Make Soap with Repurposed Soap Molds

This tutorial is a fun way to experiment with homemade soap molds using containers you already have on hand. Many a Pringles container has fallen to my mad soap-making skills! This tutorial focuses on how you can create DIY soap molds with items you might already have around the house, turning them into unique and repurposed soap molds.

This tutorial is intermediate level, so if you’re just starting out with soap making, check out our beginner tutorials in the Melt and Pour Soap section to get more familiar with the basics.

Step 1: Prepare Your Containers
Start by going on a scavenger hunt through your house to find containers that can be used as DIY molds for soap. I came up with an empty water bottle, a yogurt cup, a small root beer bottle, and a Pringles can. The Pringles container, in particular, makes a great loaf mold – just finish off those chips first!

Tip: Don’t use metal containers. Stick with plastic or cardboard/coated cardboard for your repurposed soap molds.

Wash all your containers well and let them dry completely. Take special care with the Pringles can since it’s made of cardboard. After they dry, spritz them with alcohol and allow them to air dry for an additional 10 minutes or so.

Step 2: Cut Up Your Soap Base
Cut the Ultra Clear Melt & Pour base into small cubes. You can use any soap base that you prefer, so feel free to mix it up!

TIP: To figure out how much soap your repurposed molds will hold, fill them with water and then pour the water into a measuring cup. This will tell you approximately how much soap you’ll need. Make sure your molds are completely dry before using them. To save a step, do this while cleaning the containers.

Step 3: Melt the Soap Base
Start with the Pringles can. Take 16 ounces of cubed soap base and place it in a microwave-safe glass container. Melt the soap in the microwave in 30-second bursts until it’s completely melted. Be careful not to boil the soap; boiling can result in a poor-quality, rubbery soap.

Step 4: Add Color and Fragrance
Add about 6 drops of your chosen gel soap colorant. I went with Sunflower Yellow. Next, add your fragrance oil using a disposable pipette. I chose Aqua type and added 8 ml to the soap base. Stir slowly to combine.

Step 5: Monitor Temperature
Use a thermometer to monitor the soap base temperature – it should be about 130°F to avoid warping your DIY soap molds. If the soap is too hot, keep stirring slowly until it cools to 130°F.

Step 6: Pour the Soap
Pour the soap base slowly into the Pringles can, spritz the top with alcohol, and set it aside. Pouring slowly helps to avoid excess bubbles, and spritzing with alcohol will eliminate any remaining bubbles.

Step 7: Let Set Overnight
Because this is a large amount of soap, allow it to set overnight for the best results.

Step 8: Remove the Soap from the Mold
Once the soap is completely set, remove it from the container by slowly tearing away the sides of the Pringles can.

Step 9: Cut the Soap
You’ll have a one-pound round loaf of soap. Use a straight soap cutter with or without a soap miter box to slice the loaf into bars.

Water Bottle:
Step 10: Cut the water bottle down to size using a box cutter or scissors. Pour your prepared soap base, spritz with alcohol, and let it set completely before unmolding. The thin plastic makes it easy to cut away with scissors.

Soda Pop Bottle:
Step 11: Cut the soda pop bottle down to size using a box cutter or scissors. Pour your prepared soap, spritz with alcohol, and let it set completely. The thicker plastic still needs to be cut away, but take your time to avoid damaging the soap.

Yogurt Container:
Step 12: Pour your prepared soap base into the yogurt container, spritz with alcohol, and let it set completely. The thicker plastic allows you to simply press on the back of the container to pop out the soap.

That’s it! You can use a variety of different types of containers to get unique looks and styles for your soap. There are many other containers you can repurpose into soap molds besides the ones I’ve shown here.

Try using small milk containers, ready-made jello or pudding containers, or even Rubbermaid food storage containers. The possibilities are endless when it comes to DIY soap molds. Whether you're using repurposed soap molds or creating homemade soap molds from scratch, the fun lies in experimenting and discovering what works best for your soap-making projects.