How have your other hobbies, skills, and interests helped you with soap making?

[meepocow]

I am very new to soap making (two loaves in!), and was not impressed with the generic soap cutter I got off Amazon that came with pastry-cutter knives. I found they totally mashed up the soap, and there was so much play in the slots that it was hard to achieve a solid straight cut.

Introductory single bar wire cutters start around $100, and at this stage of the game I would rather invest that in more raw ingredients for soaping! So I turned to my other interest, beginner woodworking, and used the miter saw and some scrap wood to put together a quick jig to cut 1" bars. Even hacked my husband's coping saw (that has been gathering dust!) to add an old guitar wire. It works very well for what I need!



This got me to thinking, what other skills, hobbies, or backgrounds have helped you in your soap making journey?

 

[Catscankim]

My first soap cutter was a cheese cutter. I still use it to this day for quick, uncomplicated cuts.

Other stuff I do crafty-wise, not related to soap making, is sewing, crochet, and very beginner at piecing together quilt tops.

 

[Misschief]

I work in a print/sign shop. When I first bought a cutter for loaves of soap, it was a marble cheese cutter (that my grandson absolutely LOVED to cut cheese with.... as small as he could make it). At first, I used a piece of washi tape to mark out a 1" bar but later cut down a piece of Sintra (basically, plastic sign board) and used a very strong double sided tape to mark the 1" mark. It's still stuck there, after more than 4 years.

Working in a print shop, I have access to all kinds of odds and ends that have helped me along the way. Sintra scraps have become separators for soap molds; scrap coroplast pieces have become molds; chipboard has become templates for mold liners, and so much more. Working where I do, I've also had to learn a fair bit about graphic design so I have programs and the knowledge to use them. I design all my own labels, business cards, price cards, and more.

Being a knitter, I make dish/spa cloths to include in gift boxes. I could keep going but I think you get the idea. I'd love to be able to incorporate some woodworking but my husband is not a handy kind of guy. In fact, the tool box we do have (from Canadian Tire) is mine, purchased for me by my ex-husband before I left him. He said I'd need tools; he was right. It was one of the best things he ever gave me (apart from my children).

 

[Marsi]

Nice hack!

(love your soap too - nice design, especially for a second batch! )

 

[dmcgee5034]

Hi! I’ve repurposed a bunch of my baking supplies for soap making - fewer calories but the office is definitely missing my scones and snickerdoodles.
One of my favorite repurposes is my adjustable wire cake leveler which is very handy for cutting a loaf in half horizontally. And I have some beautiful rose gold cookie sheets that I now use to cure my soaps on.

 

[artemis]

Though I have several different hobbies, the only one I have used is polymer clay skills when working with soap dough.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Aromatherapy, for one. Healing balm, cream, lotion for two. I spent my 2nd year of my soapy journey studying essential oils. I developed "a nose" for blending fragrance and formulated pain relief products for arthritis, sore muscles, aching joints. Also, an oil blend for relieving itchies, mild eczema and psoriasis.

One of my favorite easy remedies is 5% lavender in 95% jojoba or FCO for soothing lye burns that heal without scaring.

 

[meepocow]

My first soap cutter was a cheese cutter. I still use it to this day for quick, uncomplicated cuts.

Other stuff I do crafty-wise, not related to soap making, is sewing, crochet, and very beginner at piecing together quilt tops.

I sew, but quilters get my mad respect. And their work is worth every penny!

I work in a print/sign shop. When I first bought a cutter for loaves of soap, it was a marble cheese cutter (that my grandson absolutely LOVED to cut cheese with.... as small as he could make it). At first, I used a piece of washi tape to mark out a 1" bar but later cut down a piece of Sintra (basically, plastic sign board) and used a very strong double sided tape to mark the 1" mark. It's still stuck there, after more than 4 years.

Working in a print shop, I have access to all kinds of odds and ends that have helped me along the way. Sintra scraps have become separators for soap molds; scrap coroplast pieces have become molds; chipboard has become templates for mold liners, and so much more. Working where I do, I've also had to learn a fair bit about graphic design so I have programs and the knowledge to use them. I design all my own labels, business cards, price cards, and more.

Being a knitter, I make dish/spa cloths to include in gift boxes. I could keep going but I think you get the idea. I'd love to be able to incorporate some woodworking but my husband is not a handy kind of guy. In fact, the tool box we do have (from Canadian Tire) is mine, purchased for me by my ex-husband before I left him. He said I'd need tools; he was right. It was one of the best things he ever gave me (apart from my children).

All so amazing. I often wonder if creative types really are created different. I just love learning new skills, ways to do things, etc. If only "professional tinkerer" was a real job..

Hi! I’ve repurposed a bunch of my baking supplies for soap making - fewer calories but the office is definitely missing my scones and snickerdoodles.
One of my favorite repurposes is my adjustable wire cake leveler which is very handy for cutting a loaf in half horizontally. And I have some beautiful rose gold cookie sheets that I now use to cure my soaps on.

I can see how a cake leveler would be an awesome hack! Baking has a lot of skills transferable to soap making, my husband said some of my soaps are starting to look like tasty fudge

Aromatherapy, for one. Healing balm, cream, lotion for two. I spent my 2nd year of my soapy journey studying essential oils. I developed "a nose" for blending fragrance and formulated pain relief products for arthritis, sore muscles, aching joints. Also, an oil blend for relieving itchies, mild eczema and psoriasis.

