Soap and felt suggestions

[zed]

I've always had trouble making felted soaps, my most succesful ones were using handmade soap. That ran out so I ordered some more, but it's different and I'm having trouble again

I've tried loads of methods/techniques, but I'm just hopeless at it! I don't mind not great results on cheap '4 for £1 soaps', I don't even mind if they fail, but I don't want to waste very expensive handmade soap.

So, (I was pondering this anyway, because some soap I bought isn't suitable for felting as it has bits of almonds on top) apart from gift bags, what could I make to go with handmade soap? Something that doesn't require loads of effort or wool?

My first thought was 'make your own' felted soap kits, but maybe one of my problems is using too much wool, so I'm probably not the best judge.

2nd was Merino and bamboo wash cloth (that turns into a small scrubby!)

I will give the felting another go, but if you have any ideas, I'd be really grateful

[lyn]

My most successful soaps were 19p each and had a lovely delicate scent - they were marked down as end of line in Sainsburys!

It was the shape that gave the success - nicely rounded ovals (it was one of the 19p bars that's in my tutorial)- combined with quite thin layers of merino wool and slow, gentle agitation in the early stages.

I cleared the shelf in Sainsburys and made a few dozen in quite a short time.

On Etsy, there are gift sets of a handmade soap paired with a handmade washcloth - however the cloth is usually crocheted - how's your crochet?

[tracey]

Are you using soap with corners Zed? I have successfully used oval shaped soap as Lyn suggests, (and followed her tutorial) far easier to keep turning in your hands to felt, just as if you were washing your hands with it, corners would make it more difficult.

I have bought Dove (UK) soap, not a delicate perfume, quite pungent! I am liking the 19p soap Lyn, must look out for that kind of price to make more for the craft fair, the Dove worked out at 50p each! A few dozen eh?, I have about seven, better get soaping....

[lyn]

Jul 1, 2017 14:56:53 GMT tracey said:

Are you using soap with corners Zed? I have successfully used oval shaped soap as Lyn suggests, (and followed her tutorial) far easier to keep turning in your hands to felt, just as if you were washing your hands with it, corners would make it more difficult.

I have bought Dove (UK) soap, not a delicate perfume, quite pungent! I am liking the 19p soap Lyn, must look out for that kind of price to make more for the craft fair, the Dove worked out at 50p each! A few dozen eh?, I have about seven, better get soaping....

Dove isn't an ideal oval - it's got a sorta kink in it - well done you for making that work.

If you are making felted soaps to sell, the cost of raw materials needs to be low otherwise you're working for nothing.
People will pay a lot more for a felted soap with a bit of ribbon/yarn/rafia around it and a little label because then it can make a gift.

I spent a little time covering a large pizza box in pretty paper, then filled it with rows of be-ribboned soaps and put an 'ad' for them (explaining what they were and what a lovely gift they would make on the inside of lid of the box so that it showed when open on a craft stall . Ready made display that can be re-filled!

I was very lucky coming across the end of line soaps - they were a good quality and quite pricey originally.

[zed]

I usually cut the corners off, and press them together to make a new bar for the downstairs loo

Your tutorial is the one which gave me the best results, Lyn. I think some soap just shrinks faster than the wool can, so it always seems loose. The ones which work ok are Johnson's baby soaps.

My crocheting is non-existant!

[lyn]

Good point - so a hard soap is ideal then.

[tracey]

Yes I will look for better priced soaps but good ones too of course. I already wrap them in a raffia bow, I posted a pic a while back, and I have nice wicker baskets to display them.

Yes you were lucky to get end of line soaps, they must have been discontinuing them, can't believe they had gone out of date! 

[halay]

Jul 1, 2017 15:56:43 GMT lyn said:

Jul 1, 2017 14:56:53 GMT tracey said:

 

I spent a little time covering a large pizza box in pretty paper, then filled it with rows of be-ribboned soaps and put an 'ad' for them (explaining what they were and what a lovely gift they would make on the inside of lid of the box so that it showed when open on a craft stall . Ready made display that can be re-filled!

I was very lucky coming across the end of line soaps - they were a good quality and quite pricey originally.

What a clever idea Lyn for making a display from a pizza box.

[zed]

Yeah, these new soaps are softer than the others I had.

I carded some wool yesterday to try again, I don't know if it will help, but it's easier to pull off thinner amounts and less likely to make stringy bits, I hope!

[Shepherdess]

It sounds like your hand made soap is not cured enough. It shouldn't disappear like that if its properly cured. If I where you I would put it unwrapped on a shelf for 3 months . it should be cured and hard enough by then. many soap makers sell them much to soon.
When I do mine I take a strip of roving. Fluff it a bit and wrap it around the edges. Then fluff out another strip and wrap it around the other way. You can use pieces of batt. I find bat is easier but I don't have a lot of it in different colours. Then add a thin strip as a spiral stripe or some silk hanky wrapped around. Then into a the toe of a nylon and tie a knot. I make a bunch that way. cut off the nylon tie a knot ad another soap tie a knot and cut. I keep going until I have a nice pile. Then get washing up bucket with quite hot water in it, sit in front of the tv and make them. the first couple are hard to get wet. as you get more soap in the water it gets easier and faster. then I just squeeze and rub like I was washing my hands all over until it feels tight. Then pop them out and onto the drying wrack. Get some cheap soap and try it.
I like putting them in a nylon because when you first wet them the wool all get bigger and looser. in the nylon you don't have to worry about it. It is all contained and held in place.

[MTRuth]

I make mine in the same way that Ann does. I have never had a problem with the soap disappearing.

[zed]

I think I will try your suggestion, Ann. I'm not sure it will help, because I think it's the process they use and lots of oils in the ingredients which make it softer, but when I was looking at the order yesterday, it said they make the soaps to order, so it's worth a try.

I'll get some cheaper soap for now and maybe make some gift-bags too.

[tracey]

Jul 4, 2017 10:17:32 GMT zed said:

I think I will try your suggestion, Ann. I'm not sure it will help, because I think it's the process they use and lots of oils in the ingredients which make it softer, but when I was looking at the order yesterday, it said they make the soaps to order, so it's worth a try.

I'll get some cheaper soap for now and maybe make some gift-bags too.

I took a leaf out of Lyn's book and headed off to Sainsburys. I got own brand soap (oval) for 24p a bar, smells nice too.

So at least I have slashed the price of my 50p Dove soap.

[tracey]

A little update on the own brand supermarket soap that I bought.

I thought it felted really quickly and easily, far speedier than the Dove soap, I was quite (pleasantly) surprised!

Worth mentioning for anyone trying this for the first time.

[lyn]

Maybe it's the high amount of 'moisturisers' in the Dove that delayed felting a bit? Great that the cheapo bars worked well! It makes a more profitable felted soap doesn't it?