Soap carving is a fun hobby that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. There are a few tips to creating a great and useful soap carving that can be enjoyed at home or given as a thoughtful gift.
When you are beginning to learn how to carve soap you will need to have some practice bars. You can find inexpensive bars without scent or color from many different soap distributors. These make the best bars to practice carving.
After you have practiced carving shapes and with different utensils on a practice bar, you can begin on a more expensive, scented bar. You will want to select a shape that will allow you to still be able to use most of the bar after it has been carved. Some great shapes include a bird, heart, rose or a turtle.
You will want to be sure that your hands are completely dry and sketch out the basic shape on the bar before you begin. You can use a variety of cutting utensils from a sharp knife to a vegetable peeler. Nail boards can also help to create soft edges after the main portion has been cut from the corners.
If you do not want to see the portions of the bar that have been cut off go to waste, there are techniques to use it. You can take the pieces and melt them into a wax mold. You will need to spray the mold with coconut or aloe vera oil before placing the soap inside to be sure that it will be able to be removed easily. Then you will have small shaped soaps for use in the bathroom or to give as gifts.
