Making Soap Dishes

If you didn't already know this, bar soap needs to be kept out of standing water if you want your bar to last as long as possible.  However you don't need to spend a ton of money for a fancy soap dish to accomplish this.  I will show you how I made these and why they work.

To start with I went to Goodwill for the saucers.  Goodwill or Salvation Army is a good place to start looking for these at a very reasonable price.  You might even be able to find antique or unusual pieces as well.  Most of these were found at Goodwill.

The saucer with rocks works because the soap rests on top of the rocks.  All of the water runs down between the rocks and evaporates.  This means that the soap stays solid instead of softening prematurely.

Sealant in the center of the saucer

I started with 10 saucers and 5 pounds of river stones.  I tried to find some aquarium sealant to use to adhere the stones to the saucers, but I was unable to find any.  Instead I turned to 100% silicone sealant.  This allows the rocks to be adhered to the saucers for ease of use.  It is also waterproof which in this case is a very good thing.

Stone placement

I started by sorting out the stones that I wanted and made sure that I had enough in the color I was looking for to fill the center of the saucer.  I poured the stones out on my surface.   I squirted a half dollar sized blob into the center of the saucer and spread it out a bit.  I started to place the stones in the saucer on one side working my way across.  After the first saucer I used less sealant and started by placing it just on one side of the saucer spreading it out a little at a time with a toothpick.  This also allowed me to add a little bit to the bottom of a rock if needed.

Stones to the side ready for application

I added rocks until the center was all filled.  I completed seven saucers before calling it quits for the night.  Now I just have to figure out how much to charge for the ones that I sell.  Since I have found several saucers that are unique I will be offering them for sale.  The ones that I will be placing for sale are for those that either don't have time to make one for themselves or who don't want to do it themselves.  For those of you with the adventurous spirit or the desire to make things for your self I have offered this tutorial.

If you want the saucer to be easier to clean you could always leave the rocks loose and wash them separately.  However all you will need to clean these is some hot water and maybe an old clean toothbrush.

 Enjoy and have a wonderful day!

I am linking with the following blogs:

http://back2basichealth.blogspot.com                                http://www.bystephanielynn.com
http://blackfoxhomestead.com/                                          http://www.iamannekehn.blogspot.com
http://www.hopeineveryseason.com                                  http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com
http://littlehomesteadonthehill.blogspot.com/                      http://www.sewcando.com/
http://www.campwander.com/                                          http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/
http://coloradolady.blogspot.com                                      www.aboverubies.net
http://abidingwoman.com/                                               http://www.besimplybetter.com/
http://www.deeprootsathome.com/                                   http://proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/
http://raisinghomemakers.com                                          http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/
http://www.52mantels.com/                                             http://www.the36thavenue.com/
http://www.create-with-joy.com                                       http://teachingwhatisgood.com/
http://www.the36thavenue.com/                                       http://seevanessacraft.com/
http://katherinescorner.com/                                           http://cupcake-n-bake.blogspot.com
http://alifeinbalance.net                                                   http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com
http://thediydreamer.com                                                 http://www.the-chicken-chick.com
http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com                       http://www.flusterbuster.com
http://www.time-warp-wife.blogspot.com                        http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
http://www.growinghomeblog.com                                 http://nourishingjoy.com
http://momstheword--livingforhim.blogspot.com/              http://trayerwilderness.com/

http://timeforseason.blogspot.com                                     http://mylampisfull.blogspot.com/