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You can make fun and easy Mardi Gras beads for your kids Mardi Gras Celebration with Salt dough. You can make these beads for just about any kid’s celebration too.

You’ll Need:

o 2 cups of plain flour

o 1 cup of salt

o 1 cup of water

o oven

o acrylic paint

o knife

o board

o rolling pin

o paintbrushes

o baking tray

o aluminum foil or wax paper

To start with you’ll need to mix up your salt dough. Pour the two cups of flour into a bowl with one cup of salt and one cup of water. Mix with your hands until the dough is entirely moistened and sticks together. It should be like pizza dough easy to mold without it sticking to your hands. You’ll see the little grains of salt in the dough.

Once the dough is made you can begin making the beads. Take the aluminum foil or wax paper and roll a sheet into a small tube shape so that it looks like a straw. Next roll out a sheet of the dough with the rolling pin until it’s fairly thin. Gently roll a piece of this sheet around the foil tube. Cut with the knife to separate the dough wrapped around the tube from the rest of the dough sheet. Press the cut edge so that it’s sticking to the tube. Next use your knife to cut the dough wrapped around the aluminum tube into small sections about the size of the width of Mardi Gras beads.

When the dough is cooked it should harden enough that you’ll be able to pull each of the sections off the aluminum tube and end up with your Mardi Gras beads with a nice hole through them for stringing. Place the dough wrapped tube into the oven at 212 degrees Fahrenheit for about half an hour. When it’s done and cooled gently pull off the bead sections.

You can now paint them with your acrylic paint in bright colors and string it together.

You can make fun and easy Mardi Gras beads for your kids Mardi Gras Celebration with Salt dough. You can make these beads for just about any kid’s celebration too.

You’ll Need:

o 2 cups of plain flour

o 1 cup of salt

o 1 cup of water

o oven

o acrylic paint

o knife

o board

o rolling pin

o paintbrushes

o baking tray

o aluminum foil or wax paper

To start with you’ll need to mix up your salt dough. Pour the two cups of flour into a bowl with one cup of salt and one cup of water. Mix with your hands until the dough is entirely moistened and sticks together. It should be like pizza dough easy to mold without it sticking to your hands. You’ll see the little grains of salt in the dough.

Once the dough is made you can begin making the beads. Take the aluminum foil or wax paper and roll a sheet into a small tube shape so that it looks like a straw. Next roll out a sheet of the dough with the rolling pin until it’s fairly thin. Gently roll a piece of this sheet around the foil tube. Cut with the knife to separate the dough wrapped around the tube from the rest of the dough sheet. Press the cut edge so that it’s sticking to the tube. Next use your knife to cut the dough wrapped around the aluminum tube into small sections about the size of the width of Mardi Gras beads.

When the dough is cooked it should harden enough that you’ll be able to pull each of the sections off the aluminum tube and end up with your Mardi Gras beads with a nice hole through them for stringing. Place the dough wrapped tube into the oven at 212 degrees Fahrenheit for about half an hour. When it’s done and cooled gently pull off the bead sections.

You can now paint them with your acrylic paint in bright colors and string it together.

Looking for a way to make this holiday season stand out from the rest? Start a new tradition that can get the entire family involved and allow you to save money on decorations. In between the cookie baking and gift shopping, set aside some time to make holiday crafts. There are so many simple ways to make your holiday decorations personal and it won’t cost you a ton of money.

With just a little creativity and craft supplies you can create pieces that will make your house look spectacular for the holidays and offer you the chance to create lasting memories with your loved ones. Just a few ideas to get your creativity flowing:

