about all of the wax that was used to create it.

A properly crafted votive will liquefy to some degree as it burns. This is necessary to achieve good scent throw. Votives are not intended to be free standing candles. Therefore it is important to burn votives only in a holder that is intended for votives.

What you will need:

· Wax suitable for votives
· Wax additives (only if needed for your wax formulation)
· Fragrance oil (optional)
· Dye (optional)
· Pre-tabbed wicks suitable for votives (36-24-24 zinc core used here)
· Metal Votive Molds
· Mold release spray (optional)
· Pouring pot
· Thermometer
Step 1). Prepare your molten wax mixture. You should be able to review these instructions while your wax is melting. Before continuing, set up a double boiler to melt your wax. A good target temperature for votives is 175° F. Once your wax has completely melted, add any additives you have selected and mix thoroughly, but try to avoid introducing air into the mixture. Add them in the following order:

1. Additives such as vybar or stearic acid (but only if needed)

2. Fragrance Oil

3. Dye (this is done last so that you get visual confirmation that everything else has mixed well with the wax)

Before pouring your wax, you may want to lightly coat your molds with a very thin film of mold-release agent such as silicone spray or a Pam-type cooking spray. This helps aid the release of the finished candle from the mold. However, it is really only needed with new molds.

Step 2). Votives: Initial Wax Pour
Place your votive molds on a newspaper-lined surface to catch any spills. With your wax at the proper pouring temperature (about 175° F), fill your votive molds to the lip of the mold. The objective here is to get the wax just up to the lip without over flowing. If you pour to a level lower than the lip, you may get seam lines in your finished candle. Care should be taken to minimize the number of bubbles introduced while pouring. Save about 20% of your wax for the re-pour at a later step. Do not return it to the heat source.

Step 3). Add Pre-tabbed Wicks.
Wait for your wax to cool for a short period of time. While it is cooling, prepare your wicks by straightening them. They do not need to be perfectly straight at this point; a loose approximation of “straight” is fine. Once the wax just begins to congeal, insert your pre-tabbed wicks. The tab will “stick” to the bottom when it touches. Care should be taken to position the tab roughly in the center of the mold.

Once the tab has stuck to the base of the mold, it is very easy to manipulate the wick to straighten it. Sometimes you may wish to wait a few moments to allow the metal tab to form a stronger bond with the base of the mold before attempting to straighten the wick.

During the cooling process, the shrinking wax may pull the wick off-center. If this occurs, simply apply a light tug to straighten the wick from time to time. Do not use so much force as to free the metal tab on the base.

Allow your wax to completely cool before proceeding to the next step. This may take 3-4 hours.

Step 4). Votives: Re-pour Wax
When the wax has completely cooled, it will have shrunken a bit, leaving a sink hole that needs to be filled. Melt down the wax that you saved from step 2 above. This time, your target pouring temperature will be 10-15 degrees hotter than the initial pour (pour at about 190 deg. F for this step). This increased temperature is to facilitate adhesion between layers.

Once your wax is at the proper temperature, fill the molds to a level just slightly above the lip of the mold. Care should be taken to avoid spills. Allow your candles to completely cool.

Step 5). Molded Candle Instructions: Remove Votive from Mold

Once your votives are completely cool, remove them from the mold. They will usually slide right out without any difficulty if they are completely cool. If they are difficult to remove from the molds, place them in the freezer for about 5 minutes. This will usually do the trick.If they are still difficult, place them back in the freezer for another 5 minutes and try again.

Also, for very stubborn candles, it sometimes helps to gently press the sides of the mold inward as you “roll” the mold in the palms of your hands

Always burn votives in a votive holder. Remember that they are not intended to be free-standing candles and they will liquefy. (Source: Pioneer Thinking)

**Bob Greene, Oprah’s fitness guru, was on Rachel Ray and over at Watching Rachel Ray, Lessa has the full story. Read it here.**
______________________________________________________________
WAX AND BUBBLES PRODUCT SHOWCASE:

Aromatique, the Creator of Decorative Fragrance, was created in 1982 by Patti Upton and is based in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Patti created this dynamic company literally “just for fun.” She mixed together a mélange of native botanicals such as acorns, pine cones, gumballs and hickory nuts, fragranced them with spices, oils and ingenuity.

Still looking for a last minute Christmas gift idea? Why not make one? Here is a quick and painless way of making soy-candles and it only takes about 15 minutes.

But first, here are some facts about soy wax:

• It’s biodegradeable.

• It’s sustainable.

• It provides a longer burn without a soot buildup.

• You can clean it up with soap and water, eliminating the need for solvents.

• It’s made from 100% natural soybeans.

Materials needed:

Recycled glassware such as Mason jars, candy dishes, thrift-store cups, salsa and jam jars. (choose containers that are less than 4″ in diameter.)

