Soap-making is a scent-sation!!

Project seven is a fun, easy soap-making!
Per usual, we'll mix it up a little bit with cool traditional soap as well as some funky soap, to give for the holiday or maybe the teenager in your life.

Here's what you need to complete this project:

• solid melt & pour soap (we used Shea butter)
• clean recycled glass jar
• potholder
• molds
• stirring spoon
• natural lavender sprigs/flowers
• essential oils (we used lavender and anise)

Start by breaking off a piece of melt and pour soap.

Place it in the glass jar and microwave according to the package directions.

Once removed from the microwave, stir until smooth.

Add four to six drops of essential oil and stir.

(Note: the amount depends on the type of oil;

it took more lavender than anise, but as always,

it is personal preference.)

We placed lavender sprigs in our metal mold.

Note: metal gets very hot! Be safe...

Also, the lavender will float to the top and

you can move it around before it solidifies.

Other options include using a clear, glycerin-type soap

but the Shea butter makes the skin so soft!

We place our first mold in the freezer to harden.

Meanwhile, more soap is melted for our silicone mold.

We chose a skull ice tray for mini-soaps

and added anise oil to the melted soap.

Carefully, using a potholder, pour the soap into each individual mold.

Then we added lavender flowerettes to our mini-soaps

and placed them in the freezer to cool.

It wasn't long until the soap is solid and easily pops out of the silicone mold.

The metal wasn't as easy to remove but very pretty.

We wrapped our two square pieces from the metal mold

in circle tulle, tied it with a ribbon and added lavender sprigs.

Here's the breakdown of what we spent on this project:

• Melt & Pour Shea Butter Soap (Michael's: $10 total, 25% used on this project)- $2.50
• Lavender Sprigs (Hobby Lobby: $1.50/package, 25% used..) - $.38
• Essential oil: Lavender (Whole Foods $5.99/bottle) Anise (Walmart clearance $1) - $.25
• Tulle for wrapping (Dollar Tree $1 for 16 tulle circles, three used) -$.60

Total cost of three soap gifts: $3.73 or about $1.25 each!

This is a great project to tackle on a cold or rainy day. It warms you up,

makes the house smell good and gives you lovely little gifts

for those who deserve our love and kindness all through the year.

Soap Away!!