• Paper Chain – Using leftover scrapbooking paper, cardstock or other heavy-weight, fade-resistant paper you can create a festive paper chain perfect for the Christmas tree, mantelpiece or staircase. Simply cut thin strips of paper and tape or glue the ends together. Keep looping paper inside your original link and create a paper chain that is as long or short as you need it. This simple craft project is ideal for small children and large groups, because you can each make your own chain and then link them all together when everyone is finished.
• Homemade Gift Tags – Using leftover craft supplies you can create homemade gift tags for all of your gift-giving needs this year. Most gift tags from the store are impersonal and expensive. Make your own using leftover ribbon, scrapbooking paper, glitter, embellishments and pens. But be careful, you might end up designing tags that get more attention than the gift.
• Bows – Using leftover ribbon you can create your own bows in a variety of shapes and sizes. If you get the entire family involved, you won’t have to waste money buying bows this year. Plus, everyone will appreciate the extra effort you put into making this holiday season a little more personal.
• Ornaments – By digging through your craft supplies, you may find leftover ribbon strips, pictures, sequins, cardstock and embellishments you can use to create homemade ornaments. Make grandparents personalized ornaments with each of their grandkids or make an ornament of your new puppy for your tree. Each year you hang up your homemade ornament you will remember how much fun you had making holiday crafts with your family.
• Ribbon Wreath – By cutting strips of different colors, patterns and sizes of ribbon you can create a homemade wreath that embodies the spirit of the holidays. Tie the ribbon strips around a bent wire hanger until the wire is completely covered. By adding different colors, you can make your ribbon wreath to match a specific room in your home. They make perfect holiday gifts and will last for years. It is a fun arts and crafts project that everyone can get everyone involved.

Looking for a way to make this holiday season stand out from the rest? Start a new tradition that can get the entire family involved and allow you to save money on decorations. In between the cookie baking and gift shopping, set aside some time to make holiday crafts. There are so many simple ways to make your holiday decorations personal and it won’t cost you a ton of money.

With just a little creativity and craft supplies you can create pieces that will make your house look spectacular for the holidays and offer you the chance to create lasting memories with your loved ones. Just a few ideas to get your creativity flowing:

• Paper Chain – Using leftover scrapbooking paper, cardstock or other heavy-weight, fade-resistant paper you can create a festive paper chain perfect for the Christmas tree, mantelpiece or staircase. Simply cut thin strips of paper and tape or glue the ends together. Keep looping paper inside your original link and create a paper chain that is as long or short as you need it. This simple craft project is ideal for small children and large groups, because you can each make your own chain and then link them all together when everyone is finished.
• Homemade Gift Tags – Using leftover craft supplies you can create homemade gift tags for all of your gift-giving needs this year. Most gift tags from the store are impersonal and expensive. Make your own using leftover ribbon, scrapbooking paper, glitter, embellishments and pens. But be careful, you might end up designing tags that get more attention than the gift.
• Bows – Using leftover ribbon you can create your own bows in a variety of shapes and sizes. If you get the entire family involved, you won’t have to waste money buying bows this year. Plus, everyone will appreciate the extra effort you put into making this holiday season a little more personal.
• Ornaments – By digging through your craft supplies, you may find leftover ribbon strips, pictures, sequins, cardstock and embellishments you can use to create homemade ornaments. Make grandparents personalized ornaments with each of their grandkids or make an ornament of your new puppy for your tree. Each year you hang up your homemade ornament you will remember how much fun you had making holiday crafts with your family.
• Ribbon Wreath – By cutting strips of different colors, patterns and sizes of ribbon you can create a homemade wreath that embodies the spirit of the holidays. Tie the ribbon strips around a bent wire hanger until the wire is completely covered. By adding different colors, you can make your ribbon wreath to match a specific room in your home. They make perfect holiday gifts and will last for years. It is a fun arts and crafts project that everyone can get everyone involved.

Like many of our holidays, Passover is a great time to break out some craft materials for our children and help them make a great work of art. Not only can this teach them about the holiday, but it can help get their creative juices flowing. Here are some good craft ideas you might use to help your child celebrate Passover. While this list won’t go into the details of each project, it should be enough to get you started.

1. Greeting Card

This is perhaps one of the easiest craft ideas, and it is ideal especially for young children who might not be too coordinated yet. All you need is some construction paper and crayons, but you might want to use some glue and glitter for an even more elegant touch. You can have the child address the card to a parent, sibling, or even a friend. Teach the child how to draw the Star of David or Moses on the front of the card. You can even teach them how to write a simple Hebrew phrase.

