Making Soap
From LoveToKnow Crafts
Making soap is a fun and versatile craft. Glycerin soap, liquid soap, and natural soap are popular projects. You can make plain bars of soap as well as scented soaps in any color and shape you can imagine. You can also make soap that contains pressed flowers or small toys such as rubber ducks and plastic goldfish. The possibilities are endless!
Getting Started Making Soap
The process of making soap is formally known as saponification. Although there are several different versions of soap making recipes and instructions, the basic idea always involves the combination of lye, animal fats, vegetable oils, and water.
However, since soap making does involve potentially harmful products, it’s not a craft where you want to just jump right in. Take the time to learn more about the different types of soap making projects by checking out the following helpful websites:
Beginners to this craft may also want to refer to these useful reference materials:
- Soapmaking for the First Time by Linda Orton
- Soapmaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide with Recipes, Techniques & Know-How by Susan Miller Cavitch
- 300 Handcrafted Soaps: Great Melt & Pour Projects by Marie Browning
Buying Supplies
You can purchase most of the supplies you’ll need for your soap making projects at a large craft store such as Hobby Lobby or Michaels Crafts. To get the best deal on your supplies, watch your local paper for each store’s sale advertisements.
If you don’t live near a craft store or prefer to shop online, you can also order soap making supplies through the following websites:
Supplies for making soap can be purchased individually or as part of an all-in-one soap making kit. If you’re not sure whether or not soap making is the craft for you, purchasing a kit is generally a good way to get a taste of the hobby without investing a large sum of money.
Other Projects
Once you’ve mastered the basics of making soap, you may want to try creating other toiletries at home. Many of the same supplies and techniques used to make soap can be applied to creating custom lotions, massage oils, lip balms, bath salts, shower gels, and bath bombs. To learn more, check out the articles at Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen.
Soap making is also quite similar to candle making, leading many people to consider it a great complimentary craft. For example, if you’re making soap for a friend who loves the scent of lavender, you can use many of the same supplies to create lavender-scented pillar candles as well.
Starting Your Own Home-Based Business
If you enjoy making soap, you may want to turn your hobby into a profitable home-based business. You can sell your handmade soaps and related products online, at craft shows, at trade shows, or at home parties. Some entrepreneurial crafters have even marketed their handmade soaps as an innovative fundraising idea for schools and other non-profit organizations.
If you’re interested in starting a business from making soap, the following links may be useful:
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