Make easy festive gifts with a hand-designed Christmas tree tray mould

What you need...

• Christmas Tree Tray Mould
  Melt & Pour Soap Base, 400g
  Soap colourant
  Fragrance
  Cosmetic glitter
  Microwave-proof jug

instructions

1. 1. Cut your Melt & Pour Base into small chunks. If you are melting in the microwave, place in a jug and blast at 30-second intervals. If you are melting on the hob, place in a saucepan and stir over a low heat.
   
   2. It’s time to add your fragrance and colour! You should add 2% fragrance to your mixture, so for 400g, you would need 8ml. Add colourant until the mixture reaches your desired shade.
   
   3. To add a bit of sparkle, add cosmetic glitter to the mixture. You can also sprinkle a small amount in the base of the try for extra shimmer. If the colour, fragrance or glitter has made your mixture too thick to stir, simply re-heat in the microwave or on the hob.
   
   4. Pour the mixture into your tray mould, taking care as it will still be hot. Leave it to set for a few hours; this can be sped up by putting your mixture in the fridge.
   
   5. Once your soap has set, pop it out of the mould and it is ready to go! If you are struggling to get it out of the tray, press down on the corners with your thumbs, or you can tap it onto a hard surface.

The great thing about using a tray mould is that you can then cut the soap up to give as gifts! The The Christmas tray mould will make six rectangular bars, or you could use cookie cutters to cut your bars into shapes. Any scraps or leftovers you have can be melted down and remoulded. Visit The Soap Kitchen for everything you need to get started.