Making Colorful Soaps

By Richard Wong

There are many ways to add colorful designs to your homemade soaps. We will discuss using the cold process soap making method to make soaps with intriguing designs.

First, you will need to start with a plain white base. A base of 30% coconut oil, 5% castor oil and 65% lard make a nice white base that lathers and conditions well.

To make tri-color soap with nice triangular designs, first make 1/3 of your base recipe to pour into your standard block soap mold. Once the base has traced, add colorant of your choice. Then prop your mold at an angle so that when you pour your base into your mold it will fill only one corner of your mold instead of the whole bottom.

To do this, place a few books under one side of your mold to raise the side a few inches from your counter. Then place books against the other side of the mold to keep it from moving. Pour your soap down the side of your mold that still rests on the counter until it has filled the corner, but not quite fully to the top of the mold.

Now carefully cover your mold with a towel until your soap has gone through the saponification process and has cooled into soap. This will make a triangular block of soap that will sit off to the side of your regular bar, making a nice design.

Next, mix 2/3 of your plain white base recipe, and separate it into two equal amounts. Color these with 2 separate colors. Pour one into your mold being careful not to splash it onto your triangle block…then pour the second color on top of this.

Let this set for 24 hours covered, unmold your soap, cut, and you should have a nice tri-colored bar of soap with a triangle to the side. I have found these soaps to be much sought after by customers as they are a nice novelty for their bathroom decor.

Another way to put nice designs in your soap would be to use a mold that makes individual bars of soaps instead of blocks.

First, make a plain white base to fill your mold. Then remove a cup or two from your batch. Add colorant to the cup of mixture, and then pour this into a cake-decorating bag. Use this mixture to write colorful designs onto the bottom of your mold.

Once you have completed this, then CAREFULLY spoon your white base mixture on top of this, being very careful not to disturb your writings.

Once you have spooned a few inches over your writings, then you can carefully pour the rest of your soap into your mold (do this in one corner so that should your writing be disturbed only one section will be messed up). Let this set for 24 to 48 hours. Unmold and cut into bars.

When you unmold your soap, the bottoms will have your designs permanently embedded into your bars of soap. This is yet another intriguing method used to decorate your soaps.

Be creative and above all, have FUN!

About the Author: If you’re looking for more information on soap making, visit my website: http://www.making-soap.info

Source: www.isnare.com

How To Make A Wheat Heating Pad

By Christine Miserandino

How to Make a Wheat Heating Pad
Ingredients for this project:

Any thick material (this project calls for 18",but you can make the heating pad any size you want)
sewing machine or needle and thread
Flax seed or wheat
Essential oil *optional

We have all seen those microwave heating pads selling in the stores for big bucks, and I always thought "Boy I wish I knew how to make one" They look so easy to make.

It's pretty easy to make a wheat bag heating pad - all you need is some strong material like cotton, canvas or tartan, as long as there's no give in it, so it doesn't stretch! Keep in mind, it needs to be pretty thick so when the wheat is heated (and it gets pretty hot) that you don't burn yourself.

Once you pick your material, cut a square about 18" each side and fold it in half so it's inside out. It will be oblong shape. Stitch down one short side and the long side. A sewing machine works best as you need short stitches close together, so the wheat doesn't come out. If you stitch by hand go over it again to make sure the stitches are tight. Next, turn it the right way in so the seam is on the inside. You will need to buy some Flax seed or Wheat. They need to be the whole kernel. Fill the bag about 1/2 way, then stitch the one side that is left, sealing it tight.

If you are handy with sewing, and don't mind a little extra work, you might want to divide the bag into sections. Maybe in 4- put in 1/4 of your seeds then stitch the bag 1/4 of the way up, drop in another 1/4 of the seeds and stitch those in, repeating for the rest, so you will have 4 compartments full of seeds, instead of one big one. Then you will have seeds fairly distributed throughout your hand made heating pad! This isn't necessary- but a great tip.

At this point, if you desire, you can use essential oils to sprinkle on the material for aromatherapy.

You will need to microwave it for about 2 minutes.

* Please note all microwaves are different, so please "test" it a few times for more or less time to see what works for you. Please use caution when first using it - as it might come out of the microwave very hot. It stays warm for a couple of hours. You can also put these in the fridge/freezer if the cold is better for you.

If you want, you can make these any shape you like. For example, a horseshoe for your neck or a heart for a child to hold when going to sleep etc. You can make these as big or as small as you desire. Just remember that you are going to need as many seeds as it takes to fill 1/2 the bag. Usually about 1lb is enough for the 18" bags.

These heating pads make great gifts for yourself or for others. They can be reused time and time again.

Good Luck making yours!

About the Author: Christine Miserandino is a writer, motivational speaker, and patient advocate from NY. She also happens to be someone who is living with Lupus. Her writing has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, medical newsletters and television media. Check out http://www.ButYouDontLookSick.com to read more of her articles, and to receive her monthly newsletter.

Source: www.isnare.com