Mermaid Birthday Party Favors

Mermaid birthday party favors are a must have. Party favors are my favorite and I sometimes go a little overboard. But these mermaid soap tails are as EASY as they are impressive.

Not just for little girls, these mermaid party favors are classy enough for a baby shower, bridal shower, or adult spa party.

Simple Mermaid Party Favor Supplies

• PREMADE soap base – must be melt and pour {I used 1lb of soap base for 12 large tails, 2 small tails, and a tray of shells}
• Colorant – natural mica powder {I only used a fourth of each color}
• Fine Iridescent Glitter
• Fragrance or Essential oil
• Mermaid Tail Silicone Molds: Buy several if you need to make a lot {I got 2 sets}
• Rubbing alcohol

Kitchen Equipment

• Small spray bottle
• Cutting board
• Large knife
• Microwave safe bowl
• Microwave
• Fine paint brush

Mermaid Favors Step 1

I keep saying how easy these are and you might not believe it, but I assure you, walk through these steps and see it's true!

You first want to cut up your 1lb soap base block into 1″ cubes for easiest melting. You don't want to do a lot at one time unless you buy several molds. I purchased 2 sets so I had two large tail molds to work with.

Notes:

A small ramekin filled with cubes of soap will fill 3 large tails

1 pound of soap base will make 12 large mermaid tails with leftovers

Your mica will go a long way

Step 2: Add Your Colorants

My first batch was without glitter and the tails fell flat. Enter the fine iridescent glitter! Now the tail has a little shimmer all the time. It easily washes away with no harm to your skin.

Add 1 tsp of glitter to the soap cubes BEFORE melting. {They say to do it after but I'll explain why to break the rules!}

A Rainbow Of Color

Then choose your coloring. I prefer the natural mica powders and this set comes in 15 different colors! I went with purple as the base and you don't have to use much in each batch.

I didn't measure but start with 1 tsp and see if you like the color. Too light? Add more mica. Too dark? Add more white soap cubes and remelt.

Step 3: Melt In Microwave

Now that your colors are ready, pop the bowl into the microwave for 20-30 seconds. BUT WATCH IT CLOSELY as the soap can bubble up and over. Stop it as soon at it starts bubbling.

Stir it up and make sure to break up any colored clumps of mica. If there are any unmelted soap chunks, simply microwave it for a few more seconds.

Step 4: Add Scent & POUR

Now that it's mixed QUICKLY add a few drops of your desired scent and stir again. I used 2 drops of eucalyptus per ramekin. The soap starts to set up immediately so you want to start pouring into your molds as soon as possible.

The instructions on the soap base tell you to add your colors and scent to the soap AFTER melting but I found there wasn't enough time with these small batches. I tried adding the color before and it worked perfectly. So I'm passing the tip on to you!

If your soap does harden before your molds are full just melt again for a few seconds and finish your pour.

Step 5: Fill Mold & Spray

Fill the mold up all the way, making sure to pour into the corners since it doesn't always flow into the edges as it cools. Keep pouring until the soap puffs up just a little. As it cools it will settle and you don't want it sinking into a depression.

As you finish your pour QUICKLY spray the top with rubbing alcohol. This removes any tiny bubbles on the surface. I have no idea why this works, I just know it does. If you wait too long the soap bubbles will set and no amount of alcohol will help you now.😜{Don't worry there's always hope}

Step 6: Let Set and Remove

After filling LEAVE THE MOLD ALONE. If you move it while wet, the top set “skin” wrinkles and looks bad. It takes about:

• 10 minutes for the tails to soft set {they are still flexible}
• 15-20 minutes for hard set

Waiting for a hard set makes removing the soap from the molds so easy. Just be careful not to put too much pressure on the skinny tail section below the fins to avoid breaks. Pop out each end first and carefully tease out the more fragile center.

Mermaid Birthday Party Favor Troubleshooting

What can go wrong and how do I fix it?

• I wasn't ready and soap hardened too quickly = Remelt it and pour again
• I have to move a wet mold and made wrinkles = Either leave it {it's the back after all}, or remelt the whole thing and try again
• This color isn't right = Adjust color by adding more mica powder {darker} or more white soap {lighter}
• My tail broke = Put both pieces back in microwave and try it again
• I overfilled the mold = Trim off extra soap with knife and use fingernail to smooth any ridges

How many times can I remelt the same soap? I don't know the answer for sure but I added the leftovers from one batch to the next and heated them through several times without any adverse effects.

Now that you know you really can't mess this up, you're ready to go out and tackle the world. That big world of mermaid tail soap birthday party favor making! 😂

We COULD Be Done…

Unless…at this point of course we COULD be done. The tails are gorgeous and that glitter is sparkling. So, if you are tired, please stop now. But it's sometimes fun to be a little EXTRA! {Pretty much my life's motto!}

So if you're daring, let's add some extra shimmer and shine to your beautiful tails with more mica powder.

Mermaid Tail Shimmer and Shine

To add a little extra shimmer use a dry paint brush and dip it into the mica container. Tap off the excess and dry brush the tail. Blow off any excess and admire the shine.

My 4 year old son did the extra “painting” on all but my sample one so it's definitely something you can do too!

This extra step is purely for decoration as the mica powder washes off the moment your soap gets used. But I've found that beautiful soap often doesn't get used, at least not right away. So it'll shimmer as it sits pretty on the shelf!

Easy Mermaid Birthday Party Favors

See how pretty that extra bit of color is!? That last step is TOTALLY worth it.

Now that you're done and you've got a school of mermaid tails lined up beautifully, pat yourself on the back. I told you this was an easy one. And if you follow the steps and learn from my mistakes everything should go smoothly. If not, just remelt and try again!

Mermaid Party Here We Come

I'll be packaging these babies and including them in favor bags for my daughter's Mermaid Spa Party and as I do I'll share more of the finished presentation.

I hope you love the ideas of these soaps as mermaid birthday party favors as much as I do. AND I hope you feel empowered to try them out too! If you do, I WANT TO SEE!!!

If you try it out, let me know in the comments below. And if you share, I want to see! Please tag @partieswithacause on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. We love showing off all your hard work and are so happy to be part of your celebration.

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Additional Mermaid Reading

• Lots more mermaid party inspiration coming!! Until then, check out my friend Jordan's Under The Sea Mermaid Party
• For more fun with molds you can check out our Frozen Yogurt “Pupsicles” from our Puppy Party too!