2. Toilet Paper Moses

An empty cardboard toilet paper roll is a great craft tool which can be used as the starting basis for a figurine of a person. You could have the child make any of a number of Biblical characters, but Moses is an excellent and popular choice. The toilet paper roll will act as Moses’s body. Pipe cleaners are great for creating the arms or for fashioning his staff. You can use a small piece of brown felt for his robe. A cotton ball is great for bushy white hair. Get creative! There are many different ways to run with this idea!

3. Placemat

There are so many things a child might draw on a placemat. He could draw a biblical scene, or write out verses from the Torah. He could draw his family gathering together for a prayer or draw the Star of David. All you need for this project is a sheet of white poster board and some drawing materials. You might need some colored construction paper and glue to really spice things up. Finally, you will need some Con-Tact paper so that you can laminate the placemat when the child is finished. This is a craft item he can eat off of and truly enjoy long after the project is completed.

4. Elijah’s Goblet

According to legend, Elijah visits every Passover Seder around the world and takes a sip from the goblet of red wine left out for him. You can have your child make a beautiful goblet just for Elijah! Start with a plastic wine glass, gold tissue paper, some plastic jewels, and glue. Just shred up the tissue paper and glue it around the outside of the cup. Then add on the jewels and any other embellishments you’d like. Soon you’ll have a golden goblet which looks like it is fit for a king.

Like many of our holidays, Passover is a great time to break out some craft materials for our children and help them make a great work of art. Not only can this teach them about the holiday, but it can help get their creative juices flowing. Here are some good craft ideas you might use to help your child celebrate Passover. While this list won’t go into the details of each project, it should be enough to get you started.

1. Greeting Card

This is perhaps one of the easiest craft ideas, and it is ideal especially for young children who might not be too coordinated yet. All you need is some construction paper and crayons, but you might want to use some glue and glitter for an even more elegant touch. You can have the child address the card to a parent, sibling, or even a friend. Teach the child how to draw the Star of David or Moses on the front of the card. You can even teach them how to write a simple Hebrew phrase.

2. Toilet Paper Moses

An empty cardboard toilet paper roll is a great craft tool which can be used as the starting basis for a figurine of a person. You could have the child make any of a number of Biblical characters, but Moses is an excellent and popular choice. The toilet paper roll will act as Moses’s body. Pipe cleaners are great for creating the arms or for fashioning his staff. You can use a small piece of brown felt for his robe. A cotton ball is great for bushy white hair. Get creative! There are many different ways to run with this idea!

3. Placemat

There are so many things a child might draw on a placemat. He could draw a biblical scene, or write out verses from the Torah. He could draw his family gathering together for a prayer or draw the Star of David. All you need for this project is a sheet of white poster board and some drawing materials. You might need some colored construction paper and glue to really spice things up. Finally, you will need some Con-Tact paper so that you can laminate the placemat when the child is finished. This is a craft item he can eat off of and truly enjoy long after the project is completed.

4. Elijah’s Goblet

According to legend, Elijah visits every Passover Seder around the world and takes a sip from the goblet of red wine left out for him. You can have your child make a beautiful goblet just for Elijah! Start with a plastic wine glass, gold tissue paper, some plastic jewels, and glue. Just shred up the tissue paper and glue it around the outside of the cup. Then add on the jewels and any other embellishments you’d like. Soon you’ll have a golden goblet which looks like it is fit for a king.

There are many options when it comes to coloring your homemade soap. Artificial colorants are often more vibrant than natural colorants, but many people like the idea of using all-natural ingredients in their soap.

There are also safety concerns with some artificial colorants, and they can have some unanticipated effects on the final soap product. If you decide to use natural colorants for your soap, there are endless possibilities to choose from, and you can give your soap almost any hue you desire.

Many of the natural materials you can use to color soap can be found in your kitchen, or local supermarket, and many are already used to color food and drug products.

These dyes can easily be extracted from fruits, vegetables, spices and even your morning coffee.