1 package braided wick (size-appropriate for chosen chandle containers. Incorporate alternative fibers by using hemp wicks.)

Soda-can tab

Tape

Pencil or pen

Melting pot or old cooking pot that you’re no longer using for food

Soy wax flakes (can be found at any healthfood store)

Craft or candy thermometer (optional)

Cinnamon, peppermint or other essential oil

Biodegradeable cotton ribbon (optional)

Hot glue gun and glue

1. Cut a section of braided wick a few inches longer than the depth of your chosen glasswater container. Tie an end of the wick to a coda can tab. To stabilize the wick, add a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the tab, then affix tab to the bottom of the container. Wrap top of wick around a pencil or pen a few times and tape it down temporarily. Set aside. Repeat process for additional candles.

2. In a pot over medium heat, melt about 1 lb. of the soy flakes per 1-2 medium0sized candles. Stir continuously until the soy wax melts to about 155 degreeds. Once it’s completely liquedied, remove from the head and let cool for a few minutes, continuing to stir.

3. Once the temperature has dropped about 5 degrees, add 10-20 drops of essential oil of your liking and mix well. Soy wax is easy to work with so you can get by without using a thermometer.

4. Pour liquid wax into containers, leaving an inch or two of space at the top. Let dry overnight. The set soy candles wax should look smooth and creamy-white.

5. Remove tape and pencil from the wick. Leaving about 1″ of exposed wick, snip off excess.

6. If you’re giving these candles as gifts, add a ribbon and tie in a fancy bow. Use hot glue to hold the ribbon on the container in place.

**Time is running low on getting those Christmas cards out in the mail before the morning of Santa comes. Over at Artists Passion, Wendy Withers has some ideas on Christmas cards to help give you the push you need to get them done, posted and out the door. Read the ideas here.**
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WAX AND BUBBLES PRODUCT SHOWCASE:

A Cheerful Giver: Keepers Of The Light Jar Candles.

This is a fun project for kids and even some adults.

Materials for the Swiss Cheese Candles:
• Beeswax strips or pellets (Can be found at any craft store or healthfood store)
• Candle Wicks or Tappered Candle
• 2 Pint Milk Carton
• Crushed Ice

Instructions:

Cut off the top of the milk carton so that you have a “box” with one end open. Next, Melt wax over medium heat. Place one of the wicks into the milk carton and fill the carton with the ice. Be sure that the wick is centered and is as long as the carton. Next, pour the melted wax into the carton filling to the top. Let sit until hardened and the ice has melted, then carefully cut and peel away the carton from the candle. You will now have a candle. The ice in the carton caused the wax to quickly harden around the crushed ice. The result is a “swiss cheese” looking candle. Each one looks a little different! These must be handled carefully after because the swiss cheese nature of the candle makes it fragile.

You can use colored candles or colored crayons or wax to give it a different effect each time. These are particularly fun to make and use only about 2-or-3 crushed cubes and once they are done, put a ribbon through one of the Swiss Cheese holes and tie to a package along side the gifting bow. But have fun with it and be creative.

**The Board of Trustees chairman of Appalachian State University’s Jim Deal, says the university should “build more green.” Over at Appalachian State Blog the whole story behind his quote is posted. Read it all by clicking here.**

FUTURE POST LOOK-ON:

• Spicy Mouthwash

• Make Your Own Soy Candles

• Making Bath Salts

• More On Room Scents

The bottom line in candle making is patience. Next would come the equipment. If you have been wanting to make you own candles but just haven’t really know where to start, there is candle making kits avaliable almost everywhere, even Wal-Mart. The best candle making kit that I have run across is at Great Candle. They pretty much include in their kit everything you will need in order to get started right away. Their kits include:

• Votive Kit $28.00 - Perfect Kit to start with, Kit contains: 4 lbs of Soy/Blend votive wax, 8 votive molds, 32 wicks 4 - 1oz. bottles of fragrance, Honeydew Melon, Apples and Berries, Kiwi Strawberry, Cherry, approx 1/2 red color block, approx. 1/2 green color block, and complete instructions . Kit makes approx. 32 candles.

• Basic Soy Container Kit $28.00 - Perfect for the beginner. Kit contains: 5.25 lbs Southern Scentsations GW Soy, 12 Jelly jars, 12 Htp wicks, 3.95 oz’s of Southern Apple Pie, 3.95 oz’s of Love Spell fragrances, a Red Dye Block. Kit contains instructions, and Candle Making tips.

• Deluxe Soy Container Kit $75.99 - Kit includes all of the Basic Soy Kit: 5.25 lbs Southern Scentsations GW Soy, 12 Jelly jars, 12 Htp wicks, 3.95 oz’s of Southern Apple Pie, 3.95 oz’s of Love Spell fragrances, a Red Dye Block. Kit contains instructions, and Candle Making tips. Plus you get a Presto Pot for melting wax, A Pouring Pot, Thermometer, and a Ladle.

