Sherri's Helpful Hints

Bathtime Fun Recipes

Bathtub Color Paints

Inexpensive shaving cream
Food coloring

For each color, mix 2 tablespoons shaving cream with food coloring. Mix, and put each color into an old muffin tin. Give a paintbrush to the child, and let him/her draw their own art on the bathtub. This washes off very easily.

Bathtime Bubble Jelly

1 envelope unflavored gelatine
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup clear liquid soap or bubble bath
Fragrance oils
Food coloring (optional)
Plastic jar with lid (such as a peanut butter jar)
Small plastic bath toy
Mixing bowl
Assorted items to make jar label

Empty the envelope of gelatine into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

With adult supervision, warm water until it begins to boil. Immediately remove water from heat source. Carefully pour the hot water into mixing bowl and gently mix with gelatine powder. Allow gelatine to completely dissolve. This may take a few minutes.

Slowly and gently stir the liquid soap into the gelatine mixture. Add a drop of food coloring and 5 to 8 drops of fragrance oil. Be careful not to stir the mixture too hard or the bath jelly will become foamy.

Pour bath jelly into a clean, clear container. Place a small toy inside the jar as a treat.

Refrigerate bubble jelly until set - about 4 hours.

Using scrap of heavy paper and ribbon, make a fun label for the jar. Attach label to bath jelly jar by punching a hole in one corner of the label. Thread ribbon through the hole on the label, and tie it around the jar.

To use, scoop a small amount of jelly into your hand and hold under warm running water for a bathtime treat.

Easy Soap Making

Glycerin soap in lots of colors*
Soap or candy molds
Microwave
Microwavable cups
Plastic or metal spoons and/or wooden
Popsicle sticks or coffee stirrers
Sharp knife

* This only works with glycerin soap. Transparent Neutrogena bars will work fine.

Set out everything you need, all ingredients, etc. on top of the kitchen table (or other comfortable working area) that has been covered in newspaper.

Cut bars of soap into about three pieces.

Put a piece into a cup (cut the pieces in half if you are going to mix colors).

Put soap in microwave and melt it on HIGH for about 10 to 15 seconds. It may take a bit longer on low-wattage microwaves. If it doesn't start to liquefy in 15 seconds or it starts to bubble or boil, you may not have a pure glycerin soap bar.

Remove soap using a potholder, and stir it to mix thoroughly.

Pour melted soap (you have to work quickly here as it hardens fast) into molds.

Wait about 5 minutes for soap to harden and cool.

Remove soap from molds, and put soap into gift bags or bath bags.

NOTES:
If you are having difficulty getting the soap out of the molds, put molds in the freezer for up to 30 minutes.

If the soap still sticks to the molds, you can put olive oil in the soap or oil the molds with oil or cooking spray.

Bath Buddies Soap

Ivory Snow detergent (or any other soap flakes)
Liquid food coloring
Water
Vegetable oil
Bowl
String (for soap on a rope)

Pour approximately 3 cups of soap flakes into the bowl. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water with a few drops of food coloring added to it.

Mix the contents of the bowl with your hands until it becomes the consistency of play dough.

To shape it, take a drop or two of vegetable oil and rub it between the palm of your hands, then shape any way you wish.

If you want to make a soap on a rope, cut a piece of string and tie the ends together. Push the knotted end gently into the your finished shape.

Let the completed soap stand to set overnight.


Courtesy of Recipe Goldmine