Crafts | Prudent and Practical

July 28, 2009

The Cost of Homemade Soap Bars

Filed under: crafts — Tags: crafts, natural, updates — K @ 12:18 AM

About a week ago, I wrote about my first experience making soap and included instructions. I was curious if it was more economical to use the homemade soap. I went ahead and figured out the entire cost of the batch. Here goes…

3oz Canola Oil……….. $0.263
12oz Castor Oil……… $8.288
14oz Coconut Oil…… $2.604
2oz Hempseed Oil…. $2.500
2oz Jojoba Oil………. $6.020
11oz Olive Oil……….. $2.463
16oz liquid…………… $0.133 (for the tea bag)
6oz lye……………….. $0.879
.8oz eo……………….. $11.75 (Oh my gosh! That’s a LOT of eo!)

GRAND TOTAL equals $34.90 for about 4 pounds of soap. I didn’t cut it evenly, but it’s about 20 bars. (Yes, an accomplished soap maker will frown at me, but hey it’s my first attempt!) 1/2 of a circular bar lasted me about 1 month. Considering I go through a lot of shampoo due to my extremely long hair, this is a bargain! In the past I bought Nature’s Gate at the grocer which costs $4. So in 9 months my shampoo will have paid off, but it should last me a few years! This kind of surprises me. Looking at the numbers and doing the math, I about freaked out when I saw that I used almost $12 worth of essential oils! Just imagine how cheap it could be if I made the old-fashioned animal fat and lye soap.

My Opinion

The first time I tried the new soap, my hair came out oily. I ran online to look up an excuse for this and found it. Basically our head secretes oils. By using regular shampoos, you strip all the good stuff off of your hair… yuck!

(As a side note, this “stripping” is why many people have to use conditioner. Funny how that works – you buy shampoo, it strips your hair and makes it feel funny, leading you to purchase conditioner to make it feel soft again!)

Anyways, by stripping the natural, good oils from your hair, your body compensates for this by overproducing the oils. This is why people like me have to wash their hair every day to every other day, otherwise we look like grease-balls. So you’re wondering what does this have to do with the homemade shampoo? When you switch to a shampoo that simply washes and doesn’t strip your hair, the follicles are still overproducing the oils. It may take any where from a few days to a few months for your hair to stop over-producing oil. To help with this, you can sprinkle baking soda on your hair while in the shower to help absorb some of the oil. If you feel the need for “conditioner”, apple cider vinegar does the trick.

I’m now able to go about three days without my hair feeling greasy. My hair looks really good too! I have to go through the extra step of baking soda for now but it’s worth it. The soap is cheaper, more spa-like, and natural (no parabens or sodium laurel sulfates here), which is just the way I like it!

Comments (11)

July 16, 2009

Say Goodbye to Commercial Shampoo

Filed under: DIY — Tags: crafts, DIY, health, natural — K @ 2:16 AM

I’ve been meaning to make my own soap for a while. In late June I finally tried it out. I used the Crock Pot Shampoo Bar Recipe from Skin Care Naturals. Following is the recipe and instructions in my words. Later today I will show photos of the final product, how much it actually cost, and my opinion!

Before you get started:

2 plastic bowls and plastic spoon to stir
Small bowls (for measuring the individual oils)
A large bowl or pitcher (to pour all the oils into to verify the weight)
A stainless steel pot (for melting the oils and later mixing in the lye)
2 thermometers (one for checking the temperatures of the lye and oils)
Weigh all ingredients!
Do not use aluminum – lye eats right through it!
If you get lye on you, rinse the spot with vinegar. If the burn is anything but very mild, seek a doctor.