You can take any of these candle making recipes and supplies and add an essential oil to them and make them original and your own. You can even get a register from your own state and patent these candles for profit. Simple as that. The more you make the better you will get and the more you experiment with oils and floral scents the more you will learn about what scents last longer and what scents don’t.

More supplies you may need are as follows.

° Wicks

° Dye

° Containers

° Molds

° Scents

**Is Sara Sidle (aka Jorja Fox) leaving CSI Las Vegas for good? Over at Watching CSI, KD Griffin talks about what will happen on tonights show and whether that question will be answered or not. Read the whole story here.**

FUTURE POST LOOK-ON:

• Sore Muscle Soak

• Cucumber Facial Mask

• Herbal Facial Steam

• Herbal Massage Oil

• Antiseptic Mouth Wash

This winter, thou shalt not chap.

If you hate chapped winter, dry lips then instead of piling on the store bought brand, make your own and make several to pass out to others that have chapped lips. You can add as many ingredients and take as many ingredients away as you want. It’s your recipe. Improvise this recipe and make it your own.

Peppermint Eucalyptus: Thou-Shalt not chap soothing lip balm®™BeeSpa Naturals

6 drops peppermint essential oil
4 drops eucalyptus essential oil
4 drops rosemary essential oil
1 tablespoon soy wax
1 tablespoon beeswax pearls
1 tablespoon pure shea butter
2 tablespoons sweet almond oil

Mix essential oils and almond oil together in a small glass bowl. Heat in microwave for about 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and add soy wax. Heat for another 30 seconds. Mix in beeswax pearls with a whisk. Heat for another 30 seconds. Whisk in shea butter. Mixture will become very hot, as well as the bowl. Use care when handling. Heat for 1 minute or until shea butter is melted. whisk ingredients together till mixture begins to cool. You have to continue to mix so the oils can become incorporated into the mixture completely. If you have to stick the bowl in the refrigerator till the bowl becomes cooled down enough to handles without a pot-holder or tea towel. After the mixture is whisked enough to be incorporated, but not fully set, pour into a very shallow container with a lid. Make sure the container is shallow enough to put your finger in or a lip brush. Use whenever your lips feel dry and chapped.

This recipe is great for skiiers or snowboarders. Because of the products in this lip balm, be sure and not use this chap-stick before tanning in a tanning bed or staying in the sun for too long.

Always label your products made. You don’t want to spend the time making something and throw it in your purse or bag and forget what it is later on.

**Dorrington Williams over at Motor Musings here at 451 Press has done many postings on Autos A-Z. Day was the posting on “B”, bearings. Read how important it is to keep up on your cars bearings maintenance by clicking here.**

FUTURE POST LOOK-ON:

• Sore Muscle Soak

• Candles Made From Soy

• Cucumber Facial Mask

• Making Room Scents For Your Home

• Herbal Massage Oil

Soy or beeswax candles can be purchased just about anywhere anymore. If you purchase just any-type of candle be it not beeswax or soy wax-based, always make sure it doesn’t contain a wire wick. Wire wicks give off chemicals that can be very harmful to your lungs and growing children’s lungs when inhaled.

For this craft you want to choose/make candles that are light in color. White, yellow and even a lighter shade of tan can be used.

Take a large-base pillar candle and run a smooth knife blade down the side of the candle, just to take off a small shaving of the candle on the outside and to loosen the wax just a little. This process also removes any dirt that might be on the candle from store handling. Save those shavings for later on in the project.

Now is the fun part. Head outside your home or to a park and pick up bright colored leaves. Be sure and not get leaves that are taller than your candle. Small Maple leaves are what I have used in the past and they are so colorful when the candle is lit.

Be sure and wash the leaves and dry them before applying them to the candle. Once the leaves are ready to be applied, take some white glue and and q-tip. With the q-tip apply a small amount of white glue all over the leaf and apply to the sides of the candle. Repeat this process till you get a nice leaf decoration on the outside of the candle. You can use just one leaf if you want or use 5-6 leaves for a bigger fall decorative design. While the glue is setting on the candle and leaf, The shavings that you took off earlier, pop them in the microwave in a microwave bowl that you don’t mind using for wax. About 30-50 seconds, depending on how much wax you took off. You may need to buy some additional beeswax or wax pellets if you use a lot of leaves for your design.

Once the wax is melted. Take the candle with the leaves, and over another bowl or paper plate, pour the wax slowly over the leaf designs and make sure you go slow enough in order not to waste the wax. Coat the entire leaf, even the stem with wax. Then repeat with a second coat when the first coat is dry.

