How to Host a DIY Soap Making Party

We’ve talked about why you should host a craft party, and we’ve talked about how to host a bath bomb making party. Soap making is a little bit different, though. It uses different processes and ingredients that might be difficult if you plan to have each participant create their own soap. Does that mean that you can’t host a soap making party? Not at all. Here are some tips for making it work.

Melt and pour soap making parties

Melt and pour soap is relatively easy to make, and the easiest to set up a soap making party for. When creating melt and pour soap, you melt a soap base, add colors, fragrances, and any additives you want, and then pour it into molds and let it cool.

To throw a melt and pour soap making party, you may want to melt your soap bases ahead of time, so that your guests can get creative right away. The soap bases are best melted in a double boiler or gently in the microwave. Your guests can then pour the soap base of their choice into their own bowl, and start mixing in fragrances and colorants to get the unique soap they dream of. 

Take safety seriously. Melted soap is hot, so you’ll want to either provide the melted soap bases in heat-proof containers, or provide oven mitts to protect everyone’s hands. Gloves are great for protecting your hands while you work.

The guests can then pour their custom soap into molds and wait for it to harden. The soap will need to cool for 4-6 hours before unmolding. 

If you need help getting some supplies together for a melt and pour soap making party, check out our Melt and Pour Beginner Creator Box. It has 3 different molds, 3 different kinds of soap base, 4 different fragrances, and 4 color blocks! All you need is some bowls and utensils for stirring.

Melt and pour soap is a great place for beginners to start, so if you’re new to the craft, or if you’re introducing friends to soap making for the first time, melt and pour soap is a great option for soap making parties.

If you’re interested in getting started planning your party, check out our melt and pour soap projects. They come with an ingredients list and an equipment list, plus detailed, straightforward instructions.

Cold process soap making parties

Cold process soap making parties are a little different. Typically when the home crafter sets out to make soap, they do one or two batches. There are space and even safety concerns with multiple people making batches of soap in the same space. Don’t worry, you can still throw a cold process soap making party.

To throw this party, we recommend a small number of guests, and only one or two projects. One batch of cold process soap takes around an hour to make, maybe 2 hours if your project is more complex. So you can block out an afternoon with your guests and make two batches of soap if you want.

Choosing one or two of our cold process soap kits is a great way to simplify the shopping process. Each kit comes with all the ingredients (and some of the tools) you need to make your first batch of cold process soap. OurNatural Soap Kit for Beginners is a great kit to start with because it comes with the mold, scale, gloves, and safety glasses.

There are several steps to making cold process soap, and to involve everyone in the process, you can let each guest tackle one of these steps. One guest can prepare and blend the oils, one can prepare the lye solution, one can stick-blend the batter, and so on.

Safety is a big concern when it comes to making cold process soap, so you’ll want to let your guests know what they’re signing up for, and make sure that everyone participating has a pair of gloves and some safety glasses at a minimum. We have a lye safety guide for more information.

You’ll also want to make sure that the ingredients and equipment you’ll need are out and organized. This reduces the risk of spills as you scramble for some tool. Make sure you have enough bowls for the soap you’re making if it has layers or swirls. 

We have a great guide on cold process soap for beginners, too. Providing this information to your guests before they arrive can help them be prepared. 

If a guest indicates that they’re not comfortable with handling the lye or the stick blender, that’s fine. Leave those tasks for people who are confident they can handle it, and allow your wary guests to sit back and watch. This is some people’s first time handling lye, and it’s okay to be nervous.

Cold process soap making feels a little magical, and it’s wonderful to be able to share that experience with others. All you have to do is organize things a little differently and prioritize safety, and you can host a cold process soap making party.

If you’re interested in checking out some projects to see what you’d like to make with your guests, check out our cold process soap making projects. They give you a list of ingredients and equipment, plus the whole recipe. You can even filter them by skill level.

Making your very own soap with friends and family is a great experience. Plus, everyone gets soap afterward. Soap making parties sometimes require a little more planning, but they’re easily within reach. Get some of your favorite people together and get creative.