Try It Tuesday : Make Felted Soaps

It is not too early to be thinking about Christmas presents especially if you are giving handmade items. My parents give each of the kids, in-laws, & grandkids at least one handmade present for Christmas and my mom gave us a deadline of the end of July to give them ideas on things they could make that we were hoping for. Felted soaps can be both a practical and fun gift to give someone. It is both soap and a washcloth in one present.

 Felting has been one of those crafty items I wanted to learn how to do and this was going to be the year. Felting is a great activity for kids to do as well. Felting soap is very easy for kids to do and they will love making their own creations.

Steps to Felting Soap

Gather supplies that include a bucket of water, soap with rounded edges, roving wool, and a clean stocking (optional) 

If your soap is not rounded, you can use a grater to round the edges. Be sure to collect your shavings in a container and save them to use to make Homemade Powder Laundry Soap.

 Don't worry if the edges are not perfect because after your wet your wool and soap and start rubbing it will all smooth out. You do want rounded edges because it is easier to rub the soap around in your hands and the process will work quicker.

 Cover the entire bar of soap with roving wool. I like covering the entire bar with one color and felting in another color to act as a design and provide interest. You could choose to do it in just one color or as many colors as you want.

If you have a clean stocking (or you can buy knee highs from Wal-Mart in an egg for 50-cents), it is helpful to put the wool covered soap inside as you rub it because it prevents you from catching an edge. I made these with about 10 minutes of rubbing (be sure to get all the sides) while I watched a television program with my son. 

When you are finished, allow them to sit out on a cooling rack (lets air get at it from all sides) and dry for 24-48 hours.