With the economy the way it is, it's important to be thrifty when planning your wedding. Melt and pour soap making is a great idea for wedding favors-- it's very easy to work with, while also cost effective, and easy to get creative with!

The great thing about melt and pour soap making is that it's just that..you melt and pour the soap base and end up with some cute little soaps! Because it is so easy to work with, you can pretty much do anything with it.. make it any color(s), fragrance, put any additives in it (you can stick just about anything in this soap base!), use an assortment of molds (things you may have lying around the house, to a soap/candy mold)and lastly, package it so that it goes with the theme of your wedding.

The following is the first NewNew video How-to, by Ilana of YoursTrulyxoxo and Michelle of Dirty Loves Clean. To make the favors pictured in the video you will need:

-Soap Base (We used a natural shea butter base, and natural clear base)
-A Mold (we used a few different things including a cookie tray and silicone cupcake mold)
-Something to heat the soap in (glass measuring cup works great)
-Something to stir the soap with (we used a chopstick)
-Additives such as fragrance, color, dried flowers (we used dried calendula)
-A Knife to cut the soap (we also used heart shaped cookie cutters)

More Ideas:

Soapmaking: Try not to move the soap as it's drying or you'll end up with a wrinkled texture (as seen on our tray soaps). For air bubbles-- try putting some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spray on the soap before it dries. You can also use this between layers of soap to help it adhere better. And as we mention in the video, putting the soap in a freezer will help to harden it quicker- but don't leave it in too long or it will be quite wet when it comes out and starts to dry. Leave the soap out to air dry in a non humid environment.

Additives: Think.. dried herbs/flowers/tea, oatmeal, soap inside of soap, toys, anything plastic/waterproof.. even a note(laminated).

Molds/Soap Character: You can use anything laying around your home as a mold, just add wax paper and it will easily peel off. You can also find molds (soap or candy) in just about any shape so that it fits your wedding theme. If you want an elegant, polished soap, you can use a beveled mold. If you want something cute and simple, try a flower or heart mold. If you want to save money, line a pizza box with wax paper, and when it dries, use a ruler and make scores with a knife before cutting so that all soaps are even. Or if you want a more raw, organic look, you can cut the soap with a knife and not worry if it’s uneven.

Packaging: The simplest thing to use with melt and pour soap is a plastic bag because melt and pour has a high glycerin content and will "sweat" in humid conditions. You can decorate the bag with an assortment of ribbons and even make a simple label. You can also try using small jewelry boxes for packaging which you can buy online in bulk, or wrapping/tissue/scrap booking paper (best for non humid conditions)

Labels: Consider attaching labels to your soaps with your names and wedding date. You can buy scrapbook paper and print on this or even hand write to give your labels more character. You may also want to consider including the ingredients incase one of your guests is allergic.

Even Simpler: You can buy soap making kits specific to occasion such as wedding- if you want to buy everything together, a simple google search will bring up a few different options.

How-To:: DIY Wedding Save the Date Cards!

Video How-To: Melt & Pour Wedding Favors