the Price of Arts and Crafts Classes

The class was almost 3 hours long and for the price, included all supplies for two people to make 2 kinds of soap and take home what they make. We used herbs and spices for color, scent and to give the soap a neat look. We made a honey/oatmeal and a cinnamon/clove soap. The teacher explained all the ingredients (mostly veggie oils and lye) and then we set about making the soap. We had to combine the lye with water and let it cool, then we set the oils in one container and the lye mix in another container both in a hot water bath. When both containers reached the same temperature, we blended them together. We then added our glycerin and herbs/spices and poured into the cardboard molds. We took it home so it could cure for the needed 24 hours. Then you remove it from the mold and let it cure for an additional 3-4 weeks.

We made enough soap between the two of us to give some as gifts this holiday season! This was not as easy as I thought it would be. It was very involved and very laborious. It was wild to see the water lye combo heat up just from reaction alone! We really enjoyed doing this, but were a tad disappointed that the soaps had lye and glycerin in them. We thought it was all going to be just vegetable based, like the soaps we have purchased for our home use. It was fun, but I do not think I would want to do it at home or again in a class. The 4 week cure time was a bummer too. I thought the soap would be ready to use after the class. I had no idea that soap cured that long!

If you, like me, really want to find a soap making class that is 100% vegetable based, ask questions. I always get into trouble by not asking questions and assuming that the information given to me at registration time is 100% accurate, when it usually is missing pertinent information. I was also disappointed that the soap was not ready to use immediately. Realize that soap has to cure so there will be no instant gratification here.