Ingredients

3 oz Canola Oil
12 oz Castor Oil
14 oz Coconut Oil
2 oz Hempseed Oil
2 oz Jojoba Oil
11 oz Olive Oil
16 oz liquid (can be a mix of water, tea, and lemon)
6 oz lye
.8 oz eo (I used lavender, rosemary, and tea tree)*

Lye
1. Measure 8 ounces water in a big bowl. Go outside. Sprinkle in the lye and stir. Be careful – it gets very hot (around 200 degrees F) and smelly.
2. While this is cooling outside, I went back inside to mix the other 8 ounces of liquid.
3. In a glass measuring cup, I squeezed the juice of one lemon (2 tbsp-1/4 cup), then poured in apple cider vinegar to equal 1/3 cup liquid. I then added enough peppermint tea to equal 8 oz of liquid to be added after the oils have cooked together.

The oils

1. Pour all oils (except hemp) in a jug on a scale to make sure that the weight is correct. It should equal 42 ounces.

2. Melt all oils except hemp and e.o. in the pot. (Hold back the hemp until after the soap is cooked).
3. Mix in the 8 ounces of lemon/vinegar/tea from above.

Mixing
Measure the temperatures of both the lye water and the oils.

When both have reached 110 (+/- 10) degrees F, mix the lye water with the oils. Stir until mixed. Add hemp and essential oils. Stir (or use an immersion blender) until trace.

[Trace is when the the soap solidifies just enough to hold it's shape slightly meaning that the lye water and oils have mixed completely. To test for trace, dip your spoon into the soap and let it dribble back into the pot. If the dribble leaves a mound before disappearing back into the soap, you've reached trace. (I was tired and forgot to get a photo, but will remember to take one the next time I make soap.)]

I used 4″ pvc that you can find in the plumbing department as a mold. I put plastic wrap on the bottom and secured with a rubber band, then lined it with wax paper. Slop the soap into the mold. You’re supposed to insulate with towels around the soap molds to make sure the soap cools very slowly – I didn’t.

24-48 hours afterward, I popped the soap out of the molds and cut into slices. I placed the slices on a cooling rack for good circulation. Every evening i flip them over. I’ve been trying out the soap for about the past week (after 3 weeks of curing).

Subscribe to this blog and get be the first to see what the soap looks like, costs, and my review!

If you need more information please visit the following resources:

Comments (19)

May 1, 2009

A Beginner’s Guide to Making a Kentucky Derby Hat

Filed under: Headline — Tags: crafts, DIY, save, shopping — K @ 7:57 PM

Although the Derby is tomorrow, it’s not too late to make a very special hat. Once you start thinking creatively, you’ll be able to make wonderful hats for any upcoming event with limited resources and limited funds. I don’t have hundreds of dollars to be spending on a hat that I’ll wear once so I decided to create my own. This was my very first attempt at creating a (somewhat) fancy hat and I’m quite proud of it. I’ll definitely be making more of these in the future!

Handy helpers:

Scissors
Hot glue gun
A large mirror
A clean space for assembling

Some ideas for materials:

Fabric – satin, silk, tulle, ribbon, chenille, crinoline
Feathers – peacock, dyed chicken
Flowers – a single big bloom, many small blooms
Paint – according to the morning news shows, a popular trend this year was two colors on one hat (for example: 1/3 white and 2/3 black or 1/2 and 1/2, not including the embellishments – similar to this one)

Step 1 – Get some inspiration and gather all materials. Going to your local craft and fabric stores can help you get ideas too.

For inspiration, you can visit:

Step 2 – Trim extras off the hat if needed. Mine had “decorative” straps that hung off of it and a tag.

Step 3 – If you’re doing a band around the base of the hat, it helps to either wear the hat or have something wear it for you so that you have a steady work surface. I rolled the fabric, wrapped it around my head and then knotted it once. I took the hat off and placed a dab of hot glue under the knot and also on the opposite side of the hat to keep the band from slipping.

Step 4 – Now we have to hide that ugly knot! This is the place for a cluster of flowers, a single large bloom, or a big bow. I chose a single large bloom. I purchased the stem and once home just plucked the bloom off. I used hot glue to place it over the knot.

Step 5 – I really like the way the hat looks right now, but I think it needs a little something more. I hot glued the ends of feathers and then placed 3 black ones behind the band by the flower.

Step 6 – You’re done! Take a photo and then go show off!

plants hat cari 067 300x225 photo A Beginners Guide to Making a Kentucky Derby Hat

This photo just doesn't do the hat justice!

