SOAP SLIVERS

Do you always have a container of bar soap remnants like this in your bathroom? I know we did!!

I have NO IDEA why we feel compelled to save bits of soap, but we  do. We keep adding to the jar (in case of a soap emergency I guess?). Well, recently there were so many soap skeletons in the jar that I just had to throw them away I couldn't just throw them out, so I decided to do something with them.

I broke them up into small pieces about this size:

 

Then, because I thought it might melt easier, I pulsed them a few times in my food processor:

 

I put the "soap crumbs" in a heavy pot and added JUST ENOUGH water to BARELY cover the soap (use as little as possible). Turn the burner on to medium and heat just until the soap melts a little (it happens fast) and GENTLY stir (if you stir fast, you will get bubbles). It will look like this when it gets warm, then remove from the heat. NOTE: Not ALL of the soap chips will melt, but that's OK.

Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and fill each one with this "soap mush" (I used an ice cream scoop).

Let them sit at room temperature for 24 hours and then peel off the paper liners and put the "soap cakes" on a rack:

Now here is where you need patience. You CAN use these little soaps right away, but they will dissolve VERY quickly. If you want them to last as long a regular bar of soap, you'll need to air dry (cure) them on the rack for two weeks or even longer.

They smell wonderful, so I've had no problem aging them (they smell like a wonderful air freshener).

They do shrink quite a bit as they dry out, so keep that in mind when you are filling up the cupcake papers.

Soap isn't expensive, so this is more of a FUN project rather than a money saver project.  It would also be a fun project for kids to do.

HAVE FUN !!!