Hi, friends! It’s Katie here again.I’ve been dying to make soap on a rope since I spotted some BEAUTIFUL soaps at a farmers market recently. When I got home that day I was full of inspiration, so I quickly went to work at developing my own method. I knew I wanted them to be neutral in color, smell amazing (duh, it’s soap), and easy to make with things around the house. Here’s what I came up with:
Supplies:
–glycerin melt and pour soap base (also available at most craft stores)
–essential oils
-rope
-household containers in any shape or size you’d like
To begin, cut your soap base into cubes. DO NOT swing your knife around like a sword. Okay, okay… do it. Just be careful! I think it’s impossible for me not to pretend to be a samurai while holding a large knife. It’s one of those things.
Now it’s time to figure out how much soap base to melt. A little bit of this melt and pour base goes farther than you would imagine. For the ice cream bucket I used about four or five 2″ x 2″ cubes for a pint size container. Once you figure out how much you’d like to use, melt it in the microwave or use the double broiler method on the stove.
Once your soap base is melted entirely, stir in whatever essential oils you’d like. I put in around 20-25 drops for these soaps. When I initially poured them in I thought I had gone way overboard, but once the soap was set they were perfectly scented!
Now it’s time to rig up a system to position your rope perfectly in your container! At first I had the rope clamped to the side, but I soon realized that the rope wouldn’t be centered in the soap. Mason jars and a ruler were the perfect solution!
Once your soap is completely set (I let mine sit overnight just to be sure), it’s time for extraction. Boy, oh, boy, do I have some tips. As you saw above, I used three different household containers as soap molds. The cup and the ice cream container were both plastic, so I stuck those in the freezer for several hours, and the soap just popped out. The tin can, however, was a different story. I left the can in the freezer for an entire weekend and still couldn’t get that bugger out. I tried banging and squeezing, but still nothing. After many failed attempts and coming close to giving up, I fired up the stove and brought a pot of water to a boil. Dipping the can in the boiling water for a few seconds softened up the outside of the soap enough for me to slide it right out. Success! Be careful not to burn yourself on that boiling water. Wear an oven mitt if you have one handy.
Thanks to those of you who have been tagging us on Instagram and Twitter when you post soap pics! Be sure to keep them coming! xo. Katie
Credits // Author: Katie Shelton. Photography: Sarah Rhodes. Photos edited with Stella from the Signature Collection.
44 Comments
Great DIY tutorial with lots of info, thanks for sharing your knowledge!! Great to see another soaper!
wow – these look so amazing. They remind me of crystals. They’d look great in a minimalist decor.
I am IN LOVE with this project! I don’t know much about soap making. Clearly glycerin is enough for soap’s effectiveness, but is there anything else that could be added? Does anyone know, does glycerin leave the ever dreaded soap scum? All that aside, I do know it’s wonderful for moisture retention. I know a bit of a loaded comment, I’ve super grateful for any comments &/or advise. Thanks so much. Wishing everyone a beautiful day into the weekend! -xo
I like the sorbet’s flavor. Seems interesting. Would be up to try it too 😉
These look so beautiful! http://rosebeautynow.blogspot.co.uk/ x
Wow ..How cool is that? Wonderful yet simple idea… Love it !!!
Wow! Love this DIY. Love the idea of the rope, looks really classy.
So crafty! These would make great gifts 🙂 thecaliforeigner.blogspot.com
I’ve never seen such like this kind of soap before and I really wanna try this soon. It looks amazing! <3
http://bittercozitsbutter.blogspot.com
What a great idea!!
Greetings from Germany
Maria
Oo!! What a fun project!! I think this is one project I may just be able to recreate haha 🙂
Oh and like Jennifer, I would love to know where your top comes from: it is sumptuous !
Great diy, beautiful soaps but be careful with essential oils: some of them can be far to strong for the skin. Years ago, I burned myself with a few drops of cinnamon essential oil in my bath. At that time, I didn’t know that I should have mix it with a neutral oil like almond oil, for instance. Have a good day everybody !
