Why do y’all let me do stuff like this?? Friends shouldn’t let friends try to make every craft there is! 🙂
It was back in the late 90’s that I started making soap. I don’t even remember what got me started doing it but I had a friend who had goats and I could get goats’ milk from her so I made regular cold pressed soap (with lye) with regular oils and I made some with goats’ milk and I made some of the melt & pour glycerin pretty type soaps.
Where we lived in Kentucky, on Friday nights – probably not every Friday night but some during the summer, they would have “crafts in the park” or something like that and there would be crafters and food vendors set up. I would go and sell my soaps. I met a couple of shop owners who started selling my soaps. I guess I made soap until we left there so that means I haven’t made soap since about 2007.
Vince found a box in storage that had about 30 bars of my soap. I tried one and was hooked on homemade soap. Such a difference that the storebought soap we normally use. I’m sure there are better storebought soaps but I started wanting to make it again.
A local friend posted on Facebook the other day that she hadn’t bought soap in so many years and showed some of hers and that really made me want to make it.
So, I’ve ordered what I need to make soap.
- Lye – I used to could buy it in the grocery store or hardware type stores but I think due to illegal drug operations, it’s pretty hard to find now so I ordered it from Amazon but I just checked and the hardware store here does have it. Walmart may have it but I ordered enough to last me for a while.
- Lard – I have plenty of lard here that I rendered but I’m not using that for soap so I ordered some. I will use coconut oil, Shea butter, and olive oil and I have those here.I
- Molds – I always used a plastic storage bin that had flat sides and a flat bottom but I ordered long, wooden bins with liners. A soapmaking friend from back in the day used empty cocoa containers to make her soap.
I think that’s all I ordered. I have long gloves, goggles, mica powder, essential oils for fragrance. Once the orders arrive, I’ll be ready to make a batch of soap. I do need to clean off a shelf in the garage downstairs. I’ll probably set it up in there to cure.
Mary says
You are so funny! You talk about not having enough stitching time, the you start a totally different project. Have fun with your soap!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I know . . if getting a puppy wasn’t bad enough, now I’ve added something else to my plate. 🙂
Soapmaking is really quite quick though. I can make about 40 bars of soap in an hour or so. It’s a matter of stirring it all together, pouring it into molds, then dumping it the next day and cutting it; then it has to sit and cure about 6 weeks. I prefer to let it cure about 6 months.
Donnalyn says
Judy, we really don’t mean to DRAG you down these rabbit holes…..but it sure is fun!! Hmmm, let me see what we can come up with next!!! There must be something you haven’t tried that we can tempt you with. And, Judy don’t change we love you just the way you are.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I suppose if I haven’t changed by now, there’s not much chance of it happening.
Pat Anderson says
So you were bored, huh? Gosh, I guess it’s a good thing that you don’t need much sleep! I remember when soap making was THE thing….will you be selling soap again?
judy.blog@gmail.com says
No, I won’t sell it but I figured in today’s world, it might be a good barter item if that’s ever needed.
chris jensen says
I love making soap. I will be doing a demo for our western days in July in conjunction with our county fair.
Wanda Nesloney says
I love making soap and want to start back to making it again. I still have my supplies also. It’s been a minute since the last time I’ve made some. One of my favorites is charcoal soap. I like to use it for my face and it’s hard to find. So I’ll probably start with that.
Have fun!!