by Rustic Escentuals

If you need a unique gift for someone, this will definitely surprise them! This soap tutorial will show you how to insert folded origami money into a bar of soap. A unique and fun way to give the gift of money, or to use as party favors! Great to use as a graduation gift or birthday gift. Customize the bars of soap with school colors for an extra special, personalized touch.

Skills Needed: embedding

learn to insert folded origami money into a bar of soap!

Supplies and equipment needed:
Microwave safe glass container
Sharp knife to cut soap into cubes
Spray bottle with rubbing alcohol
Butter knife
Rubber gloves
Tweezers
Wax paper
Dollar Bills (or $5, $10, $20….)
Basic Square Mold (Three 4 oz cavities, 2.75 x 2.75 x 1 deep)
Disposable Pipettes
Ultra Clear Melt & Pour soap base
Body Safe Fragrance Oil
Gel Soap Colors of your choice

gather your basic supplies

as well as your money, wax paper, colorants, mold

Origami Money:

The perfect way to learn how to fold your bills into cute origami shapes is YouTube! There are so many out there you’ll spend hours looking at videos. Practice first with paper, which is cut to the same size as your money. It’s fun! Make sure your origami money fits into your molds before beginning.

learn to make origami shapes via YouTube!

Prepare the Money Shapes for Embedding:

You need to pre-dip the money shapes into clear soap base and let them harden before embedding them into the soap. This step will make sure that the shapes don’t come undone when you insert them into your soap.

Step 1: To dip 3 bills, cut up approximately 2 oz of Ultra Clear Melt & Pour soap base into small cubes using a sharp knife. Depending on how many you are making, you can melt more soap base. Place the cubed soap in a microwave safe glass container.

Step 2: Place container in the microwave and melt using 15-second bursts. Be careful, soap can easily boil which will result in a poor quality rubbery soap.
NOTE: Soap is not re-usable. Try to only melt what you need.

Step 3: Using tweezers dip one of the folded origami bills gently into the soap base, being sure to submerge it.

grab your folded money with tweezers

gently dip into your prepared soap base

Step 4: Pull the origami bill out of the soap base with tweezers and let the excess soap base drip back into the container. Don’t shake it; your shape may unfold. Place the dipped origami bill onto a piece of waxed paper to dry. Make sure to place it right side up.

let excess soap drip back into container

place right side up on waxed paper to dry

Step 5: When the origami bills are dry, slowly peel them off the wax paper and set aside for embedding. TIP: Some of the bills will have soap hanging off the edges – simply pinch, rub, or cut off and smooth the edges with your fingers.

Making your Soap:

Step 1: Cut up approximately 13 oz of Ultra Clear Melt & Pour soap base into small cubes using a sharp knife.

Step 2: In this tutorial I am melting approximately 4 oz at a time because I am making 3 different colored soaps. (If you are making all 3 in the same color, melt all 13 oz at the same time). Place container in the microwave and melt using 30-second bursts.

Step 3: Using a disposable pipette add 2 ml of body safe fragrance oil per 4 oz of soap. For this soap tutorial I chose Summer Boardwalk fragrance oil – it’s a perfect unisex scent for graduation time! Stir slowly until mixed well.

add 2ml body-safe fragrance oil and stir slowly to mix

Step 4: Add one drop of Gel Soap Colorant to 4 oz of soap base and stir thoroughly. You don’t want to make the soap too dark because then you won’t be able to see the money very well.
Note: If you are increasing the amount of soap base used, increase your fragrance oil and color accordingly.

add one drop of colorant for each 4 ounces of soap base

Step 5: Pour a small amount into the first soap cavity and let set. You want just enough to cover the bottom of the soap mold. Spritz with alcohol to remove any bubbles. Allow to set approximately 2 minutes. It’s a very small amount of soap so it will set quickly.

pour enough to cover bottom of mold and let set

Step 6: When set, spritz again with alcohol. This will help the soap adhere together.

spritz with rubbing alcohol to help layers adhere

Step 7: Pour another small amount of soap into the cavity.

pour another layer of soap into cavity

Step 8: Spritz the origami money with alcohol and place face down into the soap. Wait approximately 30 seconds.

spritz origami money with alcohol and place face down in soap

Step 9: Spritz the soap one more time and then pour the remaining soap into the cavity, completely covering the origami money. TIP: If the money starts to float up, take tweezers and press back down. It will settle back down.