DIY soaping supplies?

[catandravendesigns]

I was just curious how many of you DIY your soaping supplies? I’m a thrifty gal by nature so I’ve built all our slab molds, our loaf splitter, and our bar cutter from scratch. I’d love to see what other folks have built for themselves! And an open opportunity to brag about how much money you saved doing it yourself!

(My brag is I can make two 40-bar slab molds for less than $35 and it only takes a couple hours of work!)

I attached a rough photo of one of them with the purple Amazon mold liners for size reference. They even have a little door to make removal easy. I love them!

 

[Lin19687]

There are several threads about using different items for molds. Check in the Beginners forum.

I think we all have tried all sorts of items

 

[lsg]

I wish that I had the know-how and ability to build my own molds and cutters. Congrats on a great job.

 

[catandravendesigns]

I wish that I had the know-how and ability to build my own molds and cutters. Congrats on a great job.

Thank you!

There are several threads about using different items for molds. Check in the Beginners forum.

I think we all have tried all sorts of items

Awesome, I will!

 

[Relle]

Dh has made all moulds, soapcutter etc. Couldn't tell you a costing. If I need something it gets made. Photos are back somewhere here in my history in my posts. Too far to go back.

 

[Iseleigh]

I don't make big batches of soap so I can get away with using Dollar Tree drawer organizers lined with leftover grocery bags. Very cheap and very easy.

 

[catandravendesigns]

I don't make big batches of soap so I can get away with using Dollar Tree drawer organizers lined with leftover grocery bags. Very cheap and very easy.

That’s a really good idea! I love how soaping encourages out of the box thinking!

 

[Iseleigh]

That’s a really good idea! I love how soaping encourages out of the box thinking!

I got the idea from Soaping 101 on YouTube. She has a video for Dollar Tree soap and bought everything besides lye and scent at the Dollar Tree. I made the recipe the other day and it seems like it will be a good soap though I did have to sub the cocoa butter for coconut oil as my DT doesn't carry the cocoa butter she used. Here is the link to the video.

 

[catandravendesigns]

I got the idea from Soaping 101 on YouTube. She has a video for Dollar Tree soap and bought everything besides lye and scent at the Dollar Tree. I made the recipe the other day and it seems like it will be a good soap though I did have to sub the cocoa butter for coconut oil as my DT doesn't carry the cocoa butter she used. Here is the link to the video.

Awesome, thank you! I can’t believe some DTs carry cocoa butter. Guess I have a trip to make tonight lol

 

[Iseleigh]

Awesome, thank you! I can’t believe some DTs carry cocoa butter. Guess I have a trip to make tonight lol

The Dollar Tree is my FAVE. So much stuff for a buck! Their spring rolls and egg rolls are surprisingly good.
I've seen eyeshadow there and considered using it as a colorant to see how it acts but it's got several other ingredients besides mica and I just don't know what would happen.

 

[catandravendesigns]

The Dollar Tree is my FAVE. So much stuff for a buck! Their spring rolls and egg rolls are surprisingly good.
I've seen eyeshadow there and considered using it as a colorant to see how it acts but it's got several other ingredients besides mica and I just don't know what would happen.

We’ve absolutely gone there for bowls, spatulas, popsicle sticks, etc... but never thought to check for butters!

 

[giltc]

I make all my own molds (with the exception of a set of single-bar silicones), and just this evening finished this guy:


I can’t wait to see what I’ll have forgotten to plan for!

Oh, and the miscellaneous cutlery and set-less glass aisles at Goodwill are just a WEALTH...my lye-solution glassware is just the glass beaker part of a French-press coffee pitcher

 

[shunt2011]

I make all my own molds (with the exception of a set of single-bar silicones), and just this evening finished this guy:

View attachment 45333View attachment 45334View attachment 45335
I can’t wait to see what I’ll have forgotten to plan for!

Oh, and the miscellaneous cutlery and set-less glass aisles at Goodwill are just a WEALTH...my lye-solution glassware is just the glass beaker part of a French-press coffee pitcher

Never ever mix lye in glass. It will etch it and cause it to shatter. Plastic with #5 or #2 in the triangle on the bottom or stainless steel.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I make all my own molds (with the exception of a set of single-bar silicones), and just this evening finished this guy:

View attachment 45333View attachment 45334View attachment 45335
I can’t wait to see what I’ll have forgotten to plan for!

Oh, and the miscellaneous cutlery and set-less glass aisles at Goodwill are just a WEALTH...my lye-solution glassware is just the glass beaker part of a French-press coffee pitcher

I absolutely love your ingenuity! Shunt is right though. Don’t mix lye in glass.

 

[giltc]

Y’know, I really just assumed, as in most every other instance, that glass would be inert even to lye, but a cursory Googling later...

Copy that, pass on glass. Thanks!

And initial results on the Tilt-O-Soap are strong! Gotta work out a locking system though—foam tread works on dry countertops, but once a little soap batter slicks it down, well. Might have some blurry edges.

 

[Gabriella]

This is the silicone mould i've made for my soaps that can't be stamped easily. It also saves money on packaging costs.

 

[PieBorg]

Way back in the mists of time, the man I eventually married built a wooden loaf mold for me. After adding removable inserts for one side and one end, the mold became adjustable in all three dimensions. This is still my go-to mold. Without the inserts, it holds 6 lbs of soap, but I can adjust it to hold a single bar (if I ever wanted to make a batch that small). With the side insert, it makes upright bars. Without it, the bars are lying flat on their faces. That flexibility makes it easy to do just about any type of design. I covered each board with clear contact paper, so no liner is needed. I just remove the screws holding the mold together, and that releases the soap. When it's disassembled, it takes up very little room. I'm pretty sure he used scrap wood to build it, so it cost very little. I absolutely love it, and Hubby is still building things for me. Whaddaguy!

 

[TheGecko]

I was just curious how many of you DIY your soaping supplies?

I used a slightly modified cheese slicer for almost the first year I made soap. The 'mod' was making a 'rest' for the soap loaf so I would get straighter cuts.

I'd thought about making my own silicone molds as hubby said he could easily duplicate any wooden mold. But even though I'm a thrifty person at heart, just the thought of all the work involved (getting the math right, building the molds, mixing/pouring, trimming, cleaning) at this stage of my life...nah, I'll just buy them.

But I agree that you don't have to spend a lot of money on fancy soaping equipment if you're a hobbyist. But if you're doing it as a business, you're going to need to invest in more quality equipment for the long term.

 

[JenBen]

View attachment 45383

This is the silicone mould i've made for my soaps that can't be stamped easily. It also saves money on packaging costs.

Gabriella,

That’s beautiful. Was it hard to make?

Jenifer