Tutorial: Vegetable Glycerin Melt-and-Pour Soap
Vegetable glycerin melt-and-pour soap is often my go-to gift for a couple of reasons:
* It’s super-quick. If I want to give a loved one a couple of bars of cold-process soap for Christmas, I’d better make it in October. If I want to give a loved one vegetable glycerin soap for Christmas, it’s done in two hours (with about five minutes of hands-on time, most of that being prep work).
* My three-year-old and five-year-old, with me around to actually melt and pour, can make a really nice present for the adults in their lives. A really nice present, I might add, that the adults in their lives actually want, and actually find useful (what other project appropriate for a three-year-old can you say that about?).
Quick, easy, satisfying, and a terrific gateway drug to get you interested in more involved methods of soap-making–here’s how to do it:
The best kinds of Christmas projects really are quick, thrifty, and eco-friendly. When a project is quick–it doesn’t require a lot of prep or clean-up, provides results in a timely manner, and is simple enough that everyone can contribute meaningfully–you can focus your energy on the interaction with your loved ones instead of on the project. When a project is thrifty–it doesn’t require a lot of pricey materials, and ideally utilizes stuff you already possess–the stakes are low enough that everyone can enjoy themselves instead of fussing about appearance. And when a project is eco-friendly–it makes primary use of natural materials and recycling–then you show your kids that being green is a worldview, not a fad.