For example, beets will yield a dye that is bright purple, and depending on how much you use, will turn your soap pale pink to a deep red. To make the dye, cut the beets into half-inch slices, and boil three cups of beet slices in two cups of water.

Red onions will produce a red dye that will turn your soap reddish-brown; to make the dye you’ll use only the skin, so the onions can be used for cooking later.

Remove the outermost dry layers of skin, and the first moist layer; boil two cups of skins in three cups of water.

Red cabbage, oddly enough, produces an inky blue dye, which can be used to color soap pastel to deep blue.

Shred one head of cabbage, and boil it in two cups of water until the cabbage itself is a pale blue.

If the dye you get using these methods isn’t concentrated enough for your tastes, simply boil the mixture longer to evaporate more water.

Be sure to strain the liquid through cheesecloth before use, to ensure that any vegetable matter is removed.

Typically, you will add your homemade dye at trace, or when hand-milling a batch of cold-process soap.

You can use spices to dye soap as well, but the dye needs to be oil-based, instead of water-based.

Making an oil-based dye from spices involves three simple steps. First, mix two teaspoons of the spice with two tablespoons of oil. Let the spice soak in the oil for a while.

Next, heat the oil and spice mixture in the microwave for one to two minutes. Finally, strain the mixture through cheesecloth, or a coffee filter, to remove the spice particles, and you’ll be left with an oil-based dye that retained the color of the spice you used. Here is a list of some common food-based, homemade dyes, and the colors they will yield in your soap. (Always test dyes before use, to avoid unwanted results in final soap product.)

oAlfalfa – medium green
oAlkanet – deep purple to muted blue
oBeet root – muted pink to red
oGround calendula petals – yellow
oCarrots – yellow to orange
oGround chamomile – yellow-beige
oChlorophyll – medium green
oCinnamon – tan to brown (can be an irritant)
oCloves – brown
oCochineal powder – deep red
oCocoa powder – brown
oCoffee – brown to black
oComfrey root – light milky brown
oCucumber – bright green
oCurry powder – yellow
oElderberries – light brown (steep in lye solution)
oHenna, ground – olive green, drab green, greenish-brown
oIndigo root – deep blues (can stain)
oJojoba beads – come in many colors, and are exfoliating
oKaolin Clay – white
oKelp/seaweed – green
oMadder root – rosy red to purple
oMilk (goat’s or cow’s) – tan to brown, depending upon sugar & fat content
oMoroccan Red Clay – brick red
oPaprika – light peach to salmon (can be an irritant)
oPoppy Seeds – blue-grey to black specks
oPumice, ground – grey (also exfoliating)
oPumpkin, pureed – deep orange
oRattanjot – lavender to purple
oRose Pink Clay – brick red
oRosehips, ground – tan to deep brown
oSafflower Petals – yellow to deep orange
oSaffron – yellow
oSage – green
oSpinach – light green
oSpirulina – blue-green
oTitanium Dioxide – bright white
oTurmeric – gold to amber

There are many options when it comes to coloring your homemade soap. Artificial colorants are often more vibrant than natural colorants, but many people like the idea of using all-natural ingredients in their soap.

There are also safety concerns with some artificial colorants, and they can have some unanticipated effects on the final soap product. If you decide to use natural colorants for your soap, there are endless possibilities to choose from, and you can give your soap almost any hue you desire.

Many of the natural materials you can use to color soap can be found in your kitchen, or local supermarket, and many are already used to color food and drug products.

These dyes can easily be extracted from fruits, vegetables, spices and even your morning coffee.

For example, beets will yield a dye that is bright purple, and depending on how much you use, will turn your soap pale pink to a deep red. To make the dye, cut the beets into half-inch slices, and boil three cups of beet slices in two cups of water.

Red onions will produce a red dye that will turn your soap reddish-brown; to make the dye you’ll use only the skin, so the onions can be used for cooking later.

Remove the outermost dry layers of skin, and the first moist layer; boil two cups of skins in three cups of water.

