Soap-Making
My dear friend Dakini came over last Sunday night and taught me how to make glycerine soaps. It was tons of fun and very easy, and the results are so pretty!
We used herbs from my garden, such as lavender leaves and rosemary, dried lavender flowers we both had been saving, and several essential oils. We also used kitchen goodies like honey and oatmeal.
We made clear lavender; pinkish lavender rosemary; honey oatmeal orange; honey beeswax lavender oatmeal; and finally, rose with pink dye. The golden soaps are colored only with natural honey.
I think they look spectacular. They are going to make great gifts.
The only limiting factor was the number of molds we had. (Silicone molds are the best because the soaps pop out so easily!) We made five batches of soap in one evening, using only one sausepan and a couple of tools like a measuring cup for pouring the melted soap and a spatula. We let the poured soap cool and set outside under the porch. We still have materials left over. Cleanup was … soapy; hot water was all we needed to melt away the congealed soap on our tools.
I would say this project is perfectly suited for children with adult supervision. Even little ones can help gather herbs, drip in fragrance or dye, and stir the pot. The soap melts on very low heat.
Then, when we were done with our project, we got to drink wine and eat a delicious chicken fricasée that Ian made. A perfect evening. Thank you, Dakini and Ian!
