Mirror80

Reflecting on recent retro style

  • Home
  • About Mirror80
  • Contact

DIY Soap Balls

December 23, 2019 by Kate Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift idea, may I suggest soap balls. Yes, soap balls. If you were a kid in the ’80s, you likely had these in your bathroom (perhaps in a scalloped dish), or you made them for your mom, thanks to a school art project. Peach tones were popular, and gift shops even sold them in bins so people could mix and match colors for the perfect powder room display. Affordable, easy to create, and usually wrapped in tulle when presented as a gift, soap balls were also photographed in many an ’80s bathroom. The design books don’t lie! Keep reading for details on how to make your own…

Supplies for Soap Balls

This project doesn’t require many supplies, making it an easy one to tackle. Here’s what you’ll want to have on hand:

  • bars of soap
  • a cheese grater or food processor
  • a mixing bowl
  • a clear measuring cup or glass
  • water
  • food coloring
  • a mixing spoon
  • essential oils (optional)

While super-affordable grocery store soap such as Ivory is often recommended for soap balls, you may want to choose a soap that has a very subtle scent. I opted for the castile soap shown above (which I ordered on Amazon). Honestly, the lovely ladies I was gifting with these soap balls have a very sensitive sense of smell, and I wanted to keep it simple. That’s also why I chose not to use essential oils to add fragrance, but that’s a popular option. I purchased a 6-pack of soap, and each bar created three soap balls. Keep reading for the easy steps involved in this project…

DIY Soap Ball Steps

Step 1: Grate the soap

This is honestly the step that requires the most patience. Some take a cheese grater to the bar of soap. I chose to chop my soap into thin/smaller pieces, then put them in a food processor. If you opt for this method, please, please, please be safe with the knife. If you’re prone to accidents, just use the cheese grater. The soap can be slippery, and as lovely as these soap balls turn out to be, they’re not worth a trip the ER, mmkay?

Step 2: Create the color of your choice by mixing food coloring and water

Add some water to a clear measuring cup or glass and sprinkle in a drop or two of food coloring. Start with a very small amount if you want the color to be subtle. For the peach soap balls shown above, I added one drop of red food coloring and one drop of yellow. A little goes a long way.

Step 3: Add the colorful water to the soap and form a paste

Put your grated/chopped soap in a mixing bowl and add the water/food coloring mixture. Start with a small amount, as it’s much easier to add more than to soak up excess water. The consistency should be soft without being too sticky. You can use a spoon to help mix everything together, but use your hands to get a feel for the consistency. This would also be the point to add your essential oil if that’s on your agenda!

Step 4: Form the soap into balls and let them dry

This is the fun part! It will seriously bring back memories of being a kid if this is a project you’ve enjoyed in the past. Let your soap balls dry on parchment paper or another smooth surface. While some people recommend that the soap balls cure for at least a week, mine seemed pretty good to go in a day or two.

Don’t forget to display your soap balls with pride or wrap them up in a lovely way if presenting them as a gift. As mentioned, tulle is an ideal wrapping material. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • More
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Email

Related

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Mirror80 is a blog that celebrates the intersection of modern design and retro style. I'm Kate, and I enjoy exploring the look and feel of the "recent retro", with a focus on the late '70s through the early '90s. Welcome to Mirror80. Read More…

Categories

  • Art
  • DIY
  • Fashion
  • Film
  • Graphic Design
  • Interior Design
  • Interviews
  • Playlists
  • Reflections
  • Retro Foodie
  • Still Life
  • Television
  • Video Picks

Mirror80 Email List

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a weekly email featuring our latest posts. [ninja_forms_display_form id=2]

Popular Posts

Recent Posts

  • Pastabilities
  • A Magical Fall
  • DIY Frosted Pumpkins
  • “Physical”, Working Out and Womanhood
  • An ’80s-Style Dining Room Makeover

Archives

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

FEATURED POSTS

Embracing Color

7 Easy Ways to Bring ’80s Style Home

Top Gun Style: A Tropical Patio

Retro Architecture at the Beach

Holographic Style

Teatime, Retro-Style

A Memphis-Meets-Deco Home Tour

Dead Malls, Childhood Memories and ’80s Style

An ’80s Fashion Photo Shoot!

1980s Interior Design Styles

Copyright © 2023 · Dynamik-Gen on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.