These DIY Strawberry Heart Soaps are easy to make and are a great homemade gift idea for Valentine’s Day or any other gift-giving occasion. Nothing makes me happier than the scent of strawberries and these heart-shaped soaps smell like a fresh-picked strawberry and give me hope that spring is around the corner.
There are actually several different ways to make soap: cold process, melt and pour, hot process, and rebatch. Personally, as a beginner crafter, I prefer the melt and pour method for now. Not only is it a very safe method as no lye is used, it can be done with children, is quick and easy and yields a great finished product. For those reasons, the DIY soap recipe I am sharing with you here is using the melt and pour method.
To complete this DIY soap making project, you’ll need just a few simple supplies.
¼ lb melt and pour soap base – This can easily be purchased at a craft store such as Michaels or ordered from Amazon. You can choose from a variety of soap bases: goat’s milk, shea butter, glycerin, cocoa butter, etc. It depends on your personal preference.
1 drop red liquid soap dye – If you anticipate that you will be making more soaps in the future, it is more economical to purchase a soap dye kit that has a variety of colors. It doesn’t cost that much more than just buying the red!
10 drops strawberry soap fragrance – I’m super picky about my fragrances and cannot stand ones that smell really fake. If I can’t sniff it in the store to see if I like it, I read the reviews very carefully to find one with an authentic scent. I’ve linked to the strawberry one that I like the best.
Small glass bowl (needs to be microwave safe)
Spoon
Small silicone heart mold – Again, this comes down to personal preference. You can find molds with very ornate designs or ones with just a basic heart. Browse what is available and choose whatever speaks to you. Amazon seems to have the most selection of molds.
Making the soap really is pretty easy. Just as the name of the technique suggests, you will be melting the base soap, adding your fragrance and color, and then pouring it into the mold.
Step 1. Put soap base in glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir very well. If not completely melted, put on for another 10 seconds.
Step 2. Stir liquid soap dye and soap fragrance into the bowl.
Step 3. Spoon mixture into the silicone mold.
Step 4. Let set for about 30 minutes and remove from mold. (Use your best judgment on this step. If the soap feels too soft to take out of the mold, let it sit for a while longer and then recheck it.)
You can keep these sweet-smelling soaps to use yourself when you need a lift or you can gift them to someone special. Fun ways to gift these soaps:
- put them in a clear plastic bag and tie with a festive bow
- wrap them in burlap for a rustic, DIY feel
- include them with some other bath goodies like bath bombs and sugar scrubs (or salt scrubs).
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