Felted Soap Bars

Felted soap bars are an excellent gift. Not only are they inexpensive and fun to make, but they don't take up a lot of room and the felted case (in most cases) can be reused when the soap bar disappears. Felted soap bars are a great exfoliating washcloth and a bar of soap in one neat little package.

Soap of choice (to be felted)

Felting Supplies

Wool

Bubble Wrap

Spray bottle or bowl w/hot water

Wire rack (for drying)

Fill a spray bottle or a bowl with hot water. Lay out a towel and the bubble wrap, bubbles side up.

Begin with wrapping wool around your soap in one direction (say, vertical). Spray (or dunk) your wool covered soap with hot water and place the tulle over the wool, gently rub the tulle into the wool in small circles, heat and soap helps wool to felt (stick together). You'll know the soap is well felted when the tulle lifts off the soap without pulling up the wool. If the wool does pull up, spray it with hot water and continue the circles for a few minutes.

Add a second layer going the opposite direction (horizontal) and follow the same steps as you did with layer 1.

You can add additional layers for a thicker soap bar, just alternate layer 1 and layer 2 steps until you're satisfied. Make sure to also work all around the edges as well.

When you're comfortable making a felted soap bar, start adding new designs and patterns. You do this by adding whatever pattern/design you want as the absolute last layer on your felted soap.

When you are done felting your soap, let it dry out on a wire rack. Depending on the type of wool you use, there will be 30-50% shrinkage, so don't worry if the wool that you've felted around the soap feels loose---it will tighten up.