DIY Peppermint Soap

DIY Peppermint Soap Recipe – create a handmade soap gift with only 3 ingredients! 

Hi crafty friends! Now that it’s December and dare I say socially acceptable to begin making Christmas gifts I plan to share several gift ideas with you each week. Starting this week you’ll see new sugar scrub recipes, easy handmade soaps, more DIY beauty and spa tutorials. These are my favorite kind of gifts to give. Not only are they easy to make, they usually cost a fraction of what you’ll pay in store. Today I’m sharing a homemade peppermint soap tutorial as part of my monthly Michaels Makers challenge.

This peppermint soap recipe is made with a melt and pour soap base. If you’re not familiar with this soap making method you might be surprised by how easy it is. You simple melt the soap cubes, stir in your favorite essential oil, and add soap colorant if desired. Everything shown below (except the peppermint oil) can be found at Michaels. I’ve included an Amazon affiliate link to the exact brand of peppermint essential oil that I used.

Supplies:
goats milk or shea butter soap base (from Michaels)
soap molds
red soap colorant (optional)
Peppermint Oil

Step one: melt 1 pound of soap base at a time. I like to use a double boiler method with a large pyrex measuring cup. You can also melt soap in the microwave by stirring every 30 seconds.

Step two: add 15-20 drops peppermint essential oil into melted soap; stir well.

Step three: Pour soap into molds. Add a few drops of red soap colorant; use a toothpick or stirrer to gently mix the color with melted soap. Allow soap to harden for at least 2 hours or place in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Tip: sometimes I have trouble releasing the soap from plastic molds, I like to lightly grease the mold with coconut oil beforehand.

Now it’s time to get creative with the gift wrap. Michaels has a great selection of gift wrap from their Recollections brand (think strawberry baskets, gift boxes, french fry boxes, and more). You can use strawberry baskets with paper shreds. Here I used cellophane bags to individually wrap the soap – the plaid ribbon is my favorite this year. Tip: You can use any kind of mold you’d like to for fun shapes and sizes. Here I used the Snowflake Silicone Mold from my peppermint bath bomb recipe below.

Another idea is to wrap the soap with wrapping paper or scrapbooking paper. Embellish with ribbon, candy canes, and fresh greenery.

· If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your loved ones this year, check out Michaels gift guide.

· Not only did we get to make creative holiday gifts from Michaels, but we also decorated trees! If you haven’t gotten around to putting up your tree yet, the Michaels Makers Dream Tree Reveal and Decorating Tips posts are a must see.

· Can’t think of what you’re going to give your craftiest friends this season? There are some great projects on Michaels’ DIY Gift Ideas Pinterest board that might spark your interest!

More gift ideas:

Homemade Lemon Soap

Peppermint Bath Bomb

Coffee Sugar Scrub