Homemade : Soap

If you saw the homemade bath bomb post I did on Tuesday, you'll know I'm making my mum some bits and bobs for mother's day on sunday and today I made the next thing for her little basket of goodies I'm constructing!

Homemade Soap!

Here's what you'll need this time:

1. Soap base - Hobbycraft £5.39 for 1kg

(I wanted a white base but got a clear one because that's all they had)

2. Surgical Spirit - £1.80 From the local pharmacy

3. Spray Bottle 

4. Fragrance/essential oils of your choice 

(I'm using the same ones that I used for my Bath bombs)

5. Decoration - Blue Malva Flowers £3.29 

(and the rose buds I used for the Bath Bombs) 

6. A Soap Mould - I'm just using some ramekins I had in the kitchen.

7. Coloured dye (optional, I'm not using any)

Here's what you do:

• Depending on the size of your moulds you're using, cut out some of your soap base with a kitchen knife. Don't worry if you don't cut enough to begin with, you can always add more.

• Melt the soap base in the microwave, I do quick 15 seconds bursts and then check on it. Keep doing 15 seconds until the soap has become fully liquid. If you over heat it, it may discolour, so be careful!

• Once melted add your fragrance and essential oils. I didn't measure mine, I just added each until I thought it smelled how I wanted it to. Mix thoroughly to spread evenly. This is when you'd add your colour if you wanted to.

• Next, I poured a thin layer of soap in the bottom of my mould, I then stuck the rose buds in facing down.

Once you've fully covered the bottom of the mould with the rose buds, fill the rest of the mould with your soap solution.

• Now using the spray bottle filled with the surgical spirit, spray the top of the soap. It's to remove any bubbles.

• Leave until fully set.

• Once done carefully remove from the mould.

If you're not planning on using the soap pretty much immediately I would suggest wrapping it up in cling film or in tupperware so it doesn't get wet.

 And you're done! 

I also did the same thing again but instead of the rose buds used the Malva flowers, these flowers actually dyed the soap blue so I'm not sure whether they will dye your hands slightly if you use it. I'll just have to warn my mum before using this one!

That's it, simple!

These make really nice, quick, easy and quite cheap gifts! Perfect for the likes of Mother's day!

What do you think? Will you be giving this a go?

Do you ever make your own soap?

As always, Thank you for Reading!

Birds in Blossom x

Homemade : Bath Bombs

One of the things I'll be giving my Mum this mothers day is some homemade bath items, well some bath bombs and soaps at least.

Today I'm making the bath bombs!

So, here's what you'll need to make a Bath Bomb!

(Oh! before I begin, you can probably get these items cheaper elsewhere but I was pressed for time and wentfor I went for convenience, though I didn't think most of these things were poorly priced at all!)

1. Bicarbonate of Soda - Wilkinson's, £1 for 500g

2. Citric Acid - Wilkinson's, £1 for 50g

3. Fragrance - Hobby Craft, Rose Fragrance £3.86 for 25ml

4. Essential oil - Wilkinson's, Lavender Oil  £1.25 10ml

5. Decoration (optional) - Hobby Craft, Rose Buds £2.96 per pack

6. 1 or 2 mixing bowls

7. Measuring scales

8. Spoon for mixing (optional)

9. Water, preferably in a spray bottle

10. Colouring (optional) - eBay, Rosebud Pink mineral pigment powder 

£2.50 for 5g

11. Bath bomb mould - eBay  £3.99 for a 6cm round mould

The mineral colouring powder hasn't arrived yet so today I'm just making white rose scented bath bombs with lavender oil.

• So first, measure out about 75g of the bicarbonate of soda and sift into a bowl, then add about 35g of citric acid and mix using your fingers or a spoon until fully combined.

• Next,you can either split the mixture in half and add about 2g of colourant to one half, OR you could colour the whole mixture, OR like me leave it white.

• Then, add about 2ml of your rose fragrance, I just squirted a little bit into the mixture until I thought the fragrance was a nice 'strength'. Also add a similar amount of your essential oil, in my case I used lavender to make a really floral scented bath bomb, which relaxing tones.

• Here's the tricky bit, you use your spray bottle to add water, little at a time until the mix becomes damp. If you make it too wet the mixture will start to fizz and effervesce, I did this on my first attempt, it was super messy and didn't work. So you want the mix to start to stick together, it will sort of look and feel like fake snow.

• Now fill one half of your mould with your mixture. You can alternate your coloured mixes to make a stripey pattern if you want, but as mine is all white I just filled the half fully pressing in down so there are no air spaces. Leave a little mound of mix at the top of the half so when you press the two halves together they'll merge. 

• I then did pretty much the same to the other half of the mould but before putting the mix in, at the bottom I put about 5 rose buds, so they'll poke out of the bath bomb once complete. Then I joined the two halves together with a little force so they'd set together.

• I left the filled mould for about 10 minutes so the mix would set (but I leave them overnight before properly handling them). To remove carefully take one half of the mould away, your bath bomb should have formed so only the mould is removed. Then cup the non-mould half of the bath bomb in your hand and carefully lift of the other side of the mould. Your bath bomb is complete!

I really enjoyed making these, they were super quick and easy to make. I know my Mum will love them!

On Thursday I'll make a homemade soap post!

What do you think? Will you give these a try?

Have you ever made your own bath bombs before?

Thanks for Reading!

Birds in Blossom x