Soap making for Beginners
Getting Started with Homemade Soap
Winter is a great time for learning new indoor crafts, and soapmaking lets you make something that you’ll use every day for the rest of the year.
From start to finish, you can make a batch of all-natural cold processed soap in about half an hour. After that, it cures and hardens for a few weeks before it’s ready to use…but that’s all hands-off time.
Just a quick bit of work, and you’ll supply your family with enough soap to last for months.
This beginner’s guide to soapmaking walks you through all the basic steps in cold process soapmaking. If you’re worried about messing up, I’d also recommend my guide to Soapmaking Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them).
Once you’re ready to start, these beginner soapmaking recipes are perfect first projects.
If you’re not ready to make the leap into making soap with lye, you can also read about melt-and-pour soapmaking. It’s much easier, with no lye, and the soaps are ready to use the same day. My favorite is Goat Milk and Honey Melt and Pour Soap, but I also have a nice recipe for a Melt and Pour Gardener’s Hand Soap that’s great for gifting.
Things You Might Need This Week
Beginner’s Guide to Candlemaking - If you like soapmaking, I bet you’ll love candlemaking!
How to Use a Drop Spindle - A drop spindle is a great way to start spinning your own yarn at home.
Seasonal Preserving
Learning new preservation techniques will serve you well all year round!
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Things I’m Loving
Pleasant Hill Grain ~ They sell just about everything you need to put up food on your homestead, and they only carry the highest quality equipment. We’ve bought dozens of pieces of equipment there, including our All-American Pressure Canner, hand crank grain mill, cheese press, cider press, and so much more.
Harvest Right Freeze Dryers ~ Home freeze drying is becoming more popular every year, as it’s a great way to preserve food without added sugar. You can freeze dry almost anything, and the food is just like fresh made when rehydrated.
What are you harvesting, preserving, building, or exploring on your homestead this week? I’d love to hear about it!
Leave me a note in the comments…
Until Next Time,
Ashley at Practical Self Reliance
This is actually a lot easier, and affordable, than one would think. The hardest part I had when making soap last year was using the lye, but other than that we made a fantastic soap out of just olive and coconut oil! When did you start making soap Ashley?
I always love making soap and I love experimenting with different oil combinations and add ins. It really is a simple process that anyone can learn and then customize. Thanks for sharing!