Want to make soap as a gift for your party guests? Here are some simple tips for making soap gifts and favors:

1. There are literally hundreds of different ingredients that can be used for soap making. Basically, you will need the following - soap chips or soap base, essential or fragrance oil for scent, and colorants. You will also need a soap mold and a pot to melt the soap in.

2. The easiest way to make soap is to take an already made bar of soap and melt it down. The bar will already have all the ingredients you need in it. You can then pour the soap into a mold of your choice or shape it as desired. Or you can use a cookie cutter or knife to shape it while it is still warm.

3. If you are using raw ingredients, simply pour and mix them in the mold of your choice.

4. Heating - Make sure to heat the soap slowly to prevent combustion or degradation of smell. 130F - 155F is a good general range, although there are slight variations depending on what ingredients you use. Try not to leave the soap unattended for long periods of time while heating.

5. Scent - You won't need too much fragrance oil to scent your soap because scented oil is generally highly concentrated and strong. 0.5-1oz of oil is sufficient to scent a whole pound of soap. The amount you use will depend on the strength of the oil, which varies based on the scent. Mix the oil in with the soap while heating.

6. Coloring - Once again, you will probably not need to much coloring agent. Add a few drops at a time and watch the color change.

7. Mold selection - You can select molds that are themed to your occasion or just use a standard bar mold. For weddings, angels, hearts, and wedding cakes are popular shapes. For baby showers, baby carriages, bottles, and Disney characters are some common themes. The soap can also be carved. If you use a standard bar mold, you can still add personalized themed tags.

8. Finishing touches - After your soap is made, seal it inside a cellophane bag, organza bag, or gift box. Add a favor charms, personalized tag, and message and you have a nice favor for your guest.

Generally, you will want soaps that are 1oz - 3oz in size. These gifts will be used by your guests and are a simple, but effective way to say thank you.