One of my favorite easy remedies is 5% lavender in 95% jojoba or FCO for soothing lye burns that heal without scaring.

Super neat! I've enjoyed experimenting with blends but my poor schnoz does start to get fatigued after awhile lol. I try to walk away and come back to the cotton balls later. It has been rather nice to have a lovely sniff every now and then while I work from home!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

my poor schnoz does start to get fatigued after awhile

Remedy: Sniff coffee beans between fragrance blends.

 

[msunnerstood]

Growing up poor and being stubborn sparked my creative interests. We never had much when I was growing up but My Mom always managed to get us what we needed. She sewed a lot of our clothes, came up with creative and inexpensive craft ideas for us (and several neighbor children) like gods eyes with yarn and popsicle sticks (which all the neighbors would save for her), and making homemade ice cream in orange juice cans. She taught me ways to make things inexpensively or to come up with a workaround.

10 years ago, I bought a container of scentsy wax melts from a friend. They were $5 and as an adult, Im financially stable.. but the shipping was $7. Thats $12 for 6 smallish cubes.. Genetics kicked in and I thought, there MUST be a way I could make these cheaper. So I did.. A year later, I started selling them.

Was watching a video on wax tarts and the video after,, was liquid soap making.. and I fell down the rabbit hole

The stubborn comes in when I got to Hot Process soap and everything that I read about being limited in design if you do HP. Dont expect to be able to get swirls, or HP is good if you like rustic-looking soap etc etc. It became my challenge to do exactly what they said I couldnt.

not sure if all of that counts but there it is.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

We never had much when I was growing up but My Mom always managed to get us what we needed. She sewed a lot of our clothes,

Same here.

 

[TheGecko]

This got me to thinking, what other skills, hobbies, or backgrounds have helped you in your soap making journey?

Cooking and baking. Being naturally curious. Being an accountant helps with the business side. Being a people watcher.

FYI - I used a cheese slicer that I modified.

 

[meepocow]

Growing up poor and being stubborn sparked my creative interests. We never had much when I was growing up but My Mom always managed to get us what we needed. She sewed a lot of our clothes, came up with creative and inexpensive craft ideas for us (and several neighbor children) like gods eyes with yarn and popsicle sticks (which all the neighbors would save for her), and making homemade ice cream in orange juice cans. She taught me ways to make things inexpensively or to come up with a workaround.

10 years ago, I bought a container of scentsy wax melts from a friend. They were $5 and as an adult, Im financially stable.. but the shipping was $7. Thats $12 for 6 smallish cubes.. Genetics kicked in and I thought, there MUST be a way I could make these cheaper. So I did.. A year later, I started selling them.

Was watching a video on wax tarts and the video after,, was liquid soap making.. and I fell down the rabbit hole

The stubborn comes in when I got to Hot Process soap and everything that I read about being limited in design if you do HP. Dont expect to be able to get swirls, or HP is good if you like rustic-looking soap etc etc. It became my challenge to do exactly what they said I couldnt.

not sure if all of that counts but there it is.

This is so inspiring. I also grew up without much, but my parents saw to it that we never went without the important things. A lot of the lack built character - like how to develop a sense of humour and self-confidence when it's painfully obvious you're the only one in the class not wearing name brands! All these years later, I love my mama even more for what she sacrificed for us!

It's funny, even though now I'm also financially stable, it seems I've inherited my mom's plucky, thrifty ways! I love thrifting for my wardrobe (not particular on brands, but more picky on fabric content), making my own yogurt and chicken stock, and generally finding ways to make, build, or hack what I need. It's rewarding, it exercises your brain, and it often ends up being a better fit than what you'd be able to find off the shelf!

 

[Jorah]

I'm in my early 60s and have had a lot of jobs and hobbies. Things I've done that I feel will help me be a good soaper:

1. I made my own ammunition for about four years, which I used for target shooting. It taught me to adhere to process and how to weigh things carefully.
2. I worked as a carpenter for several years, and I've used those skills to make a large soap mold, and have plans to make a loaf slicer soon, modeled on the 'Hercules' soap cutter.
3. I worked as a molder and sand-mixer in an aluminum foundry in my early 20s. I learned efficiency of motion and how to handle fragile things with care (sand molds don't react well to being banged!) and how to handle dangerous substances (carrying 26 pounds of molten aluminum will rivet your attention, let me tell you) so working with lye is nothing new.
4. I worked as a helper in several print shops & as a janitor in various places, so I know how to work with chemicals and how to clean up after myself; handy in soap making and many other jobs.
5. I've earned my living for 25 years building and managing web sites, so when I finally build my business site, I don't expect too much difficulty.
6. I supported corporate communications and corporate marketing departments had got a broad sense of how to write, proofread, and publish and the basics of marketing concepts, which should come in handy.
7. The US Navy taught me how to manage inventory, so I expect that will be handy in tracking raw material and finished-goods inventory.
8. I have studied the basics of photography (though product photography will be a new subcategory for me).
9. I worked in a book bindery, so working with cardboard boxes and packaging products is familiar work.
10. I have worked in medical packaging printing and quality control, and I'm familiar with labeling and clean-room work (though if you saw my house you wouldn't know it).

45 years of work has its benefits!

Thanks for a fun thread.