Soap-making is fun, and it's a very useful hobby. With the knowledge of this craft, you can easily create your own personalized gifts for people who are close to you. You need not buy commercial soaps anymore, which are chemical-packed and even environmentally dangerous. Who knows, you can even start your own small business selling home-made soap.

What do you need to get started with this hobby? First and foremost, you need to know the two basic methods used in soap-making.

Melt And Pour Method

This is the simplest method of making soap, so simple that even children can make soap using this method. This involves the following processes:

*    Buying pre-made blocks of soap as your base
*    Melting the soap using microwave
*    Adding your desired ingredients like coloring and scent
*    Pouring the new mixture in a mold until it hardens to a new soap

The processes are that easy and simple, and the soap doesn't take a long time to harden! However, you don't have much control on the ingredients in this method, as your base may already have other chemicals added before you purchased it. Plus, there's little space for customization with this process. If you want more control, the next method is for you.

Cold Method

Cold method is a little more complicated, and it's a little more dangerous because it involves the use of lye. However, it gives a better result. This method involves the following:

*    Heating the oil needed (the type of oil depends on you)
*    Adding the lye and water mixture to the oil (be careful with lye)
*    Stirring the mixture until it reaches the right thickness, called trace
*    Adding of all other ingredients like the scent and coloring
*    Pouring of the mixture into the mold until it hardens

The hardening time for the soap made using this process takes a little longer, and more ingredients may also be needed, but it's all worth it. Besides, you can make more varieties of soap once you learn this method.

Now that you're familiar with these two basic methods of soap-making, it's already easier to make your own soap. There's no limit to this art; you can come up with soaps of different varieties in color, scent, and shape according to your creativity. The best thing is for you to come up with your own unique and customized soap that will give you just what you desire.

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Soap has been made out of wood ashes, animal fat, salt and water and has served cultures the world over for centuries. Soap makers still rely on lye and fat. Soap that is made from saturated fats, which are invariably solid at room temperature, will be hard and rich. These include butter, palm oil, lard, or coconut oil. Unsaturated fats give soap other qualities.

Soaps come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These soaps have been molded in plastic, wood and glass molds that come in every conceivable size and shape such as Zodiac signs to Celtic knots.

The Molding Process

When all the ingredients are mixed the soap is poured into a mold to cool, harden, and cure. However, there are instructions to be followed for the care and use of soap molds such as the casting temperature. Soap molds have been successfully tested with glycerin temperatures of up to 180°F without warping.  However, it is recommended to pour the soap base at least 10-20°F lower than these temperatures, or as low as possible, which will increase the mold’s working life. To avoid warping, it is important when casting glycerin into plastic molds, to use a thermometer to ensure that your soap temperature is below the maximum recommended casting temperature and decreasing.

Many molds are designed to cast soap at any required depth, up to the maximum stated weight.  This flexibility allows one to pour whatever weight of bar needed at the time. The techniques recommend for filling and unmolding is to pour the cast almost full leaving approx. 1/8"-1/4" of space at the top.  When the soap is ready to release, place the mold on a flat surface with the cavities facing down, and press down steadily with the palm of your hand on the center of the top of the cavities until the soap unmolds.

Cleaning the Molds

Usually rinsing the molds in warm water will clean the mold.  One may also wash the molds in warm soapy water, if necessary, to remove any leftover oils or soap deposit. Allow the mold to dry at room temperature, never wiping the mold, as this may cause scratches that will show up on the soap.

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I made macadamia and vanilla soap and followed the instructions carefully. The only real mistake I can think I might have made would have been over whipping it, as I was no longer able to pour it into the mould as the instructions said, I had to spoon it in- too thick? But why would that cause the macadamia oil to predominately settle on the bottom and the vanilla fragrance oil on top? It ended up consistent in texture and firmness etc but the top slice is far darker than the bottom, which is oily. Is this a common mistake in soap making? What did I do wrong? I got the ingredients as a kit and they were pre-weighed and the instructions were specific.

