Tiny Bubbles… DIY felted soap, the gift that keeps on giving

Felted soap is a lovely and unique?ágift that just takes a bit of patience, but anyone can do it! You need some wool roving, a soap of any type, a bit of bubble wrap (or a bamboo mat, or a texured waterproof surface), a towel, an old pair of nylons, and then some hot water (even boiling!)

For the roving, you can ask at your local wool-shop if they have roving, otherwise you might like to order some online.

Wrap the bar of soap in wool layers, placing the wool at right angles. It is good to wrap the soap fairly snugly. If it is too loose, it could cause weird bumps, but on the end it would?ástill?ábe ok. Work a few layers, until you cannot see the soap anymore. Keep in mind that the wool will shrink and shift somewhat as you do this, so what you lay out on the soap will probably not be exactly what you will end up with! The factor of surprise in this is actually part of the fun.

Place the felt-covered soap inside a pocket made from nylon pantyhose. I bought my first pair of nylons in possibly decades in order to?ámake felted soaps. From those nylons I cut a few lengths and tied off the ends to make?áseveral pockets, so then I could teach soap-felting workshops. Don’t worry too much if the wool shifts a little while you?áput it in the pocket; it is possible to adjust the wool when?áyou remove it from the?ápocket later on.

Pour hot water over the pocket. Rub the soapy mass inside the?ápocket for about eight to ten minutes. Roll it in a towel to remove some of the lather and excess moisture.

Remove the soap/felt from the nylon pocket, then rub the felted soap on bubble-wrap until the felt is truly felted down and matted?áagainst the soap. During this process, you might need to rub a little more water on the soap, or roll it again in the towel if it’s a bit too lathery. Do this until you see that the wool is all stuck together,?áa few minutes.?áTry making a few of these felted soaps, and you’ll get the hang of it!

The felt will shrink as you use the soap over time, until there is no soap left and you have a cute little ball of wool that you could cut to turn into a little pouch, or a cat-toy… or even Christmas decorations.

I have a business selling felted soaps (amongst other things) and my clients have told me that they love the gentle exfoliation of the wool, how fine and frothy the soap lather is, and that the soap lasts much longer than if it?áwasn’t wearing such a?ánicely felted wool sweater! Enjoy!

Natasha Henderson, Montreal