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The kids' birthday party is next weekend. Both of my kids have birthdays in the fall and this year I decided to have one party for family and friends instead of attempting one for each of them. They were ok with it and that made me a happy mom. Don't get me wrong, I love entertaining, but this year has been a little crazier than normal and I'm excited about throwing a bigger party to celebrate both of their special days.
I'm in the homestretch of planning and this week I'll be putting finishing touches on the games, making some caramel apples and other yummy treats, finishing my shopping for prizes and getting the house in order. One of the projects I just finished up are these cute goldfish soaps. These little guys will be given out as favors at the party. I'm sure all of the parents will appreciate these much more than if I were to hand out live fish. How many of you, as kids, won a goldfish at your hometown fair just to find it floating belly-up in its bowl the very next day? So sad. Well, no worries here. These fish are low maintenance and should at least last through a couple baths.
Here's what you'll need: 2 lbs. glycerin soap, plastic fish, melting pot, rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, a funnel, clear poly bags with twist ties, chopsticks or needle nose pliers, bowl filled with ice water and fragrance oil (optional).
Note: 2 lbs. of glycerin soap yields about 10-12 bags depending on how full you fill them. I would plan on 10 bags per 2 lbs. of glycerin.
Take your soap and cut it into four squares. I ordered mine online because I wanted extra clear glycerin. Extra clear glycerin insures the soap will set clear like water. I've seen some of the regular glycerin soaps set with more of a yellowish tint.
Put one of the squares into your pitcher and place in your melting pot on the stove. I know some people also melt their soap in the microwave, so you could try that if you don't have a melting pot.
Next, pour in some fragrance oil. I used a fragrance called Galactic Grape I also purchased online. The smell reminded me of Hubba Bubba grape gum. Heavenly! Add the oil according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you do use a scent, try not to use anything with vanilla. Scents with vanilla tend to yellow glycerin soap and I wanted a clear pour, so I opted for grape.
Keep stirring as the soap continues to melt. When it all has turned to liquid, take your funnel and get ready to start the pouring. I would suggest doing these one at a time and take extra care when pouring not to get soap on the sides of the bag. If you have a helper, this whole process can often go much faster. I, however, flew solo.
Once you pour the soap into the bag, you're going to see bubbles like this. Take your rubbing alcohol and spray into the bag. It should take care of most of the bubbles. Don't worry if you get some rubbing alcohol on the sides of the bag. It will dry.
Now take the bag and place it into the ice water. Placing the bag in ice water helps speed up the setting process.
Take your fish and lower him into the bag with a needle nose pliers. I know I showed chopsticks in the photo at the beginning of the tutorial, but I ended up switching to a needle nose pliers during the project. It was much easier to hang onto the fish so it doesn't set floating sideways on the bottom. The kiddos would be devastated, trust me.
Once you lower the fish into the soap, you'll need to hold him there for a couple minutes while the soap starts to harden. Try to touch the bottom of the bag to check on the setting process. Once it starts to feel solid, you can remove the pliers and the fish should stay floating where you were holding it.
Remove your bag from the ice water and place upright in a cardboard box to harden completely. You could also use clothespins and hang the bags if you wish.
Once the fish were all set, I created these thank you tags, punched a hole in the top and then put the twist tie through to tie the bag off and finish the project. Feel free to use ribbon to dress the fish up even more. And there you have it - goldfish soap. Now how cute is that? Can't wait to hand these out at the kids' party this weekend. I hope the guests love them as much as I do!
Goldfish Soap-in-a-Bag Tutorial
Materials
- 2 lbs. glycerin soap
- plastic fish
- melting pot
- rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle
- funnel
- clear poly bags with twist ties
- chopsticks or needle nose pliers
- bowl filled with ice water and fragrance oil (optional)
Instructions
- Take your soap and cut it into four squares. I ordered mine online because I wanted extra clear glycerin. Extra clear glycerin insures the soap will set clear like water.
- Put one of the squares into your pitcher and place in your melting pot on the stove.
- Next, pour in some fragrance oil. I used a fragrance called Galactic Grape I also purchased online. The smell reminded me of Hubba Bubba grape gum.
- Add the oil according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you do use a scent, try not to use anything with vanilla. Scents with vanilla tend to yellow glycerin soap and I wanted a clear pour, so I opted for grape.
- Keep stirring as the soap continues to melt. When it all has turned to liquid, take your funnel and get ready to start the pouring.
- Once you pour the soap into the bag, you're going to see bubbles like this. Take your rubbing alcohol and spray into the bag. It should take care of most of the bubbles.
- Now take the bag and place it into the ice water. Placing the bag in ice water helps speed up the setting process.
- Take your fish and lower him into the bag with a needle nose pliers. I know I showed chopsticks in the photo at the beginning of the tutorial, but I ended up switching to a needle nose pliers during the project.
- Once you lower the fish into the soap, you'll need to hold him there for a couple minutes while the soap starts to harden. Try to touch the bottom of the bag to check on the setting process.
- Once it starts to feel solid, you can remove the pliers and the fish should stay floating where you were holding it.
- Remove your bag from the ice water and place upright in a cardboard box to harden completely. You could also use clothespins and hang the bags if you wish.
- Once the fish were all set, I created these thank you tags, punched a hole in the top and then put the twist tie through to tie the bag off and finish the project.
Notes
- Optimal Soap Selection: When making Goldfish Soap-in-a-Bag, use extra clear glycerin soap for a transparent finish resembling water. This ensures that the soap sets clear, allowing the embedded plastic fish to be prominently displayed. Ordering glycerin soap online can provide access to a wider range of options, including extra clear varieties that may not be readily available in local stores.
- Mindful Fragrance Choice: When adding fragrance oil to the melted soap, select scents that complement the theme and desired aesthetic of the soap-in-a-bag. Avoid fragrances containing vanilla, as they can cause glycerin soap to yellow over time. Instead, opt for scents like Galactic Grape that evoke fun and freshness without compromising the clarity of the soap.
- Effective Bubble Removal and Setting: After pouring the melted soap into the poly bag, use rubbing alcohol to eliminate bubbles that may form on the surface. This step helps ensure a smooth and bubble-free appearance for the soap. Placing the bag in ice water accelerates the setting process, allowing the soap to harden more quickly. When inserting the plastic fish into the soap, use needle nose pliers to hold the fish in place until the soap begins to solidify, ensuring that the fish remains suspended in the soap as it sets.
temari
Love this idea! I'll be doing this for my sons first birthday favors. How ahead of time can i make it without it going bad?
Sara
Hi Temari, if you prepare them a week or two ahead of time you should be fine! Good luck!
Sara
Hi Baby Daze Boutique! Thanks for stopping by! I got my little goldfish from Oriental Trading Company: http://www.orientaltrading.com/colorful-goldfish-a2-39_1099-12-1.fltr?Ntt=goldfish. I found some cute dolphins that could work for you on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Acrylic-Dolphins-12-per-order/dp/B008PTIXSY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_1. And then some others on Oriental Trading as well: http://www.orientaltrading.com/dolphin-key-chains-a2-19_163-12-1.fltr?Ntt=dolphin. The dolphins on Oriental Trading are actually keychains, but you could probably remove the chain. Good luck with the soap favors. Love the dolphin theme - how fun! Oh, hey, one more thing. Oriental Trading is offering free shipping on ANY order until November 3 so you're in luck!
Baby Daze Boutique
where did you find your fish ?? Love this idea and would like to try it for my daughter's dolphin themed party but can't seem to find any fish ! also do you know what size they were. Thanks !