I couldn't really say, but this website may give you some insight into what happened. She sounds like she knows her soap.

http://www.millersoap.com/

I am a begginner... but I love it! I have always enjoyed bath products, soaps, etc. And making stuff, I always have to be doing something. So occasionally I make my own soap, just with stuff around the house. But, I want to get more serious, buy a kit, or what ever. Can any one recamend a good supplies shop that I could probably find locally? Any brand names,or info about how much will I have to pay for the basics. I have already done research and I figured I want to do melt and pour soap (hopefully one with goat milk) and keep it as natural as possible. What are some good ways to find cheap, but good stuff such as bases and essential oils. Just, any bits of wisedom would help. I already know the basic steps of soap making by the melt and pour method, BTW.
I am also interested in making things such as bubble bath,lip balm,bath salts,bath bombs. This is for entertainment, not to be sold.

Thank you!
okay, here are some clear questions

-About how much money is needed to get the basics?

-Does hobby lobby sell soap supplies?

-How much does citric acid, melt and pour soap base, and common essential oils cost?
To specify, I will be using soap base, not making my own from lye and fatty oils... I'm lazy! lol. Once I am more expirienced, then I'll probably switch to making it from scratch.

The place I use is www.thesage.com. They have different melt and pour soaps, as well as citric acid. They have recipes and I've found their people to be helpful. I don't know about finding supplies locally, since most of the time I find stuff locally that just doesn't have the quality I need or am looking for. This part of the crafts market is still such a niche market that the Internet is the best place to look. I like the place I get things because their stuff is decently priced and they are sticklers for quality.

Here is a link to the bath fizzies recipe that I use: http://thesage.com/recipes/recipes.php3?.State=Display&id=59

Good Luck!

I could be the biggest winner of getting the worst presents in the world at Christmas, yet I buy people the best. Over the years, I've been given a diary 2 years out of date, 8 year old soaps, a make up kit with half the make up missing inside and £1 stationery sets. These people have a lot of money, so why do they give rubbish? What's the psychology behind it? I've gone through 6 years of unemployment, yet I've managed to get presents that are within the sell by date and are up to date, even if it's just a £. The people I know are loaded and I stupidly (well, I think anyway), sit and write thank you notes for this crap. I never hardly get thanked from these people for my presents either.

People are self-center, lazy, and inconsiderate. Welcome to the human condition.

In the 70s i remember my mother made some kind of soap sequin thing with a craft kit.I remember it had little pins and you stuck them in the sequins in a pattern or all over it.I remember her doing this with several different soaps and brands.It was a basically a nice smelling decoration.Has anyone heard of this? I also remember her doing it with just plain pins. I have tried typing in several differnt parameters trying to find anything on this but find nothing.Does anyone else remember this?

I do remember this. We took soap and covered it with felt to make it look like a book. Then we took straight pins and sequins and stuck them in the felt and soap. These made nice smelling freshners for your drawers.

I've included a website with some directions, you will need to scroll down the page to find them.

Bar style.. I am interested in buying a "kit" to start with.. Any suggestions on what type of soap to start with and where to purchase a kit??
peAce

I recommend if you want to use a kit - you will want to buy melt and pour base, plus colorants and fragrances - some craft stores carry them - hobby lobby, micheal's and possibly joann crafts.

If your interested in making cold process soaps - check out kathy millers website, http://www.millersoap.com - she has taken the time to put together a very comprehensive site for newbies and veteran soapers a like.

I bought some handmade soap when I went to Amish Country and was very interested in how it was made. I love the bar I bought and would like to learn how to make my own soap. I don't want to use one of those kits. I have been looking on the net and reading about it. I want to make it from scratch using the lye and different oils and ingredients. Has anyone ever made their own soap? Are there things to avoid? Any advice would be helpful. Please only apply if you know how to make soap.

check your local community college for ongoing adult education, as they almost always have soapmaking classes before Christmas.
Lye is terribly caustic, so needs to be handled with care. The containers you mix it in should not be metal. It can affect the soap. Use wooden spoons and large plastic buckets, like the kind restaurants toss out.
Here is a good link, with lots of pdf files to help you with recipes, how to find the right ingredients, how to tell if you are making it correctly, and they are all easy to follow.

http://millersoap.com/

Does someone have a list of things I need to make my own soap or do I need to buy one of those kits from a craft store?

