Soap Molds
It’s easy enough to make a loaf mold for the size of bars you’re after. I wanted a simple loaf mold where I could cut the bars into rectangles, much like cutting bread. I line the molds with Freezer Paper – plastic side up and and it works very well. I also ordered a Soap Cutter from Sweet Prairie Soaps to help me cut the bars more evenly. Coincidently, the cutter is the perfect size.
After the soap is poured in the mold, I insulate it with a large towel, which is sufficient in our dry climate. Goat Milk soap doesn’t always need to be insulated. It depends on the formula and climate conditions in your area.
Most wood pieces were pre-cut from Home Depot with the exception of the base and side pieces. We made two loaf molds for approximately $17. Each mold produces 20 good sized rectangular soap bars, weighing between 4 and 5 oz each.
A trip to Lowes or the Home Depot and $17 in pre-cut Poplar was all we needed to get started. The 2 thicker boards are 3/4″ thick, 24″ long x 12″ wide. This piece was cut into three strips – two for the bottom of the mold and 2 side pieces.
Other Options:
Obviously, you can use a variety of containers for a soap mold if you line it with plastic or freezer paper. There are instances when I made soap and my wooden molds weren’t available, so I searched for a shoe box top or something similar in size, carefully lined it with pastic wrap or a garbage bag and it works quite well.