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
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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
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:
What great ideas you have! I am new fan :) Hope you can pop over to my blog too, I have only just started blogging about my craft projects.
prettycreationsbykate.blogspot.co.uk
These are adorable! I keep thinking I need to try making soap sometime….maybe this is my year :)
I’ve been wanting to do a soap project forever. I like that this one is only three- four ingredients. Going to try one. Pinning.
So so so pretty! Love your photography!
Found you on craftgwaker. These sound so amazingly delicious I can’t wait to try!
I am going to give the peppermint soap a try. Your lemon soap recipe was the first I tried. Which is my go to favorite soap to make. I love making soap and didn’t realize how easy it is. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
I love gifts from the kitchen like this. I’ve only made soap once. I really should try it again. They’re so fun and easy to make. Pinning
Why do you add the color to the individual containers rather than mixing it in the large container?
Hi Lyn, you could do either method. I like the color swirled so I tinted each one individually but you could definitely color the entire batch instead.
Crystal, this soap is absolutely gorgeous! I want to make some…and keep it all for myself! (how’s that for the Christmas spirit?!) ;)
What is the shelf life of the lemon soap if you use lemon zest in it?
Thank you!
Donna
I love this! Totally going to be making this for the holidays this year. Do you remember how many individual bars of soap you were able to make with the 2 pound soap base? Thanks!!
I am so excited to try this and make soap (for the first time) to give friends and family over this holiday season. I am currently online shopping for the ingredients needed and am wondering: When your recipe calls for 1/2 cup of Shea Butter Soap Base, is that the full 2lbs? Or is that in keeping with your other soap recipes where you start with 1lb at a time? I don’t want to double or only add half the Almond oil needed to make this right. How much soap typically makes up a 1/2 cup? Or is it like butter, where there is two cups to every pound?
lmao.. please forgive me I got all excited with many of these recipes I will be using. I meant for this comment to be under the Gingerbread Sugar Scrub. haha oops! :P
Instead of the red soap colorant, could you use food colouring?
WOW some great ideas, love the soap mixes.. Will try them. Have you found a favorite brand of the goats milk glycerin for making the soap? What powder are you using as flock for the tree and what are you spraying on it?
Debra