There are a lot of good reasons to make your own homemade soap.
1. It's as natural as you want it to be. The mass produced commercial stuff that you get at a store has all sorts of chemicals and harsh cleansers. Chemical cocktails you might say.
Some of them dehydrate the skin which ages it.
They can cause allergic reactions and have been linked to certain forms of cancer. (Correlation does not prove causation but it's enough to make me take notice.)
2. Typically handmade soap is made of oils and/or butters that contain antioxidants and vitamins that may be absorbed by the skin helping to keep it healthy.
3. Some people report that the use of home made soap has relieved them of itchiness, dryness and skin conditions such as excema, psoriasis and acne.
4. Infinite number of recipes. (Well, not infinite, but you get the drift.) You can tailor what recipe you use based on what your skins needs are at the time. If they change, then you can simply change the ingredients you use.
I could go on but reading about an arm's length list of benefits gets boring for some so...
On with today's project.
DIY Small Activity Caddy
Materials
1 - 1x6
NOTE: All board lengths are 8' long and 3/4" thick unless otherwise noted.
Choice of Stain
Cut List
2 Sides @ 4" x 16.5" or 102mm x 419mm
1 Bottom @ 4-1/8" x 16.5" or 108mm x 419mm
2 End Pieces @ 4-1/8" x 2.25" or 108mm x 57mm
Step 1
The bottom piece is cut to length on the miter saw and ripped to width on the table saw.
Then measure 1.5" or 38mm in from each end and route a dado for both end pieces.
Step 2
Cut the end pieces to length and width in the same manner as the bottom.
Make sure they are snug in their dadoes.
Step 3
The sides are the pieces that we will spend a majority of our time on.
First, measure 1.5" in from each end and route corresponding dadoes as shown.
Second, measure up from the bottom 1" and route a dado the length of the board.
Now mark an X from one corner of the board to the corner the dadoes made and vise versa. That will give a center point to drill a hole for the hardware.
Step 4
The hardware used is a 5" or 5.5" one quarter inch bolt with a flat washer and wing nut. All of which will be available at any home improvement store.
Final Thoughts
Lining a wooden soap mold before use is essential to being able to get your soap out of the mold in one piece. We use parchment paper to line our molds but if you are making a lot of soap then that may get expensive.You can also use a plastic bag if you don't mind a few minor creases on the sides and bottom of your soap.
When it is time to take the soap out of the mold simply unscrew the wingnuts and pull the sides away.
Once the project is dry it can come out of the clamps and be sanded down. A few coats of your choice of stain along with a few more coats of a project sealer such as some polyurethane will complete this awesome gift giving idea.
I hope you enjoyed our 12th Day of 12 DIY Christmas Gift ideas and the complete series.
Don't forget to check us out on Facebook and Youtube for more great simple and easy DIY projects.
Until then!