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Reasons Why You Need To Learn To Make Homemade Soap – How To Make Bar Soap

September 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

For people who are not aware of how soap is made, it can seem complex and difficult to understand. However, once you read up about it, it will be understandable and doesn’t seem to impossible anymore. The reasons why you should learn how to make bar soap are numerous – it’s very worthwhile.

This is what the basic idea is when you’re making soap – you are combining an alkaline with fats or oils. In our case, this alkaline is a chemical called sodium hydroxide, or more simply, lye. These fats can be anything from olive oil to animal fat.

We say you combine a soap base with oil – however, not all oils are suitable for soap making. Olive oil is one of the most common ingredients used in soap recipes. But this is not to say that there is limited choice. On the contrary – there are so many choices that you won’t ever run out.

For example, coconut oil is known for its lathering properties. If you like a soap with a lot of lather, you then increase the proportion of coconut oil in your recipe. Other examples are shea, coconut butter and hemp oil for a moisturizing soap.

There is no denying that there is an initial learning curve when you’re just starting out. Namely, the soap base is a very caustic chemical. Spilling lye on your skin can cause chemical burns. It’s very important that you feel comfortable using lye in your soap making.

The good thing is that when you spill lye on your skin, you can reduce the danger somewhat by immediately rubbing lots of vinegar on your skin. This neutralizes the caustic effect and reduces chance of burning your skin. But the most important thing is that you need to be wearing rubber gloves with full sleeves.

There are a few other things you should know about lye. That’s all a normal part of the process – getting informed. Once you have become confident in working with lye, then the rest is easy as A, B, C – no rocket science is involved.

Once you know all the basics, then that’s only the beginning. Finding new recipes, learning to eventually make your own recipes, trying different oils – there is a lot of variety. You will spend countless hours choosing which soap to make next and then enjoying the freshness of your soap.

Once you’ve gotten all the basic information regarding how to make bar soap, then you should begin practicing by yourself. To see how I very fast learned my first steps while simply watching an instructional video, then read my overview here: How to Make Bar Soap.

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Make a Snow Globe – Baby Food Jar Snow Globe Gifts

November 25, 2008 By 1 Comment

It used to be that when you traveled, you could find snow globes in almost every gift shop at major tourist attractions and museums.  In fact, many people used to collect snow globes.  Not only were they a way to remember your visit to these locations, it also reminded people of winter even in the hotter months of the year.

Snow globes are almost a part of a different time and place.  They’re not as popular as they used to be as mementos, but children are still fascinated by them.  Some children still ask for them when on holiday, but anyone can make one with the right parts and some time.

This year you can help your child make their own snow globe, something just for Christmas or for any time to remember the cold of winter. 

 

Here’s what you need to make one:

* Small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (baby food jars are great for this).
* Distilled water or water that has been boiled and allowed to cool.
* Glycerin (You should be able to find it in most drug stores or in crafts departments).
* White or silver glitter.  Don’t choose glitter that is too fine – it’ll be too small to fall like snow.
* Small waterproof ornament or toy.
* Clear silicone sealant.  Adults should be the only ones to handle the sealant.
* Small plastic lid such as a film canister lid to elevate the ornament inside the jar.  Florist’s clay would also work.
* Decorative ribbon or fabric to cover the lid.

And here’s how to make your own snow globe:

Wash and dry the baby food jar and lid to be sure they’re completely clean.  Be sure the inside of the lid is clean as well.

Build up some clay or attach the film canister lid inside the lid of the jar.  Attach the ornament, toy, or other miniature to that, building up the base so you can easily see the figurine.  To make sure the toy is at the right height, put the lid on the empty jar and check it out.  Keep adding more clay until you’re happy with how it looks.

Add cold water to the jar, leaving at least ½ inch at the top.  Sprinkle glitter into the jar, approximately ½ teaspoon for the medium to large baby food jars.  Add ½ teaspoon of glycerin so the glitter will float rather than fall.

Line the inside of the lid with silicone sealant and then screw the lid down as hard as you can.  This should make the seal waterproof.  Run a bead of silicone around the outer edge of the lid and let dry overnight, lid side up.

You can make a wooden base for the globe if you like.  If not, decorate the lid with the fabric or ribbon of your choice by hot gluing it to the lid.  Let your globe dry entirely.  Then shake it up and let the snow fall.

Since your children have helped to make them, baby food jar snow globe gifts are great to give to friends and family.  They may not be perfect like those you can buy, but they will be loved for the time and energy you and your child took to make them.

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Create the Perfect Craft Area in Your Home

May 16, 2008 By Leave a Comment

People enjoy crafts of all kinds.  Some take up little space; some take up a lot.  Some crafts need very few [ad]supplies, and some require enough to fill a cabinet or more.  Whatever the crafts, if there is more than one person in the family, creating the perfect craft area in your home is probably something you all only dream about.

Crafts like sewing require quite a bit of space.  You need to have a sewing machine, ironing board and iron, an easily accessible space for notions, and space to store fabric and patterns.  Dad and the kids have their own crafts.  Wouldn’t it be great to have one room where all of this could be located?

Begin by deciding which room you will turn into a craft room or if you will have to add one to your home.  If you have a room to use, measure it and draw the room to scale on graph paper.  Measure each piece of furniture that will go into the room and transfer those to the same scale size; cut out each piece so you can try different room arrangements without having to move heavy furniture.

One recommendation would be to divide the room into zones.  If someone is interested in painting, they will want to have access to direct sunlight.  Sunlight wouldn’t be so important to someone who was scrapbooking or putting together models. Create a painting zone nearest the windows.

Be sure to have plenty of overhead as well as task lighting in the room.  Each task requires lighting for close tasks as well as something more general.  Lamps that can be adjusted for specific tasks would be a good idea.  Do you have enough wall outlets or do you need to add more?

Work space will probably be a premium concern.  Someone who sews would need a place for the machine as well as space to spread out fabric when cutting out patterns.  Of course, that area could be used by someone scrapbooking, as long as they weren’t trying to do so at the same time.  The longer the flat surface, the better it would be.  If it were long enough, it might be able to accommodate two crafts at one time.

Seating would be another area to consider.  Comfortable chairs are a must, especially if you’re sitting for long periods of time.  However, you don’t want to get lounge chairs.  Something that is ergonomic and practical would be best.  You want to be comfortable while working on your craft, but not so comfortable you fall asleep.  Good quality office-style chairs will probably do nicely.

The final component is where to store everything.  How much of the supplies needed for each craft can be stored on shelves rather than in cabinets on the floor?  Peg boards, wall-mounted organizers, and multiple shelved units could store a good amount of things.  What about putting strips of metal along the walls near each work area?  These would be a handy place to hold scissors, little jars to hold beads or buttons, and more.  The options are limitless if you think about it.

Crafts are an important part of our lives.  They help us relax and give us a creative outlet.  They help us to dream.  If they’re so important to us, why is it we don’t enjoy doing them more often?  Having a great space designated just for crafts might be the answer your whole family is looking for.  Think about the benefits, and then create the perfect craft area for your home.

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