Red cabbage, oddly enough, produces an inky blue dye, which can be used to color soap pastel to deep blue.

Shred one head of cabbage, and boil it in two cups of water until the cabbage itself is a pale blue.

If the dye you get using these methods isn’t concentrated enough for your tastes, simply boil the mixture longer to evaporate more water.

Be sure to strain the liquid through cheesecloth before use, to ensure that any vegetable matter is removed.

Typically, you will add your homemade dye at trace, or when hand-milling a batch of cold-process soap.

You can use spices to dye soap as well, but the dye needs to be oil-based, instead of water-based.

Making an oil-based dye from spices involves three simple steps. First, mix two teaspoons of the spice with two tablespoons of oil. Let the spice soak in the oil for a while.

Next, heat the oil and spice mixture in the microwave for one to two minutes. Finally, strain the mixture through cheesecloth, or a coffee filter, to remove the spice particles, and you’ll be left with an oil-based dye that retained the color of the spice you used. Here is a list of some common food-based, homemade dyes, and the colors they will yield in your soap. (Always test dyes before use, to avoid unwanted results in final soap product.)

oAlfalfa – medium green
oAlkanet – deep purple to muted blue
oBeet root – muted pink to red
oGround calendula petals – yellow
oCarrots – yellow to orange
oGround chamomile – yellow-beige
oChlorophyll – medium green
oCinnamon – tan to brown (can be an irritant)
oCloves – brown
oCochineal powder – deep red
oCocoa powder – brown
oCoffee – brown to black
oComfrey root – light milky brown
oCucumber – bright green
oCurry powder – yellow
oElderberries – light brown (steep in lye solution)
oHenna, ground – olive green, drab green, greenish-brown
oIndigo root – deep blues (can stain)
oJojoba beads – come in many colors, and are exfoliating
oKaolin Clay – white
oKelp/seaweed – green
oMadder root – rosy red to purple
oMilk (goat’s or cow’s) – tan to brown, depending upon sugar & fat content
oMoroccan Red Clay – brick red
oPaprika – light peach to salmon (can be an irritant)
oPoppy Seeds – blue-grey to black specks
oPumice, ground – grey (also exfoliating)
oPumpkin, pureed – deep orange
oRattanjot – lavender to purple
oRose Pink Clay – brick red
oRosehips, ground – tan to deep brown
oSafflower Petals – yellow to deep orange
oSaffron – yellow
oSage – green
oSpinach – light green
oSpirulina – blue-green
oTitanium Dioxide – bright white
oTurmeric – gold to amber

Making your own soap at home isn’t just for your grandmother anymore. For quite a while, this hobby has been increasingly fashionable among young and artistic people. Because the creative freedom that making soap offers is a great outlet, the soap is chemical-free, and it costs less than buying — once you’ve done the initial investments — knowing how to make bar soap has far-reaching benefits.

If you haven’t read anything about this before, you might be apprehensive of such a complicated process. So I’m glad to tell you that making soap at home is much easier than one would expect. The basic process consists of mixing lye (also known as sodium hydroxide), a naturally-occurring chemical, with fatty oils or fats. These can be anything from animal fat to olive oil or coconut oil.

The choices vary widely, and this allows you to make your own recipes which suits your own needs. For example, by adding more of certain types of oils such as coconut oil, you get more lather in the soap, if that’s what you prefer. Shea, cocoa butter and hemp oil are known for their moisturizing properties.

That’s one thing I love about making soap – you can choose and combine your own recipes and experiment with the results. When you’re just starting to learn how to make bar soap, keep in mind though that you should keep the ratios of the components the same.

When beginning, you just need to buy the tools and components you don’t already have, and you can begin practicing. Keep in mind that lye is a dangerous chemical and can damage your skin, so when handling it you should be wearing full sleeves, gloves and plastic goggles. Learning to safely work with lye is the hardest part of learning to make bar soap. If you feel confident doing that, then the rest is quite easy!

