DIY Foam Soap Dispenser!
• Pretty Easy • 5 – 30 Minutes • Less Than $5
If you’re anything like me, then you loooove you some foam soap dispensers. While there are many out there to choose from, I’ve decided to custom make one for myself. I was etsy-buying these, when it occurred to me, that I could just make my own, very inexpensively-so. The end product is what you see before you in the first picture, or fig. 1, if you will, even though these aren’t labeled.
The pair of pictures right below the first indicates how much, & where to buy, that being Wal-Mart. Now, I just so happen to have an 8 oz jar, which I utilized for this project. Otherwise, small mason jars at Wal-Mart only come in these packs. However, they do sell pint sized jars by themselves, for a dollar-something. I wasn’t about to make calls, or go all over town, finding a better deal, though.
The third photo down displays the materials, with which one needs to fulfill this easy-peezy, diy preezee… that’s right, I said it. Materials include:
• mason jar (regular size mouth)
• mason lid (again…regular size mouth… no big-mouths here)
• a foam soap dispenser pump from cheap disposable foam dispenser hand-soap
• X-acto knife (box cutter, small knife, something sharp, probably not scissors though)
• felt pen
• a cutting surface, such as cutting board, cardboard, glass, or table surface you don’t mind defacing.
• large coin or ruler
Now then, you’ll need to disassemble the store-bought foam soap dispenser (I mean, just unscrew the top off the bottle). You’ll have to measure the diameter of the bottom side, inner circle, as opposed to the outer circle, which rests on top of the soap bottle. I figured that it measures roughly 1.125″ in diameter, or just larger than a dollar coin. Probably, a 50 cent piece would work better. Take that coin, trace it over top of the mason jar lid. If you don’t have a dollar coin or 50 cent piece, you can measure out the diameter on the lid, roughly drawing a circle using the 1.125″ measurement.
Next is the most crucial, & most hassliest part of this whole, mini-mini project. You’ll have to cut the center hole out using the X-acto knife. Be oh so careful not to cut yourself! The circle, on the other hand, doesn’t have to be perfect. The pump will cover the top of that portion of the lid. Do not cut too big! Otherwise, the pump will not fit snuggly! You want snugness!!! Snugness!… Ooor messy glue has to get involved. Truth-be-told, the circle I cut out was too small, so I ever-so-incrementally cut the hole sliiightly bigger, & presto, the pump slipped on, snug as a bug, that’s right, in a rug. That’s why I say a 50 cent piece might be better. It’s already big afterall, the 50 cent piece, that is, although I caution that it may be too big, & therefore not snug enough for the pump.
I thought about painting the lid, some color that resists corrosion and rusting of the material, but I thought, eh, these mason jar lids are made to contain liquids! Edible liquids! They’re not going to rust! And also, I think the unpainted look gives it a certain, manly, raw vibe, and also I was lazy. I know other diy handsoap dispenser postings say it’s like a 5 minute project… and they’re right. It’s probably going to take around 30 minutes, however. Well, I was slow & was figuring it out as I went. In the end you’ll have a custom handsoap dispenser, that can give off this country, crafty vibe, that for me, was manly & no-nonsense as well.
ps – Forgot to mention, you’ll have to cut the tube that’s attached to the pump, down to size if you use a smaller bottle, such as I have. In which-case, you’ll need scissors after all. Also, you could buy the $7 something pack of mason jars and make a bunch as gifts, or a bunch for yourself & place them all over the house. 😉
Enjoy!
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