A few weeks ago I tried making homemade soap for the first time. We made Blue Glitter Mermaid Soap. It turned out so cute that we decided it would be fun to give to all of the girl cousins at our annual Cousin Camp. My son had a good question though….what about the boys? I knew they wouldn’t really want mermaid soap. That is why I decided on this DIY Homemade Bug Soap for Kids. Plus it would be the perfect project for Week 31 of the Pinterest Challenge!
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I was so thrilled to find a new use for the bugs and reptiles we had leftover from our Nature Week Activities! We purchased ours at Dollar Tree. Here is a list of supplies that we used and links to similar products in case you need a reference.
- Plastic Toy Bugs
- Silicone Mold
- Clear Glycerin Soap
- Orange Essential Oil (you could use any scent)
- Green Soap Colorant
- Poppy Seeds
.The first step is the put the bug toys in face down in the silicone mold. If you have a little helper, this step is perfect to let them help with. Once the toys are in the mold, sprinkle a little of the poppy seeds around each toy. This will just add a little more character to the soaps. I think they kind of look like spider eggs!
I cut the soap base into cubes using a cheese knife. Then I used a large glass measuring cup to microwave the cubes of glycerin soap. I used 1/2 of the package so it ended of being 1 lb
of soap. It was the perfect amount for this project.
I microwaved the soap in intervals of 30 seconds stirring in between. Once the soap was melted, I added about 3 drops of green colorant and approximately 1/2 teaspoon of orange essential oil. After mixing it together, I poured it into the mold over the plastic bug toys. It only took about 45 minutes for the soap to set and then we were ready to pop it out of the molds.
These turned out super cool and were the perfect alternative to mermaids for the boys! This is a fun and quick project and these soaps would make awesome party favors. I’ve heard lots of feedback on our other soap that it is also a great way to encourage hand washing. If the kids know they have to wash to get to the toy, they are more motivated to keep scrubbing. I’m excited to see if that works with my little one!
You are amazing Heather! Loved reading this post. I have never tried making soap myself. But this post inspired me, especially the step by step pics. Using bugs and their favourite things inside the soap is a wonderful way to encourage kids to wash their hands!
Thank you so much Ria! You should definitely try making some. It is addicting!