You can do several candles of different sizes to get a fall decorative design that can be used as a center piece within your Thanksgiving dinner table.

**Do you like taking a drive through neighborhoods at Christmas-time and looking at holiday lights? Over at Louisville, KY blog here at 451 Press, Heather Hedgepeth gives a rundown of the lighting schedule for Louisville. So if you live close, you can be in the know on the best light displays in the city. Read the schedule here.**

FUTURE POST LOOK ON:

• Coffee Scrub

• Sore Muscle Soak

• Candles Made From Soy

• Green Tea Astringent

• Lip Balm For The Winter

Well its time to get back into the groove of things. While deciding what my first installment should be about I looked around my house and figured I would share with you today’s interest of mine.

I have been working on making my bathroom more pretty. In other words your significant other is groaning because this actually means more girlie. A lot of the choices you can make while doing this project will depend on your own tastes. That’s why this easy, simple and functional decoration is a must for every bathroom.

Our project today is for Scented Soap Petals. These are simple and easy and you can obtain everything you need from basically any store.

Here’s what you’ll need
Fake silk flowers of your choice (pull apart, and use only the petals)
Wax paper
Bar of glycerin soap of your choice of scent
Microwavable safe container

Cut the glycerin soap into squares and place inside your microwavable container. Depending on your microwave you will have to watch your soap until it melts back into a liquid consistency.

After you have your melted bar of soap you will simply dip your silk flower petals covering them completely and evenly. Because the soap can be hot I used a pair of tweezers to assist me in my dipping. After you are done dipping your petals place them on the wax paper to dry.

Once they are dry gather up your silk soap dipped petals and place in any pretty container next to the sink for everyone to enjoy. The plus to these silk soap petals are they are basically germ free, use once and toss.

soap making, soap dipped petals, flower petal soap, silk soap petals

Soap curls are one of the easiest and, in my opinion, prettiest things you can embed in your soap. You can use whatever type of soap you’d like to make the curls - opaque melt and pour soap base, bars that you’ve got left over from other batches, or even the bar of Lever 2000 sitting in your bathroom cupboard. The curls themselves don’t need to be coloured or scented unless you want them to be.

All you do is take a vegetable peeler and slowly scrape off an even strip from the edge of the soap. The soap will curl on its own. Simple! Take your soap curls and scatter them in your molds, then cover with clear melt and pour soap base that’s been coloured and scented in whatever strikes your fancy. The soap in the picture here was scented with Cucumber Melon fragrance, and the colour is a vivid green (which looks a little washed out - no pun intended - in the photo, but up close it’s actually very pretty).

You can experiment with different colours of curls for a different effect. A rainbow of colours embedded in clear soap base makes a pretty confetti-type bar, or use seasonal colours with matching scents for holidays or special occasions. You can also use soap curls to decorate novelty bars, as you would use chocolate curls to adorn a cake.

soap projects, soap making, melt and pour soap, crafts

Almost every crafter, no matter their medium, will end up with a bag or box full of scraps of material. This collection of odds and ends will prove to test your creativity, as you try to figure out the best way to use them. Materials are expensive, so you can’t just throw them away!

Soap scraps are really fun to play with and turn into a whole new bar. You can grate cold process soap that didn’t turn out and use it as laundry soap, but if you have odd-shaped bars that are otherwise fine to use, you can create something else entirely. The same goes for bits of melt and pour soap. This project was really simple and fun to do, and it led to many other ideas for new bars - some of which became best-sellers at craft fairs.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• empty Pringles can, cleaned and dried
• soap scraps, various colours, cut into rough chunks
• spray bottle full of rubbing alcohol
• melt and pour soap base, clear or opaque
• soap colourant, any colour
• soap fragrance oil or essential oil, any scent
• equipment for making melt and pour soap: double boiler, spoons, sharp knife, vegetable peeler

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A couple of nights ago the kids decided that they wanted to make some soap for themselves. Of course they’re not allowed to go anywhere near the lye, so it was time for melt and pour! My boys are 8 and 5, and they love to put little toys or other items inside their soap so that they can work on getting them out later. It’s actually a pretty good way to make sure that they wash up well in the bath, since they know that the more soap they use, the faster the stuff in the soap will be released.

For embeds, we used little erasers with characters, animals, and smiley faces on them. The kids got to choose the colour and scent for their soap (and trying to get them to agree on just one was quite a chore, let me tell you). I took some pictures of the process so I can walk you through it all. Apologies for the quality of the photos - our old digital camera isn’t exactly top of the line.

Here’s our pile of supplies. The spray bottle contains rubbing alcohol, which is essential for spraying between layers, and keeping air bubbles out of the finished soap. We used both transparent and opaque melt and pour soap base for this project, so that the erasers would be clearly visible while still having a burst of colour in the soap.

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