One of my favorite parts of celebrating Hanukkah as a kid was playing the dreidel game! It’s one of those classic Hanukkah activities that we pass down from generation to generation in our family. I’m always looking for new Hanukkah crafts to celebrate the Festival of Lights at our house. With both of my kids getting older, I have to get creative with activities that teenagers enjoy. I found a fun and unique way to incorporate dreidels into our Hanukkah crafts this year – making DIY dreidel soap! These will be the perfect addition to our family Chanukah party and would also make a great DIY gift this Hanukkah season.
What is a Dreidel?
A dreidel is a traditional spinning top, often made of wood, that’s a central symbol of Hanukkah. It features Hebrew letters on its sides, which form an acronym for “A Great Miracle Happened Here.” Most dreidels are wood or plastic, but you can even make your own paper dreidels.
What is the Dreidel Game?
The dreidel game is a great way to celebrate the Festival of Lights during a Hanukkah party. The game rules involve spinning a dreidel while singing the beloved “Dreidel Song.” Players take turns spinning by twisting the top of the dreidel, and the letter it lands on determines their next move, like putting chocolate coins in or taking them out of a pot at the center. It’s hours of endless fun for kids and adults!
How to Make DIY Dreidel Soap for Hanukkah
Making dreidel soap is a great activity for older children that supplements learning about Hanukkah traditions. Plus, handmade dreidel soap adds a festive touch to your Hanukkah celebrations! We won’t be using a dreidel mold for this soap; instead, you’ll need to grab an actual little dreidel or two.
Due to the high temperature of the soap, this isn’t the best craft for younger children. Supervision is required!
Supplies You’ll Need to Make Dreidel Soap
- 2lbs of hand soap base (glycerin base works best, not coconut oil or olive oil
- Soap dye/pigment
- Soap molds (Various mold configurations work: square, round, rectangle, hexagon, etc)
- Popsicle sticks
- Toothpicks
- Small dreidels (Grab them from your favorite dreidel company or on Amazon)
- Knife
- Microwave & microwave-safe bowl/container
Steps for Making DIY Dreidel Soap
- Carefully use a knife to cut about 4-5 cubes of soap base for each mold you wish to fill.
- Place around 5 pieces of soap base into a microwave-safe bowl/ container.
- Heat the soap-base pieces for 30 seconds in the microwave. Be careful, soap will be hot when you remove it from the microwave.
CAUTION: Liquid soap is hot and can burn. Parental supervision is required.
- Carefully mix using a popsicle stick.
- Add 1-2 drops of soap pigment to the soap if you want your soap to have some color. Mix gently using a toothpick. **NOTE: Hand soap dye will stain, be extra careful when using.**
- If it is still lumpy or gooey, heat the soap again for ten seconds and mix again. Repeat in 10-second increments until the soap is smooth with no lumps. Be careful; soap will be hot.
- Immediately pour the melted soap into the mold until it is halfway filled up.
- Add the dreidel. Pour more melted soap on top of the dreidel until the mold is full.
- Wait at least three hours at room temperature before taking the
soap out of the mold. You can speed up the soap hardening process by carefully placing the soap mold into your refrigerator or freezer for one hour.
Tips & Tricks for Making DIY Dreidel Soap
- You can make layered soap! All you have to do is make one layer of solid white soap. Let it dry completely. Next, melt 2-3 squares of soap base, add one color of pigment, and pour it on top of the white layer. This makes a nice striped effect. Make sure each layer is completely hard before adding the next layer. Repeat until the mold is layered to the top.
- You can add dried flowers or coffee grounds to your hand soap for a relaxing scent or exfoliation.
- You cannot heat store-bought soap or dish soap.
- If you do not like what you’ve made, you can re-heat and try again.
- You can make hand soap in small batches, one bar at a time.
- It is OK to heat soap base in the same microwave that is used for food.
- When swirling hot soap and pigment inside the mold, you want the colors to coexist. You do not want the colors to completely mix. Be careful not to overmix.
- (Optional) To avoid bubbles in the hand soap, spray the top of the soap with rubbing alcohol (90% or more works best, but any kind will help reduce bubbles). Do this while soap is still in liquid form.
- Experiment and have fun! The possibilities are endless.
- Cleaning hand soap-making supplies is easy; just add water!
How to Use DIY Dreidel Hand Soap for Hanukkah
Your handmade dreidel soap makes an excellent DIY Hanukkah gift or is a great way to bring the magic of Chanukah to every room! Display it in your bathroom, powder room, or by your kitchen sink. To use the mild soap, simply wet your hands or the bar and work into a lather, just like a regular bar of soap! Once the soap has been used enough, the dreidel can be used to your child’s delight!
I had so much fun making these DIY dreidel hand soaps with my kids this year. While I appreciate high-quality Hanukkah items, it’s also nice to add a handmade touch to the holiday decor. Next time, we might try making soap using dreidel molds or menorah molds, just to mix it up!
