Soap Shavings Plentiful and What To Do

[Taffylyon10]

Please share with the group, what on earth do you use the soap shavings for.
I am wondering can these be chopped up in a Cusinart to use as confetti in a new batch or will I end up with a soap ball???
I would rather not take the time to cut all the scraps with a knife.
I am always amazed at soap makers and how very clever they are.

 

[IrishLass]

Yes- you can grind them up or cut them up to use as soap confetti in other batches. Many of us here have done that quite often.

What I'm quite fond of doing nowadays with my scraps is to squish them up when they are fresh (as one would squish up clay), and press them into plastic, decorative Milkyway soap molds to make usable bars out of them, like so (all of these were made with squished, fresh scraps

IrishLass

 

[Susie]

I live where it is warm and humid much of the year, and my soap balled up when I tried to food process it. I stuck it in the freezer for an hour or so, and then ran it through the shredder part of the food processor. That works great for me. HTH

 

[Obsidian]

I turn mine into soap on a rope. I wet the scraps then form them into a bar/ball shape around a length of waterproof rope.

 

[dixiedragon]

I haven't tried this, but I've seen pics of it. Roll the larger pieces into a loose spiral, then put them into a tube mold. Then pour in new soap. You will have spirals in your soap. It's really neat looking!

 

[CanaDawn]

I like dixiedragon's idea, if the soap is still fairly soft/fresh. I wouldn't process soap that wasn't fairly dry, because it will clump, ime. Freezing it sounds likely to work, in that case. (although I think a processor with a grater attachment might work ok)

You could just put them in a lovely bowl to use as soap leaves too, they are very pretty as is.

 

[DeeAnna]

An alternative to the spiral idea is to loosely stack the leaves of soap and set them with their sides facing up in a log/loaf mold. Pour new soap so it fills the voids between the leaves. When you cut the soap, the leaves will make pretty little strips in the bar of soap. I apologize to the soaper whose picture I'm sharing -- I do not know her name to give her credit for the soap, the idea, and her photograph.

 

[LazyUmbrella]

Love that mosaic-looking soap!!

wonder what would happen if you were to just take your shavings, heat them up a bit and toss them into the soaping pot while you're stirring to trace, or right after trace?
Would the shavings curl up a bit and pour an an interesting way into the molds, or would they be too big for your molds?

 

[CanaDawn]

Oh that tile/mosaic idea is super cool too! I wouldn't have thought of that because my brain automatically thinks "confetti soap", but it's a really lovely variation.