DIY Orange Clove Gardener’s Soap

This is a heavenly scented DIY bar soap for gardener’s soil stained hands, but it’s just as effective and wonderful for your mechanics work worn and grease slicked ones! The scents combine deliciously and leave your hands clean, lightly exfoliated, and moisturized.

Homemade soap is much simpler to make than you might think, and I prefer it as you can customize scents, colors, and shapes to suit you or as a gift for a loved one. Toss a couple of these yummy soaps in a basket with a new set of gardening tools, a sun hat and you have a lovely DIY gift for the gardener in your life.

DIY Gardener’s Soap

Ingredients:

Soap base
2 Tbsp. ground Clove
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Shea butter
2 vitamin E capsules ( or 2 tsp.)
Grated peel from 3 oranges
Soap mold
witch hazel in a spray bottle

Directions:

1. To dry orange peel – grate oranges onto a paper towel using the larger grates, trying to just get peel not the white pith. Spread pieces out into a single layer and place in microwave for 20 second increments until dried and hard, sprinkle evenly into the bottom of molds.

2. Cut soap base into 1”x1” cubes- the amount you use will vary depending on the size of your molds – my 4 mold container holds 6 liquid oz. each so for the purpose of this tutorial we will use my measurements. My 4 molds take about 9-10 pieces of soap base when combined with other ingredients- you may have to experiment a bit with your mold to determine exact amounts.
3. In a microwave safe bowl combine soap base cubes, olive oil, and shea butter- heat in 30 second increments, stirring each time. It takes about 1 ½ minutes to 2 minutes to liquefy.
4. Remove bowl from microwave carefully, stir in clove and pierce vitamin E capsule and disperse contents into mixture.
5. Pour into soap molds and spray lightly with witch hazel to cut down on bubbles.
6. Allow to harden overnight.

7. Remove from molds and keep in a dry, cool place to store.

Toss a couple of these yummy soaps in a basket with a new set of gardening tools, a sun hat and you have a lovely DIY gift for the gardener in your life.

Have you ever made soap?

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  About Jody: I am a Florida girl through and through living the semi-country, small town life.  I am making my way through it with my amazing hubby, 2 beautiful kids, 2 of the best Dachshunds to ever walk the face of the earth, massive amounts of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus.  I homeschool, craft, cook, scrapbook, garden, raid the thrift shops, snap 1,000’s of photos, and read when I can grab a spare minute (which is rare). You can find me blogging at Simply Southern Sunshine.

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