Handmade Oatmeal-Lavender Soap

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     I was clearing out some shelves that hadn't been looked at in years when I came across an old soap making kit Alicia had when she was younger.  I remember that originally it had glycerin based soap in it.  It also had dyes and molds for soap making. She had a lot of fun with that, so I had purchased a cream based soap for her to continue with it.  Shortly after that, she must have lost interest because when I found the kit, it still had most of that soap in it.
     I looked online to see if the same kit was still available.   I didn't see it, but here is a similar one.  Also here.  This one is cute for kids.
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     The soap base was no longer labeled, but I am guessing it is a glycerin based product like this or this.
      I decided it would be fun to make some soap and give it to her to go with the baby gifts I am working on.  I know that lavender is a great essential oil to induce relaxation and sleep, and I love how oatmeal makes my skin feel.  It is so soothing.  So I decided to make a Lavender-Oatmeal soap.

First, I weighed out about 6 oz of the soap base and started melting it in a clean #10 can sitting inside a pan of water.  You can also try melting it in the microwave. 

• I added about 16 drops of lavender essential oil to the melting soap base.
• In my mini nut grinder, (similar to this), I ground about 3 T of rolled oats into powder.  I added the resulting powder into the soap base.
• Add 1 tsp. of pure vanilla extract.
• I used a mixture or red and blue soap dye to get a soft lavender color.  You can purchase dyes for soap here.  Don't use food coloring, it will stain your skin.
• Stir the soap throughout the entire process as it melts and as you add ingredients.  When it is well blended, pour into molds.  Alicia's kit came with these round molds and some animal shapes.

They are turning a little yellow with age.

     Here are some silicone molds available on Amazon.  Here are some pretty flower shaped ones! 

     When the soap was all melted, I filled the molds about 1/2 full.  The amount of soap I made was enough for 2 round bars.

I was surprised at how quickly the soap cooled and hardened! The picture makes them look pretty white, they really are a little more lavender.

Look closely and you can see the bits of oatmeal inside. The soap smells great!

I wrapped them in a square of purple tissue paper, holding the paper shut with an owl sticker.

I used baker's twine to give them a final tie shut. I didn't have purple, but that is okay.

I bought my tissue paper and the  Baker's Twine at Dollar Tree!  It comes in packs of 3 for just $1.00 (or course).  I love this stuff, I have used it for so many things! 

And there you have it! Pretty handmade soap that was so easy and fun! I think Alicia will get a kick out of it being from her old kit. Now I want to try more combinations, scents and colors. Any ideas? I may need a book!