Showing posts with label bugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bugs. Show all posts

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Bugs in My Tub!


How to make Insect Amber Glycerin Soap:

Clear Glycerin Bar Melt n’ Pour (40.00 10lb or 9 for 2lb)
1 Bag of Bugs 2” big
Soap mold (I prefer the bars)
Food Coloring (yellow or orange) (u can use really soap dye but not necessary, you use such a small amount it will not dye skin)
Spoon
Large Knife
Large microwaveable glass bowl
Microwave


Since I was doing this for my sons party I bought the large 10lb thing of glycerin soap at Michael’s. I used a 50% off coupon so it was $20.00. Tip also Michael’s will take competitors coupons on one item (so u can use ACMOORE or Joann’s) I also purchased the molds 3.69 for the mold you only need one. I preferred the bar mold with no design because it looked like real amber.

1- Take the block out of the plastic tub and using a knife cut in 1” slice. Be careful It is hard to cut straight the knife tends to slide.
2- Then cut the slice in smaller squares 1”x 1”. Try to make them similar sizes other wise the larger ones take longer to melt.

3- I cut 1 slice for every 4 bars.
4- Follow the directions to melt in microwave. I microwaved it for 1 1/2 mins stirred , 30 seconds stirred gently not to cause bubbles and repeated 15-20 second intervals to melted.
5- I then added the food coloring.

6- I pour the a small amount in each mold as a base and let it cooled. I did this because when I poured the mold full the bugs just sank to the bottom, because the soap is not a suspension formula. (the suspension formula is not clear and therefore ruins the effect of the insect suspended in amber).
7- Once base layer of soap cooled partially 15-20 min. I reheated the remaining soap and stirred gently not to cause bubbles..
8- Mean time my son was choose the bugs and placing them in the molds for there encasing in amber.

9- I poured the soap over the bug. Not to quickly because you will get bubbles. If the soap is still hot u can use a toothpick to move the bubbles to the side of the mold.

10- Let the mold sit, they can be pushed out of the mold at about an hour but I would let them sit for 2 hours o they can be hard.

11- I then repeated and made 36+ bars of soap .. my husband was playing with the soap also.
12- I wrapped my soap in plastic wrap.
13- I then use Microsoft word and the label feature to make labels, it even let me add clip art in through word of bugs. The label helped keep plastic wrap on.

Cost :
20.00 soap ($40.00 but 50% off coupon)
8.00 bugs
3.69 molds
1.00 (or less fro plastic wrap)
32.69= total made 36 + bars

.90 each for a real cool favor and also the soap did not turn cloud like the store glycerin soap (Neutrogena) so the bugs we always visible once in use in a kid tub time.

The only compaint i have hear from my freinds is once the soap is gone they get in their tub and bug is in there tub. Which can really suck at 6am when you don't have your contacts in.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Our New Pet Frank?


So this past Saturday was my DS birthday. We had 26 kids and a very busy day. The party was held at The Insectariums in Philadelphia.

The Insectariums is a product of a exterminator turned a Please Touch Museum …but coach roach style. Apparently the museum started when kids use to come by the exterminators front windows where he had his bugs displayed. The children noticed the bugs in the window… the owner thought why not start a museum and charge all the people to come in and see the bugs.
My son love bugs so he though it was great. I got a little crazy when kids are running all over the place, so it was more difficult for me. The place was a little well loved looking but great for the kids.

The 1st floor is mainly dead bugs in glass boxes, except for a full size kitchen set up in the middle of the room incased in glass. Our Tour Guide sprayed water and live roaches come out of the cracks in the kitchen for the water. Nasty! Also if you are brave you can eat bugs. 6 adults and 2 kid partook in the bugs…Yum…I did not. The 2nd Floor was the live bugs. It was neat to see the various living bugs spiders,millpedies. It was hard for our tour guide to keep the kids attention with such a large group. They sat for the viewing of the Madagascar Hissing Coach Roach but she lost them when she moved to the other insects. The museum had a small spider web set up with the web made out of rubber tubing which was the big hit for the kids to climb on.

We had cake in The Insectariums party room. My husband made the cake…without a pattern it was a fly. I made the party favors which included soap with bugs in it, they looked like bugs in amber . I will post instructions in my blog later this week. Also I could not resist the opportunity to make clothes for the kids.

The Best Part of the day according to My son, was when he got a new pet for his birthday. My sister in law though it would be nice(or payback) for my son to get a live Madagascar Hissing Coach Roach as a gift for his birthday. So after the party was over my son went a pick out a roach. The Madagascar Hissing Coach Roach only eat dog food, fruit, and vegs. He moves really slow but, will live for up to 5 years. The hissing sound is like air rushing out of a tire.
So we now have a hissing coach roach living in my home… in a cage. My son named him Frank. Does anyone else think this is odd? I hope Frank does not call any friends over for a visit?