Snow Globe Soap

Arts and crafts. Yes, I am twenty years old and I still love messing around with scissors and glue. I love making little knick-knacks and if you get a gift from me, it's likely to be handmade. So, today we're going to talk about Snow Globe Soap. What? Soap? Yes, we are going to make soap, decorative soap. It's fun to make and a great way to get your kids interested in washing their hands. That's a win-win!

What you'll need...

• figurines - small enough to fit inside an ice cube tray _{(When I can’t find a cute Christmas related animal, I use small tree ornaments… may or may not tell my aunt that. But you don’t have to stick to the Christmas theme, you can go with anything—as long as it fits in an ice-cube tray, or if you have bigger moldings, go for it.)}
• a brick of clear glycerine _{(Make sure it's not old. I have read that if it is it will turn out opaque in the end.)}
• blue soap dye
• soap fragrance _{(I usually choose peppermint, mint, pine, or cinnamon, but it's your choice.)}
• soap glitter
• working microwave
• microwavable dish _{(to melt and pour your stuff in.)}
• potato peeler
• cheese grater
• spoon
• a bar of plain white soap

Time to make some soap!

First cut up the glycerin into 1-inch blocks - it doesn’t have to be perfect. Then microwave them on high for about 40 seconds. After the 40 seconds is up, begin microwaving in 10 second intervals, so that you can stir it up. Once your soap is a thickish looking liquid take it out. Now you can add your blue dye, glitter, and scent. It usually takes me between 2-4 drops of blue dye to get that nice winter sky color. Don’t add it all at once, it’s better to add a little at a time because if you add too much and it’s too dark… well, I guess you’ll have a winter at night theme.

_{Note: If you are doing this craft with a child, it may be best to keep them away from the hot soap - you don’t want their little fingers burned. It doesn’t get really hot and cools fairly quickly but it's better safe than sorry.}

Now that everything is mixed up and is to your liking, pour your glycerin mixture into each section of the ice cube tray, leave about a quarter inch at the top. You need this space to add the snowy floor and another layer of glycerin to seal the snow to the rest of the globe.

Let the glycerin cool. There should be a thin skin/film on the top - this should take about a minute. While it’s cooling, you can start to grate your snow (the white bar of soap). Now it’s time to situate your toy or ornament in the glycerin, maneuver it around with something similar to a toothpick or pin. As it hardens it, will become much easier to move so that it’s standing up straight and not floating unattractively somewhere near the top.

_{Note: Make sure you put it in upside down because the top will be the bottom, if that makes sense.}

When you are done with your toys, it’s time to add snow, which is always my favorite. You make snow by peeling the white bar of soap. Change it up a bit, it doesn’t have to be long curls. Use the grater and make some short. This is snow, each flake is unique, am I right? Do not pack the snow in; you need a little bit of space that you can fill with more glycerin to bond the snow to the rest of the globe. If you pack it too tightly, it’ll fall apart because there’s nothing holding the snow there.

Throw those bad boys in the freezer and go do something else for about thirty or so minutes. The tray should be cool to the touch from the underside, don’t forget to check the middle as well. Turn it over and pop the soap out like ice cubes, and there you have it! A cute little gift for someone or something to spruce up your bathroom during the holidays. Psst! It’s inexpensive too. Can I say ohmygod?

They just look so pretty when they are wrapped up, and then they smell so good. But no matter how good they smell, do not eat them. I promise it won’t be as tasty as it looks, unfortunately.