... adventure in soap "making" - happened this weekend

A few weeks ago I picked up a soap making kit at Goodwill - contained a book on actual soap making, a mold, glycerin melt soap and other soap making stuff for $2.99 and a 2 lb brick of coconut oil melt & pour soap for $1.99

The book that came with the kit is very good  thoroughly covers actual soap making - and clearly lets one know that is for the detail oriented, rule following type - which I am not but I DO like fancy soaps and getting a little crafty once in a while - so melt & pour is ideal for me - the book didn't have much on melt & pour - probably because it is so freaking easy!!!  you can read about it here ->  An introduction to Melt and Pour soapmaking.....   

I went a bit basic on my recipes & used what seemed like a good combination - here are some more involved & complex Recipes: Melt and Pour Soap to feed the creativity...  If you are wanting to make your soap therapeutic, as I did check this out  -> Medicinal Properties of Herbs   the book was helpful to - I recommend a book of you can find a good one second hand...  if you have any books on herbal remedies or natural cures - you might find ideas fro additives in there as well.  I was not able to find any particularly good & thorough websites on melt and pour - but I will be on the the lookout for a blog or 2 on the subject!

so with ideas in my mind, I gathered all the necessities  and started my makeshift double boiler.  I cut the soap into 1/2 - 1 inch chunks and melted it in my 'double boiler"  (a pot in a larger pot)   - -that's one more another thing to add to my wish list = small double boiler!

My first batch -  Soothing Lavender Oatmeal Rosemary.  I used about 4 oz of the creamy coconut oil melt & pour soap base, added about 1 teaspoon oatmeal, 1/2 teaspoon lavender flowers, a generous pinch of fresh rosemary - ground and add to melted soap - pour into mold. 

 * I do not recommend using oatmeal on you first try - maybe needs water added?   It took a bit more mix in it & it was kinda chunky..   not the prettiest soap - but i'm it smells lovely. 

**  If using your coffee grinder like I did - add about 1/4 cup instant white rice and grind it up to clean out the coffee residue  - this also allegedly sharpens the blades - IDK sure doesn't hurt)

#FMSPHOTOADAY "happened this weekend" 

Second batch - (soon to be famous) Coffee Cinnamon Clove Scrubby!! loosely based one this COFFEE SCRUBBY SOAP recipe...Nom nom nom  =)  again I used about 4 oz of creamy coconut oil melt & pour soap and took 2 tablespoons coffee beams, 7 cloves and a dash of cinnamon - grind and add to melted soap and pour into mold....    so pretty!  I can not wait to try this ...  and luckily I do not have to - another wonderful about melt & pour - no cure time needed  - that sure was $5 well spent =)

oh, my! something about cranberries just popped into my head... would it be wrong to add cranberry to soap and what about adding nuts to the cranberry sauce???