Super cute idea! I need to add some variety to my Farmer’s Market table, so I’m going to give this a whirl. Thanks gang!
For metal containers, perhaps it would be enough to just run it under hot water for a little while, since metal will widen… Like if you can’t open a glass jar with a metal lid, just warm the lid with hot running water and it will expand but the glass will not.
OMG, this is so amazing..such a beautiful and fun DIY, …def gotta try this… thanks!
xo,
http://agoldentulip.blogspot.com/
I smiled when I read the part about swinging the knife around like a sword. 🙂 I’ve wanted to make my own soap for a while now… I like the idea of having it on a rope- so cute!
This is so cool! I haven’t thought about it before, but having a rope in the soap is SO useful! 🙂
http://everydayingrace.blogspot.ca/
wow i love this Idea !!!
<3
greetings from germany
Daniella
These look great, bet they smell amazing
Lauren
livinginaboxx
What fun! Plus, if I make these, I can yell SOAP ON A ROPE whenever I feel like it. I can, right? 🙂
Random: I love the top you’re wearing in this post! May I ask where it’s from? 🙂
This is so stinkin’ cute! I have a ton of essential oils from all of the candles I make for etsy, so definitely have to try this out.
I’ve always wanted to try making my own soap and this looks like such a fun project!
Question~:) Did you use 20-25 drops total with all three scents in one bar(container), or did you put 20-25 of each scent in each one? Just wanted to make sure before i tried. I actually have all of the materials on hand to make this~
Container tips: use silicone molds or a paper cup. You can just peel away the paper of the cup! I loooooooove the idea of the rope!!!!
This looks like a wonderful project and it would make such a great gift!
Oh! They remind me of sailing and summer somehow. Quite the alliteration there ^ ^
Very creative! I love this idea, Katie. I love the scents you chose too. Makes me want to get to work on my own but I think that’s the point, isn’t it? 😉
Love and luck,
Laurali Star
http://www.thesecretsurprisinista.com
I love this idea! It would be a great gift and so convenient to use in general!
Janine Maral from http://www.janinemaral.com/
Love this! Such a fun DIY! And a great gift! So darn sweet!
http://sometimesgracefully.com
ha! this is so cute!
http://semiweeklyeats.blogspot.com/2014/05/atticus-outfit-5.html
Cute idea and would make a great gift. But I wonder, do people still use soap on a rope?
What a great DIY!
Great DIY!!
Ooo, I’m going to have to try this now. I love anything you can make yourself at home instead of spending a fortune on buying it.
Great post, thanks 🙂
Ashleigh
http://www.indulgenceofahousewife.blogspot.co.uk/
these are so cute!! what a fun idea!
xxoo,
nikki
www.dreaminneon.blogspot.com
That is adorable Katie! What a great project. It brings me back to being a kid, when my dad had soap on a rope…I think it was Old Spice. 🙂
Jo
http://www.womaninreallife.com/
These are so stinkin’ cute! I love them! And they would make really cute gifts!
xoxo
Taylor
I love how accessible this tutorial looks! There’s something so wonderful about old fashioned soap and I used to make my own bars with oatmeal a very long time ago.
The pear scented reisling sounds so heavenly too!
Fun! Just a note, in the section describing how to melt, I think you mean double “boiler”, not double “broiler”? I’m don’t usually mention typos but this one could affect the DIY success since both words are related to the stove but are very different processes… 🙂
Love this! I am dying to make my own soap! Looking forward to trying this recipe and the grapefruit poppyseed one too!
Love this DIY, Katie! Well, I usually love all soap DIYs since I’m a soapmaker myself. 🙂 I’m still dying to try the Grapefruit and Popyseed soap diy, all I need is to find some time!
Well done Katie!
xx
www.joanofjuly.com
Love this DIY, Katie! Well, I usually love all soap DIYs since I’m a soapmaker myself. 🙂 I’m still dying to try the Grapefruit and Popyseed soap diy, all I need is to find some time!
Well done Katie!
xx
www.joanofjuly.com