Soap Making 101

[hillfarm]

wanted to share my batch of Pumpkin soap.

Thanks to everyone who has posted for their info. Really helped a ton.

 

[LovinLife]

Ohhh I wanna smell it so bad!

 

[SillySoap]

Love the swirls!!

 

[snapshot]

That looks great!!!!!!

 

[iyecats]

Hi,
I'm new to the site. I am interested in making soap with my second grade class for xmas gifts. I have a holiday workshop each year with different stations for the kids to roam around to. Are there any soap recipes that don't have to use lye or don't have to sit for a month. I have seen little kits at Michaels Art Supplies, but that becomes expensive for 30 kidlets.
I know it is only Aug. but I need to prepare ahead of time to buy a little bit each month.
I need a real simple recipe for the students to do with maybe 1 or 2 parents helping at the center.
Thanks for having this site.
iyecats

 

[freemotion]

Hi,
I'm new to the site. I am interested in making soap with my second grade class for xmas gifts. I have a holiday workshop each year with different stations for the kids to roam around to. Are there any soap recipes that don't have to use lye or don't have to sit for a month. I have seen little kits at Michaels Art Supplies, but that becomes expensive for 30 kidlets.
I know it is only Aug. but I need to prepare ahead of time to buy a little bit each month.
I need a real simple recipe for the students to do with maybe 1 or 2 parents helping at the center.
Thanks for having this site.
iyecats

I can't think of any home soap recipe that is similar to melt'n'pour that is in those kits....maybe someone here knows, but I think we all make the standard lye soap. I did hear of someone using soap for a children's project that involved applying decals to the already-made bars, but I don't know how they did this.

 

[savingdogs]

So I have a soapmaking 101 tip for everyone...

When you start making soap, FIRST make sure you have all the ingredients.

I got all set up to make soap, which means converting my kitchen and got everything measured and ready except the lye, and was all good to go.
Unfortunately I did not check my lye supply. I already had my oils all ready when I discovered I didn't have near enough. Only enough to make a 1/8 of a batch or so, not even worth it.

I then promptly placed an order with brambleberry.com for the stuff I needed and some scents too and a goat mold.

But I was on FB with Bettacreek and she made me realize I should have shopped for a better deal online, they aren't the cheapest.

But I do have four nice sounding scents on the way and two goat type molds.

I managed to pour the oils back in containers and stash everything for later but that was a big waste of time I could have avoided!

 

[SillySoap]

Hi,
I'm new to the site. I am interested in making soap with my second grade class for xmas gifts. I have a holiday workshop each year with different stations for the kids to roam around to. Are there any soap recipes that don't have to use lye or don't have to sit for a month. I have seen little kits at Michaels Art Supplies, but that becomes expensive for 30 kidlets.
I know it is only Aug. but I need to prepare ahead of time to buy a little bit each month.
I need a real simple recipe for the students to do with maybe 1 or 2 parents helping at the center.
Thanks for having this site.
iyecats

You might consider bath bombs instead of soap. Melt & pour would be the only one that I can think of.

 

[LovinLife]

But I was on FB with Bettacreek and she made me realize I should have shopped for a better deal online, they aren't the cheapest.

Who is the cheapest?

 

[Farmfresh]

Hi,
I'm new to the site. I am interested in making soap with my second grade class for xmas gifts. I have a holiday workshop each year with different stations for the kids to roam around to. Are there any soap recipes that don't have to use lye or don't have to sit for a month. I have seen little kits at Michaels Art Supplies, but that becomes expensive for 30 kidlets.
I know it is only Aug. but I need to prepare ahead of time to buy a little bit each month.
I need a real simple recipe for the students to do with maybe 1 or 2 parents helping at the center.
Thanks for having this site.
iyecats

You might consider bath bombs instead of soap. Melt & pour would be the only one that I can think of.

I agree bath bombs and bath salts are both easy and fun to make. We have made bath salts with children before and used food coloring to make different colors then layered them into thin glass bottles like sand art. The kids loved it!

Bath salts can be made very simply with Epsom salts and regular salt combined with essential oils and the color if desired.