This recipe was originally featured in Willow and Sage Spring 2017

When I was growing up, my mother kept a rose garden. She loved roses so much that she lined one side of our driveway and the entire front of our house with a rose hedge. I remember how excited she would be when each rosebush bloomed. We would smell the new flowers and decide which ones we liked best. All summer long our house was filled with bouquets of fresh roses, and the fragrance of the blooms filled every room.

To me, the problem with most rose-scented perfumes and cosmetics is that they don’t smell anything at all like real roses. In particular, rose-scented soaps usually bear very little likeness to the fragrance of a true rose. In fact, I disliked rose scented products until I found rose absolute essential oil. It was a game changer for me.

Rose absolute oil is wonderful. First, it smells like real roses, the kind my mother grew in her rose garden. Second, its antiseptic and astringent properties make it an excellent choice for soothing delicate skin. Lastly, let’s face it: Roses are romantic.

My sweet husband gave me a bouquet of roses and I saved the blossoms. My original plan was to put the dried pink rose petals into a clear melt-and-pour base. I had hoped they would stand up to the heat. Much like lavender buds, I found that most of the dried petals quickly turned brown and discolored the soap base in the process. Instead of feeling disappointed, something about the results really appealed to me. The dried petals gave the soap a mysterious, antique look that somehow seemed exactly right for a romantic bar of rose soap.

I decided that such a special soap would need extra special packaging. I made stamped tags and added pieces of handmade rose petal paper and cheesecloth to go underneath them. Finished with ribbons, they make a lovely, thoughtful gift any time of the year.

You Will Need:

Soap

-3 lbs. clear soap base

-Knife/Soap cutting tool

-Pitcher/Bowl: microwave-safe

-10 drops absolute rose oil

-2-3 TB. rose petals

-Silicone soap mold: 10″

Packaging

-Anvil/bench block

-Cheesecloth squares

-Decoupage medium: Fabric (Plaid – Mod Podge)

-File

-Freezer Paper

-Hammer

-Handmade paper squares

-Metal stamps: alphabet, 1/4″

-Paintbrush: small

-Permanent marker: black (Sharpie)

-Ribbon

-Scissors

-Sheet metal: brass, 24-ga.

-Steel wool: super-fine, 0000

-Tin snips

To Make:

Soap

Cut the soap base into ½-inch cubes with a knife and put into a microwave-safe pitcher or bowl. Microwave for one minute, and then resume microwaving in 10-second intervals until the base in completely melted. Add the rose oil and petals, and stir. Pour into the soap mold. Allow mixture to cool. Cut with a sharp knife or soap cutter

Packaging

Cut a piece of freezer paper to fit around each bar of soap so that the ends overlap. Brush a little decoupage medium onto one end, and let the bars sit until the glue has set. Cut out a square of brass sheet with tin snips and file the edges smooth. Stamp the letters onto the front of the brass piece. Color the letters with a black permanent marker so they stand out. Buff the front of the metal with steel wool, leaving ink in the letter impressions. Place a square of cheesecloth and a square of handmade paper on top of the bar, followed by the brass label. Tie in place with ribbons.

Note:

If you want to make a larger batch, use the following formula: for every cup of base, add 2 drops of rose absolute and 1 teaspoon of rose petals.

Giveaway! 🎉

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to our winner, Crystal!

What is better than the sweet fragrance of roses? Win the Garden of Grace Beauty Collection by Grace Rose Farms! It includes: a candle, perfume, and rose water — all made with garden roses.