DIY Mini Soap Bridal Shower Favors

As promised yesterday, here are the DIY details of the September Sunday Brunch bridal shower I threw for my sister last weekend.

I wanted each guest to go home with a little something. While I would have loved to give everyone a full-sized soap, I decided to go with travel size soaps for budgetary reasons and time constraints.

Additionally, some people seem to be sensitive to one scent or another, I wanted at least two different scents for guests to choose from.

Vanilla Bean Peppermint Soap with Shea Butter

ingredients
1 lb melt and pour soap base with shea butter
8-10 drops of peppermint essential oil
vanilla bean seeds scraped from inside of 1/2 a vanilla bean pod

Shea butter can be purchased to add to a melt and pour soap base, but I used a soap base that already had shea butter in it.

Chop soap base into small chunks. Place in a microwave-safe glass container - I use a glass bowl. Microwave the soap base according to package directions. I microwaved mine in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the soap base is completely melted.

Once soap base is completely melted, stir in peppermint essential oil and vanilla beans. Pour melted soap mixture into soap molds, and allow to cool completely.


Exfoliating Lavender & Honey Soap with Orange Peel

I've made a lavender and orange peel soap before, but this version includes real honey and does not include shea butter.

ingredients
1 lb melt and pour soap base
20 drops of lavender soap scent
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of dried orange peel

Chop soap base into small chunks. Place in a microwave-safe glass container - I use a glass bowl. Microwave the soap base according to package directions. I microwaved mine in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the soap base is completely melted.

Once the soap base is melted, stir in the lavender scent, honey, and dried orange peel. Pour into soap molds, and allow to cool completely.

Packaging as party favors

To package my full-sized soap bars as party favors, I started by carefully slicing the soap. How you cut your soap may depend on the shape of the soap mold. For my long, rectangular-shaped soap bars, I cut the soap bar into 4 long, equal slices. Square-shaped pieces of soap would look nice packaged as well.

For packaging, I used small, glassine bags from Wrap and Revel, and sealed them with colored labels/seals (also from Wrap and Revel).

My soaps are labeled with a gold metallic Sharpie.

Would you like to see other soap recipes you might like to try? Check these out:

Peppermint Lavender Soap with Exfoliating Loofah
Lavender Soap with Exfoliating Orange Peel and Shea Butter
Vanilla Bean and Peppermint Loofah Soap
Tea Tree and Lavender Facial Bar