Felted Gift Soaps

Donna
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 555 Posts

finished soaps These felted soaps were made using store bought soaps or you may make your own soap, instructions not given in this tip though. These are oh so easy, but look oh so nice!

You may match your home or party/shower colors and add a ribbon, cord, or tagged message to finish it off.

Wool has antibacterial properties and this is like having a soap and sponge in one! Great for those small left over pieces of soap too. Just mash them together.
Great easy project and looks so fancy and cute when finished!

Total Time: 20 minutes plus drying time of a day or two

Supplies:

hand made or store bought soaps
or left over pieces that you soak then squeeze together
roving wool in any color you'd like, I like to use at least two colors per soap, but you don't have to
a nylon or old onion net bag
optional-ribbon, string, or cord
vegetable peeler if you want to round off corners of soap
pan of hot and cold water
rubber gloves if you are sensitive to the hot water
towel or paper towel to damp down the soap to dry it at the end

Steps:

If you want to, use peeler to round the corners of your soap.

Wrap a thin piece of your wool around the entire soap vertically.

Wrap another, thin, different colored piece around the soap in the other direction, horizontally, so the original color shows through in some places.

Place the soap into either an old toe of a nylon or a netted vegetable bag, or you may just hold the soap if you have neither. The bags just help hold the wool to the soap to help it shrink and form itself around the bar of soap.

Set up two bowls, one with hot water and one with cold water, in the sink. Wear rubber gloves if the water is too hot for you.

Dunk the soap into the hot water and start to gently massage it, pushing the wool into the soap lightly. Continue this for about 5 minutes. Then place the soap into the pan of cold water. This helps to shrink the wool to fit the soap more tightly.

Take it out and continue massaging it, pushing the wool into the soap. It's almost like you are washing your hands with it.
I repeat this about 5 times for about 2-3 minutes each pan.

Finally, I gently squeeze the soap in one hand, then place it on a towel where I gently push it into the towel to help remove much of the water from the soap.

I like to fold it up in a paper towel or towel to help draw out the water overnight, then leave it out in the air to dry the next day.

You may tie ribbons or cord around it and even add a little cardboard message if it's a shower or gift. It would be a cute shower favor in the bride's colors or even a nice gift basket!
Note: Some folks slit the side of the pouch open after the soap is used up and slip in their soap slivers to continue using it! You may also use the empty wool pouch for scrubbing in the bath, for feet, or even as a scrubber for housework!

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likekinds
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 523 Posts

March 2, 20160 found this helpful

Though I am in agreement that using fabric softener is probably not a good idea, I do still use it, some... usually diluted with vinegar.

I have found that no matter how nice a fabric softener smells initially, when clothing is stored for more than two weeks, that nice scent is gone, and in its place is the unpleasant scent the 'perfume' was supposed to mask.

I buy my favorite bath soap when it is on sale. I store it in my drawers with my clothing. An article of clothing put away six months ago, still has a fresh and clean, but faint, scent of bath soap.

You can't beat that with a stick!

cj wagz

March 6, 20160 found this helpful

Nice! Just make sure your gift recipient isn't allergic to wool...I am! ;)

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