1. Dissolve 12 oz. lye in 32 oz. softened water in a plastic or glass bowl. If at all possible, do this outside or under an exhaust fan.

2. Add the lye to the water, not vice versa. Pour the lye slowly and in a steady stream, and stir constantly with a plastic spoon.

3. Set the mixture aside to cool. The mixture will heat up considerably due to the lye reacting with fats in the oils. This is called saponification.

4. Melt 24 oz. coconut oil and 38 oz. solid vegetable shortening in a stainless steel pot.

5. Add 25 oz. olive oil (not virgin) and any fragrance oils you want to use.

6. Allow the oils to cool.

7. Grease the soap mold with Crisco.

8. When both the oil and lye mixtures have cooled to room temperature, slowly combine them, adding the lye to the oils.

9. Stir slowly and constantly. If you see bubbles, stir more slowly.

10. Drizzle the soap into the pot once in a while. When it keeps its shape momentarily before sinking into the rest of the mix (tracing), it's time to add whatever extras you want.

11. Stir your botanicals, grains and coloring into a cup of soap taken from the mix.

12. Combine that back into the original mixture.

13. Pour the soap into the mold.

14. Wrap the mold in a towel and leave it undisturbed for 18 hours. The soap mixture will heat up and then cool down. Avoid uncovering it until it's cooled.

15. Allow the soap to sit in the uncovered mold for another 12 hours.

16. Loosen the sides by wiggling the mold a little.

17. Turn the mold over onto a clean counter.

18. Cut the soap into bars with a knife. Some people use a miter box to make square corners.

19. Allow the bars to cure for three to four weeks before using. Smaller bars cure faster than larger ones.

I hope you're doing this for gift making, otherwise it's a lot of steps -- just go buy some Dove.

Hot or Cold? For those that find the Cold process too long, tedious or finicky, the hot process is definitely the way to go. With the assistance of heat to prop up the gelling stage or the saponification process, the Hot Process is usually used in commercial soap making as one can save up on time, therefore more soaps can be produced.

In the hot process, a lye solution and fat mixture is boiled together at 80-100 degree Celsius. What's great about it is that all equipments for the process are everyday things usually found at your own home. A microwave oven or a double boiler will do in mixing the batch. As the mixture tends to be sticky, one must protect his or her workplace and leave it free of anything that may be stuck with the candle-like mixture unnecessarily.

It is important to have the right equipment when going for the Hot Process. Wooden Lined Moulds are recommended because as said, the mixture tends to be candle-like and sticky at first until fully air dried (which takes about 2 to 3 days). The batch will be rendered useless when using Plastic moulds because the mixture tends to stick to the panel and might brittle when forced out. 

Like the cold process, accurate measurement is highly important in the process. Make sure the weighing scale is working right and returns to 0 after something heavy is weighed on it. Lye or oil dominant soaps are considered useless even for home use. Measure first the essential oils. When beginning with soap making, only a few essential oils should be used until one gets used to the hot process and is more confident with using other additives such as fragrances or colorants.
Afterwards, measure the chemical sodium hydroxide and add it to water and not the other way around as it produces a sulphur-like chemical reaction. When handling such chemical, always use safety equipment like goggles, gloves and masks in order to not let any fumes get into your system.

When both oil and lye solution is ready, combine them together by pouring the lye solution slowly into the oils. Make sure that only a thin layer is added and mix continuously until the mixture begins to form a thin pudding like substance called Trace. When manually mixing by using a whisk, Tracing occurs about an hour after continuously mixing the solution. It is faster when using a blender.

The mixture is then fast forwarded towards full saponification by cooking it using the base of a double boiler, microwave oven or crock pot. You can tell when the batch is ready when the Trace starts to have a clear look. Experienced soap makers can tell its readiness when the taste of lye disappears or when it has a waxy feel when touched. Moulding and shaping the soap is then done.

Like all good things that grow better with age, the longer the soap is left to cure, the milder it becomes. Now it's time to sample your own work. If it's to your own liking, then good. If not, the Hot Process is more forgiving. There's always the second batch.

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