Have you ever won a carnival prize and consisted of plastic bags filled with goldfish?! I remember coming home with one and my mom saying that she wished the fish had been a toy fish instead. And I knew exactly why two hours later when the fish was found floating at the top of the bag. Moms are always right! Let’s make the cutest bar soaps ever and put them in really simple product packaging!
Anyway, I decided it would be a fun idea to make a party favors for a birthday party using bag soap, fragrance oil and twist ties. The end result is a beautiful handmade soap and the cute plastic fish swims in the bag! Let me show you how! Here’s what you’ll need:
Materials to make Fish-in-a-bag soap
- Fish Toys (to be creative, use a variety of fish colors) Can be found on Amazon here or at the pet store.
- Glycerin Soap Base
- Fragrance Oil like coconut oil or any scent you choose
- Cello Bags
- Blue color soap dye (optional)
- Bowl Ice Water
- Funnel
- Rubbing Alcohol in a spray mister (also optional)
- Microwave
How to Make your Fish in a Bag Soap
- Take out a clear cellophane bag and be sure to open up the bag completely. Pull out the sides of the bag so that the soap can easily pour into the bag. If necessary, rest the plastic bag in a large bowl or mug.
- Chop up the glycerine soap base and melt in the microwave for increments of 30 seconds, Be sure to mix in between so the soap doesn’t burn. If you get a lot of air bubbles, the soap might be just a little too hot. For soap base, feel free to use either vegetable glycerin or the melt and pour variety of your choice. The only caveat is to be sure that the soap dries clear!
- Once the soap is completely melted, add some fragrance. I chose to use citrus blend, but feel free to use whatever oil you prefer!
- Take the funnel and stick it into the plastic bag. Make sure it is all the way at the very bottom of the bag so that no soap spills on the side of the bag. Use the melt and pour base and pour it into the funnel. Be sure to hold the funnel in the very center of the bag before you pour soap base into the funnel. You might not have the best experience the very first time you use this pour soap recipe and procedure, but you will improve each time – trust me!
- Once you have filled the bag, gently, slowly and carefully remove the funnel. Take the small plastic fish toy and carefully place it into the liquid soap. If the fish is upside down, you can still move it before the soap cools. If the fish continues to sink to the very bottom of the bag, wait a minute for the soap to cool just a tiny bit and then place the goldfish inside. If for some reason you do not have a cellophane bag, feel free to use a larger outer bag and just fill it with ice and water. It should still do the trick!
- If the melted soap has a ton of air bubbles, either just go with it because water has air bubbles, or spritz the rubbing alcohol at the very top of the soap and the bubbles will rise. Do this before you let the soap cool too much.
- Once the fish is in place, carefully take the entire bag and place it in a bowl of ice water. This will help to solidify the soap. Once the soap is completely hardened, use a twist tie to seal the actual product.
- Use your small plastic toy (leftovers) and make some more. These are great for bath time fun and will definitely get those kids scrubbing. Plus…don’t forget that these novelty soap bars make great gifts. Who knew that a bar of soap could be so much fun!
I also made a youtube video showing step by step how to make the fish-in-a-bag soap so be sure to watch on full volume for extra tips!
Now that you have let the soap harden, you can use it alongside other skin care products! All you have to do is peel off the cellophane bag and…poof! You have a solid bar of clear glycerin soap (with an adorable plastic fish inside). But don’t forget that the fish can count as small parts and can be a choking hazard so don’t gift this to babies or kids under 3. Also, you might want to include any allergen content. Please let me know if you end up making this glycerin soap sea themed fish-in-a-bag soap! I can’t wait to hear all about it!
If you love making soap, you will probably love using shaving cream, too! Check out this incredible DIY!
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