How to make soap – for beginners or a Dinosaur activity for you! (Say what? Dinosaurs AND soap? Read on..). “Real” soap making is actually tricky, you need chemicals (Lye) and safety equipment (googles, gloves) and thermometers… so after reading lots about it, I decided that maybe it wasn’t quite for me. But I still wanted a go at Soap Making in general. So researched a little and found the fabulous “Melt & Pour” soap. Which basically takes the “first tricky step” out. You can have fun with this same method making fabulous Recycled Egg Candles too! These Dino Eggs would be a great Easter Craft – replacing chocolate gifts in the Easter Basket!
NOTE: this dino soap eggs post was first published in March 2012, we have updated it for you and republished for convenience!
Melt & Pour, is easy, safe and you can do all sorts of things… such as getting small boys to wash their hands! Melt & Pour soap, comes in all sorts of guises and if you “google it”, you will find Organic Melt & Pour soap and all sorts. It tends to come in a semi clear pot and is great value for money. Once you have a pot… you can get started and make all sorts of lovely soaps.
Today’s craft is fun fun fun craft for you, which will have the end result that little boys and girls will WANT to wash their hands!!!! We are making Dinosaur Egg Soap!! Yes. Dinosaur soap! If you are looking for dinosaur activities, look no further, this will tickle your kids pink.
DIY Dino Egg Soap – Materials:
- Melt & Pour Soap (found some here US /UK),
- a jug, mircowave (you can melt it on the stove too),
- some cling film,
- container to shape your soap – we used egg shells (check out how to blow an egg out),
- mini dinosaurs to fit your eggs. Optional: colour & essential oils for Melt & Pour soap. I bought some lemon (US/ UK) and lavender oils (US/ UK).
- Small dinosaur toys – as small as you can find.. but if they “stick” out of your egg a bit, it is no disaster and just as much fun (e.g. US/ UK)!
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DIY Dino Egg Soap – How To
1) Your Melt & Pour soap will come with instructions, but in essence:
Put your Melt & Pour soap in a heat proof container and add clingfilm (to retain moisture). I did small batches at a time, so I could experiment, without wasting any soap. Cover with cling film. Place in microwave for about 40-60seconds. I found that if you “over heat” your soap, it will boil and form lots of bubbles. I think key to “good soap making” is avoiding the surface bubbles. So you are better off gently heating your soap. Check on it every 10-15 seconds.
2) Prepare your egg – I blew all my eggs out in advance and made sure they were fully dry. On the “round end of the egg, I open the hole large enough to fit the dinosaur. I did this with the help of my tack – pricking bigger holes and then gently prying it open. I think it would look great with lizards and snakes too.. anything you can manage to “fit in”. I cleaned the inside of the egg with my finger. Add a little playdough or tape to the bottom of the hole to close up the egg. If you add playdough – make sure you don’t push it inside the egg (i.e. clear any that goes in, you don’t want it upsetting the final soap!).
3) Back to your soap. Add your essential oils and colours if you wish. Stir gently. Then pour into your prepared egg – slowly and gently to avoid bubbles and cavities. The soap solidifies really quickly, so do do it gently, but don’t take too long.
4) Let fully cool. I put it in the fridge, as I am impatient. Once cool, carve off the egg shell with a knife. Soap is VERY soft, so you will probably not get the same smooth surface as we did with our Egg Candles. But I don’t think that matters – as a) dinosaur eggs look authentic if a little rough around the edges and b) you will be washing you hands anyway, so it will smooth out the surface with use.
DONE! A little bit of “World Play” first and then off to the bathroom.
I think this makes a great dinosaur activity, is a great addition to party bags, or for a non chocolately Easter! Melt & Pour soap really is brilliant for beginners!!!
Honest Mum says
This looks amazing fun and dinosaur births without the pain should be on everyone\’s must do list. Genius!
Tracy says
Love it, really brilliant!
Will definitely be trying a girly version of this.. Now I wonder where I can find some miniature fairies?!
Red Ted Art says
Oooh how cute would this be with Fairies?!?!?
Collie says
what about Polly pockets? Just an idea to throw out.
Red Ted Art says
🙂 Thank you! And yes, if only all birth\’s were this easy!!
Arty Lil says
WOW Maggy, you are amazing! What a FABULOUS Idea. I want to have ago as they look so fun to make! Thank you, Rachel x
Caz says
Oh my goodness, this is the cutest thing I\’ve seen in a long time! What a brilliant idea.
Red Ted Art says
Aaaah thank you! 🙂 you guys made smile!
loobydotlu says
We have heart and star shaped ice cube trays at home, can see these would be great for making mini soaps!
Red Ted Art says
Absolutely! I started off with stars and heart shapes – I meant to post them, but forgot!! They are lovely and the kids love them too!
Esther says
Ingenious! Dinosaur Soaps – that\’s so much fun!
Mandi@BoredomBustingMommy says
These are way too cool!!! My sons would LOVE to wash their hands with dinosaur eggs. 🙂
Mandi says
If you get this comment twice, I’m sorry! My computer is being a poop this morning for some reason. ANYWAY…
I LOVE this dinosaur soap! Way too cool! Both of my boys would love to wash their hands with dinosaur eggs! And it would get my 7-year-old to stop pumping 9 pumps of soap onto his hands every time he washes them! Ah!
Red Ted Art says
I like getting comments twice. Thank you for taking the time to do so!!! And yes, we have that problem with the pump soap too!!!! I guess it is fun?? But now we have our dino eggs!
