# How do you do your soaping classes?



## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

I'm teaching another class on the 26'th. I have my own little way of doing it. I like to put out a lot of my saved bars so we can talk about them and I explain about the oils and fats, fragrances, and any extras we might use. I also explain how to use the milk and and how to color bars naturally. Then we generally do a couple of small batches together. This takes a couple of hours to do. This is more of a beginners class, than one that goes into advanced techniques. 

I'm wondering what you like to include in a soaping class for students? You know what';s really funny? I have taught 3 of my competition to make soap!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I aim for an hour, it's usually goes over with questions to one and a half hours. My goal is to have about 3 or 4 classes a week all summer and fall.

I print out the recipes and tips, soaping characteristics of oils, and very detailed instructions, I give them a pen to take notes. I talk while I soap and make them wear goggles and an apron  I let them get up and look as I get to emulsion, get to trace etc... I do a simple pour first, nothing added to the soap but fragrance and I texture the top. The second batch I swirl or I do special requests, say they want to learn to layer or? If they bring their mold I help them refit the recipe on thesage.com They also get to go through my scent cabinet. They go home with everything to make a small batch of soap the next day, already premeasured oils and butters they melt in the microwave, small container of lye and a tray from Wallmart they line with parchment I give them, they just have to measure out the water, and they can call me with questions...some have me on the phone when they are soaping  For those who do not want to take home lye because of small kids, the kit has shreds of soap in it and they learn to melt and pour in the crock pot method. I make more off selling these premade soap kits than I do giving classes, but I love the classes. $40 it's a steal  I do enjoy it though, and it gets me soaping. They think I am teaching the wallmart recipe but right now classes are really having my recipe taught in front of them, I have just melted shea and cocoa butter etc...into lard buckets  I have to have this soap to cure and sell! I also give them a free bar of any of the soap on the cure rack. And yep I have helped lots of people sell soap, but most still buy soap from me to fill orders or to round out what they make. Vicki


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I was going to say also that my last class I had a request to learn to layer. I made Lil's peppermint with some green mic as the bottom layer, some dead sea mud in the middle portion, left over from teaching swirling on another soap, and then poured lemon on the top, very striking and very pretty and really easy. I think it's going to be a regular for summer. Vicki


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## laughter777 (Jun 16, 2008)

Vicki,
Whens your next class and how much for class and soapmaking kit?!?

Sarah


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Sarah I do private ones in my soap room, I can do group classes in my kitchen.

Between now and a soap class read and find out as much as you can and write down questions. Get the basics of what you are going to need, read the Wallmart recipe and instructions on here we tell you that you need googles, a scale etc... Although alot of people who come to soap class just want to see soap made, they have no intention of going home and making some  

$40 is how much I charge. I really don't want little children here unless you have an older child to watch them. Older children are fine as long as they can sit and mind, with lye around it's just too dangerous! 

I have an opening the 30th. Then can do one the 1st full week of August. Then openings here and there in August. vicki


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## VickiLynne (Feb 8, 2008)

Vicki,

What kind of trays from Walmart are you using for molds?

Thanks,
Vicki in NC


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## laughter777 (Jun 16, 2008)

I won't be able to come to one until Aug, so I will read up on everything and attempt to get what I need before then. I have no children so no worry there. I do intend to make soap so I want to have everything I need before the class...That would be a big bummer. Take the class and get all excited about making soap only to get home and not have what I need to do it! 
Thanks,
Sarah


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## birdiegirl (Oct 26, 2007)

Vicki,
How much do you charge for someone to follow you around for a week? Really, I'd love to come down and pitch a tent on your lawn, and just be your shadow for a week, hoping to learn all about about goat management and soaping. (what I don't pick up right away, I hope to acquire by osmosis...!) I'd get a week's worth of instruction, and you'd get an extra hand at whatever you'd need help with..........


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Geeze maybe before Christmas, or certainly during kidding season!!!

They are little black drawer orgnaizers, they sort of slip onto each other so you can have 5 or 5 together. I just wanted something cheap that I could give with the lye, butters and oils and scent. It makes 4 bars, and actually the bars are realy nice in your hand. I just have them spray them with PAM and line the bottom with parchment, that way for sure it is coming out of the molds. They then can also go to Wallmart and get more of them and triple or quad the recipe to make bigger batches or find other molds. I have also taught the PVC pipe soap, I actually think it is a really good idea, you can then wrap in bags or you can wrap in coffee filters, the natural with a round label is very pretty. Vicki


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## VickiLynne (Feb 8, 2008)

Vicki,

I've seen those trays at Walmart and was wondering if they would work. Great idea! I also found at the dollar store small silicone mini loaf pans that make two bars. 

With using Pam does it make the bars oiling feeling? 
Or does it soak into the soap bar? 
What about mineral oil? 

Vicki in NC


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Yes Pam soaponifies, but leaves enough behind that it works well on molds like this. Mineral oil you would likely have to wipe off excess. The fake pam from wallmart and parchment for the bottom works excellent for these molds and gives them an idea of how to do molds at home using anything they want to find. With MM molds no longer, it also means that not everyone is making my exact bars of soap and my exact wrapping. Vicki


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

Wow, does anyone else do any soaping classes? Do you do it differently than Vicki?


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I have only done one demo for a small homeschooling group. I don't know if I'm enough of an 'expert' to teach someone else yet but it sounds like something I'd enjoy doing. As much as I say I am NOT a people person I do like teaching when it's something I really know.


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## sunnygrl_ks (Oct 30, 2007)

i guess i'm selfish... I don't mind telling people about the soap and how it's made.... I just don't want to show them.....


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Amanda the money is good  No martyr here 

But they also don't go home with my recipes, there are recipes I use that I only share with one or two friends. Vicki


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

And it's selfish if I get to see what _they_ are planning to do.... :biggrin. Just kidding, I really like the sharing and chatting that goes on in the soaping classes.

It's the homeschooling mom in me. They say if you want to be an expert in something, teach it.


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## baileybunch (Oct 26, 2007)

I don't teach soapmaking but my daughters and I attended a soap making class. Here's what we got...

$120 ($40 down to reserve our class) which included period of thorough instruction, a $60 soap making kit (wooden box soap mold, safety goggles, gloves, thermometer, supplies (oils, fats and lye) to make one 4 lb batch of soap, printed instructions, recipe and instructional DVD) plus lunch!  The entire time period was 4-5 hours. For $25 more I was able to bring my two daughters (13 & 15 y/o). During the class, she showed us everything from books to supplies and how-tos. Then, it was all hands-on. The girls, gloved and goggled, made a batch of plain soap (which she kept) but because we were acquaintances and her first class, she also let us make another batch with our mold (her supplies) of scented soap to take home! It was a great day and we went away with our kit, our first batch of soap and confidence to begin making soap. 

I am very happy with what she offered us. It was cool.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

She obviously has never looked into liability insurance to have a hands on class  No way! Vicki


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

Liability is something to consider. I won't do kids period. Only adults.


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