This year for Christmas our family decided to do a home-made Christmas. So exciting! So overwhelming! After a wedding at the end of October, it seemed like the holidays really snuck up on us this year, but we were up to the challenge and right away knew we wanted to try our hand at home-made soaps. Mr. ThirdRow gave me soap-making supplies for my 30th birthday last summer and I’d been distracted by wedding planning ever since. This was the perfect time to give it a go!
It was an intense process. Using lye meant rubber gloves, safety goggles, and aprons – not a very glamorous process it turns out. Mr. ThirdRow was in on the action when we brought out the drill and paint-stirring attachment to mix the melted fats with the lye.
We made three different batches of soap this time around – lemongrass, spanish sage, and lavender. Next time, I’ll be sure to do a better job of documenting the process for those of you who might like to give it a try. Until then, you should check out some of the different resources that we used for inspiration (below)
. Soap making can be dangerous if you’re not careful with the lye, so be sure to read up before you jump in.
We had a great time and I think our final product was a huge hit. More soap coming soon!
Resources:
Smart Soapmaking; Anne L. Watson
Basic Soap Making; Elizabeth Letcavage
