Soap-Making for Rainy Days

Have I entered the world of Little House on the Prairie? On a rainy day last week, I decided to make soap. No, I didn't use animal fats—I'm not that hardcore—but I did pick some fresh lemon balm, oregano, and sage from our herb garden to add to the concoction.

chopped herbs

I cut off a piece of soap brick from our handy soap-making kit (Life of the Party: Moisturizing Clear Glycerin Soap) and melted it using a double boiler method (put a glass bowl over a saucepan).

 I added the herbs to bowls...

...and poured the melted soap into them. After they dry, I have the perfect gift for my parents :)

DIY Soap

Soap is a very simple household product to make at home, with the added bonus of using your own herbs and oils to create fragrances and designs.


We started by cutting off a large chunk of a clear glycerin soap brick and heating it using the double boil method. To double boil the soap, we started boiling water in a regular pot and then placed a large glass bowl with the soap in it on top to melt. It’s important to remain attentive to the melting soap and stir it frequently while it’s boiling to avoid the soap hardening again before it is done.

After the soap was completely melted, we poured it into several small molds and began adding essential oils and herbs from the herb garden. Since we used six different molds, we made a variety of soaps. In one mold, we mixed eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil. In another, we used finely chopped sage leaves from the herb garden and chamomile oil. After adding oils and herbs, the only thing left to do is wait for the soap to harden and then remove it from the mold.