Dollars and $ents:

Designer Kentucky Derby Hat – $100-$800+

My imitation hat:

Hat – $7.00 at Walmart
Fabric – $0.25 ($0.74 for 1/4 yard) at Walmart
Flower – $2.00 at Dollar General
Feathers – $0.34 ($2.74 for pkg of 24)
TOTAL: $9.59 +tax

Update: My hat got a lot of compliments at the party on Saturday! It cost under $10 and took less than 30 minutes of my time to create!

Comments (3)

March 13, 2009

Designer Burp Cloths Too Expensive? Not anymore!

Filed under: Featured — Tags: crafts, DIY, projects, save, shopping — K @ 3:01 PM

I was bored one evening and looking for something to make. Wandering around on the internet, I randomly cam across a tutorial on how to make burp cloths or burp rags. This project is not only quick and easy, but inexpensive too! This is a good project for those wanting designer-look baby burp cloths – you get to pick out the fabric that you like. Thank to Heather at Make it from Scratch for the wonderful idea and tutorial!

I used two different prints to make the rags. I bought one yard of each type. The baby flannel goes on sale at Jo-Ann’s Fabrics sometimes, so I purchased two yards at about $2.50 per yard. Two yards will easily make six burp cloths.

So… I spent $5 on materials and got 6 burp cloths for a total of $0.83 per cloth. I used thread that I already had on hand.

To do a comparison:

Sew them yourself – set of 6 – $5.00
Amazon.com – set of 3 – $5.00
Gerber at Toys ‘R’ Us – set of 4 – $8.00
Organic at Target – set of 2 – $10.00
Neiman Marcus – set of 2 – $26.00

Tools:

Sewing machine and thread
Scissors
Drinking glass (to round the corners)
2 yards coordinating fabric (washed, dried, and ironed)
Note: A long, sturdy straight edge, cutting mat, and rotary cutter definitely help!

Instructions:

Make a template – tape two pieces of printer paper together to make an 11″x17″ sheet.
Lay the fabric on your work surface with designed/right sides together.
Use the template to cut out 6 sets of fabric.
Place a drinking glass on each of the corners, mark, and cut to create curved corners.
Pin and sew, leaving about a 4″ opening for turning out.
Clip the corners. Turn out. Fold the opening neatly and press (this helps me with the next step).
Sew a scant seam allowance around the entire edge, closing the 4″ opening.
Trim ends and press again if desired.
Done!

Variations!!!

I ran into a couple different variations online. I am not a mom yet – I have one niece who lives two hours away – and I’m learning that spit up just rolls right off the flannel instead of getting absorbed into it.

You could alter the pattern to include a burpcatcher on one side.
Instead of using flannel, you could decorate and use cloth diapers.

Comments (0)

March 9, 2009

Cheap and Easy Tool and Craft Storage Made with Stuff You Already Have

Filed under: DIY — Tags: crafts, DIY, free, home improvement, projects, saving money — K @ 5:00 AM

When we moved into our house three years ago, we acquired a lot of extra wood and screws. Add to this the plethora of peanut butter, jelly, pickle, marinara, and baby food jars we have lying around. With a little creativity and only a few tools, I managed to find a solution to both of the above problems.

Tools:

Jars – all shapes and sizes are fine (I used a peanut butter jar this time)
Scrap wood – I used 6″x18″ approximately, but you can choose the size depending on your need
Screws – to fit the depth of the wood and also to hang up the storage
Hammer
Screwdriver

Instructions:

Gather materials.
Grab a jar lid and screw. Hammer the screw threw the center of the lid to poke a hole in it.
Place the jar lid where you want to attach it to the wood, then screw the lid onto the wood.
Screw the jar onto the lid… voila! Storage!
When adding more lids to the wood, leave an inch or two between them, so you have room to grasp the jars.
This could be decorated and hung on the wall for craft storage.
Or hung on the ceiling in the shop.
I made one and then my husband made one!

Comments (1)

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