Didi says
You are so crafty! The soaps came out great, and thanks for the tip about the surface bubbles. These would make a really cute gift too. I bet glitter would look really neat. You could make radioactive space rocks with the glitter, and put little martian men inside or something. My kid LOVES dinosaurs, so I\’m excited to try this. You have the best ideas. Thanks for sharing this idea at the Kid\’s Co-op!:-)
Red Ted Art says
I LOVE the martian and glitter idea! BRILLIANT!
Aly says
I bought a soap making book from the second hand shop.3 different methods to choose from and no money buy equipment.Was thinking of using moulds I already have ( Kieran has an egg allergy so can’t do your version).
Amarie says
For the family with the egg allergy…..JELLO makes an egg mold and puts it out for Easter…..you can use that, or you may be able to gently wrap the egg shell in plastic wrap…..What about using ice trays as well….as long as they are designated for art use ONLY!
Janise says
What about using plastic Easter eggs
Red Ted Art says
Yes that could work too!
Zoila says
I would use plastic Easter eggs & make a hike at the bottom to our the soap thru. No real eggs so no allergy problem 🙂
Rachelle | TinkerLab says
you\’re a genius! i love that you used egg shells for this — it totally makes the whole dinosaur thing work. off to share it 🙂
Red Ted Art says
Oooh thank you Rachelle 🙂 I confess to be rather chuffed with them.
Aly – mmmmh, you could use plastic egg moulds? Have a look in pound shops now that Easter is coming up?
Lilac @ learnersinbloom says
This is genius – so creative to use the egg shells for molds!
Julie says
I love your idea!
Carolyn Wilhelm says
I am always amazed at this blog and never disappointed! It is fun just to read about your projects much less try them. I love it! I can\’t wait to try this. Carolyn
Jill says
These look really great, such good fun too. So glad I found your blog, really enjoyed this post and look forward to reading through our recent ones. Hope you have a good week.
Mary says
Why are you so bloody talented? Not that we\’re all jealous of course!!
Liz Burton says
You are a genius!!
Red Ted Art says
You guys are simply far too nice… she says, grinning from ear to ear. 🙂
Domestic Goddesque says
Such a great idea!
Chrissy @ The Outlaw Mom Blog says
So super cool! Much better than plastic eggs filled with dinosaurs. I so love this idea 🙂
Katie says
Fab! Soap-making has never appealed to me until NOW:-)
Amanda says
Thanks for posting, this is an awesome idea, my kids would love it!
Amanda says
You can find mini-characters usually at the dollar store, i\’ve seen princess\’, winnie the pooh characters & toy story -just of the top of my head, they might have fairies too.
Red Ted Art says
Great idea!!
creativejewishmom/sara says
really great idea, thanks so much for sharing!
HELEN says
This is brilliant!
Jodi says
I love your idea of using blown out eggs. I did want to say that with my experince with soap “making” ie melt and pour soft objects are best in the soap as the hard objects can scratch as the soap wears down. I like to use the streatchy critters and I find them at most discount stores or in bulk at oriental trading.
Thanks for the cool idea
Red Ted Art says
Oooh thanks for the tip!
Charice says
I found the soap on Amazon and a few other sites. Can you tell me how many eggs you were able to get out of the 2lb block of melt and pour soap? I was going to make some as party favors for my son’s birthday.
Thanks so much for your help! I just love this idea. My son is all about dinosaurs right now 🙂 Thanks for posting
Red Ted Art says
Eeek – I am sorry, I don’t know, I just “did it”? I could imagine that you get quite a few out 2 lb – prob a dozen?
Charice says
Ok. Great! Thank you! I wanted to make about 20 so I will get to blocks. Thanks for your help…and for posting this!!! My boys are going to love them!!!
Teri says
Would this make a good activity for a birthday party? How hot is the liquid soap? It is safe for kids to fill up the eggs or it must be done by an adult?
Thank you
Red Ted Art says
Mmmh, tricky one. I would probably NOT do it as a party, as there are SO many kids. I probably would give it a go at a play date? Also you need to wait for the soap to set and then “pick off the shell”, which can take a while. So short answer: probably no! Sorry!
The fairy and the frog says
Would it make a good party bag gift (if you had the time and patience to make them!) I can think of lots of mum friends who would be really please to have a take home gift that was something that encouraged had washing rather than more sweets!
Lara says
Great for Easter, add a little chick in it.
Jenny @ The Brick Castle says
*Goes straight to Amazon to buy melt and pour soap*
😀
Red Ted Art says
Perfect response!! Have fun!!
40withatoddler says
Love this idea!! I have the jello mold from Easter that I will try this with 🙂 My little guy loooves his dinosaur collection. I’ve done a lot if Dino activities just to get him in soap and water. This is perfect!
Lucy says
Brilliant – just waiting for them it set in the fridge now. We have a duck, an earring, a dog, jumping bean and stretchy man! Hoping to have very clean kids at bath time.
Pinkoddy says
I have never heard of melt and pour soap this sounds fantastic. Love what you’ve done with the dinosaurs and could be used to make so many other great gifts. Thank you for sharing.
john says
Really this is cool to how to make a Soap by using very easy techniques of melt and pour.This technique is easy to use technique and beneficial for making soap easily.
Louise says
Would this work with the plastic eggs that we get at Easter that you can fill and close up? would they release ok do you think?
Red Ted Art says
It is possible. Maybe fill with talcum powder to help release it?
Lisa @ Fun Money Mom says
Wow…what a cute idea! My girls would love these!