Soapmaking and Other Crafts

January 18, 2013

Well, we are already almost 3 weeks into the New Year, I hope everyone is still on track for the things they set out to do. I'm still hanging in there with my exercise and diet, and while I haven't lost as much weight as I'd hoped, my blood pressure has went down considerably! I guess if I can't be skinny, I'll have to settle for healthy. I've also been trying to keep up with my crafting. I just sliced another batch (No. 3) of soap this morning. I'm really excited, this batch turned out really white and I scented this one with grapefruit and jasmine. I also bought a mitre box so that I can cut the bars more evenly, so they will look more uniform.

Here it is, still sitting in the mitre box. (If you're thinking about making soap, I recommend you get one of these boxes, I only paid 5 dollars for it at Lowes.)

Someone asked me the other day how big are the batches that I've been making. I've been making 1 lb batches, and that makes 7 or 8 nice size bars. Making a small batch is easier to work with and if you mess up, you haven't wasted a bunch of money. This batch was made with good 'ol lard and coconut oil, both can be purchased at Wal-Mart or your local grocery store.

I've also started keeping a "soap journal" so that I can write the recipe, date made, and notes on the batch for future reference. That way if a batch doesn't turn out, I'll know not to try that one again!

These 1 lb batches are made in the blender and therefore you do not have to worry about the temperature as much at mixing and it also produces trace a lot faster. Here's the link that got me started: http://www.colebrothers.com/soap/blender.html
You'll also want to keep a copy of saponification values handy if you decide to try your own recipes, so here's the link to those: http://www.millersoap.com/soapdesign.html

I should warn you, it's addictive! You also need a dark cool place for the soap to cure and I use an old blender for the job. You just blend on the lowest setting, so the less power it has the better it is for the project.

In addition to soap, I've also been making baby stuff. I had been seeing these "baby straight-jackets" and finally was able to find a pattern online. The link is below:

http://blog.makezine.com/craft/best_of_craft_pattern_snuggler/

Okay, they call it a snuggler, but we all know what it really is! The hardest part of the pattern is printing it, cutting it out, and putting it together...it's a puzzle! But after you get it put together, it's not too difficult. I wouldn't suggest it for a beginner, but probably someone who has been sewing for a little bit. Be warned, due to fabric thickness, I broke a couple of needles, so if you try this, make sure you have some extras on hand to save your from frustration. Here is my finished project.