Making your own soap at home isn’t just for your grandmother anymore. For quite a while, this hobby has been increasingly fashionable among young and artistic people. Because the creative freedom that making soap offers is a great outlet, the soap is chemical-free, and it costs less than buying — once you’ve done the initial investments — knowing how to make bar soap has far-reaching benefits.

If you haven’t read anything about this before, you might be apprehensive of such a complicated process. So I’m glad to tell you that making soap at home is much easier than one would expect. The basic process consists of mixing lye (also known as sodium hydroxide), a naturally-occurring chemical, with fatty oils or fats. These can be anything from animal fat to olive oil or coconut oil.

The choices vary widely, and this allows you to make your own recipes which suits your own needs. For example, by adding more of certain types of oils such as coconut oil, you get more lather in the soap, if that’s what you prefer. Shea, cocoa butter and hemp oil are known for their moisturizing properties.

That’s one thing I love about making soap – you can choose and combine your own recipes and experiment with the results. When you’re just starting to learn how to make bar soap, keep in mind though that you should keep the ratios of the components the same.

When beginning, you just need to buy the tools and components you don’t already have, and you can begin practicing. Keep in mind that lye is a dangerous chemical and can damage your skin, so when handling it you should be wearing full sleeves, gloves and plastic goggles. Learning to safely work with lye is the hardest part of learning to make bar soap. If you feel confident doing that, then the rest is quite easy!

Soap-making is a delicate process, but the ingredients used to make soap are fairly simple: oils, lye, water, fragrances, colorants, and other, optional additives. The fats and oils used in soap can be derived from either animal or vegetable fat. Typically, soaps made from vegetable oils are softer than those made with animal fat. The most useful oils for soap-making are fixed oils – oils that can be raised to a high temperature without evaporating. Fixed oils include a variety of base oils, such as olive, palm and coconut oils.

There are two types of fats used for soap-making: saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats make a hard soap.

They commonly come in a solid form and must be melted prior to use; cocoa and shea butters are good examples of saturated fats. Unsaturated fats, like some vegetable oils, come in a liquid form, and are commonly used to make liquid soap. To use these fats to make bar soap, they must be mixed with saturated fat; the more saturated fat you use, the harder the bar will be.

Historically, lye (also called sodium hydroxide, potash, or caustic soda) was hand-extracted from wood ashes. It is now commonly found in many hardware and grocery stores. It is the ingredient that hydrolyzes the oils or fats, and turns them into soap.

The minerals and other additives in tap water make it less than ideal for soap-making. Therefore, it is best to use distilled, bottled, or spring water. There are two types of scent oils: essential oils and fragrance oils. Fragrance oils are man-made and contain alcohol, so they are typically avoided; the alcohol and other chemicals in the oil may be drying or irritating to the skin, and cause unforeseen problems with the saponification process, or ruin the soap mixture altogether.

Essential oils are more costly, and sometimes more difficult to find; however, a smaller amount is required (usually only a drop or two) and they retain their scent better because they are undiluted. Research oils thoroughly before use; some can be irritating to skin, or even toxic. Also, different amounts are required for different oils, because some will overpower others if the same amount is used for all.

Avoid potpourri, candle scent oils and other strong, commercially-made fragrances, as they often contain harsh chemicals that can be irritating to the skin as well. Whole or crushed herbs can also be used, but they will not give their full benefits in a first batch of soap; if you use herbs, the best thing to do is to rebatch the soap later, to extract the full benefit from the herbs.

Colorants can be purchased at a soap-making supply store.

There are also various other natural ingredients that you can use to color soap, such as powdered clay, cocoa powder, tea, paprika, saffron, or ratanjot. Avoid using fabric dyes, hair dyes, candle colorants, or paints to color your soap; even if they are labeled as “non-toxic,” they are not safe to have in contact with skin for prolonged periods, and they may dye your skin.

Some sources say that crayons can be added to soap for coloration, as long as they are made of stearic acid (most crayons made now are), but there is some debate on this topic; it is probably best to err on the side of caution, and avoid using them.

Depending on the oils used in the recipe, the resultant soap can be prone to spoilage.

Various preservatives can be utilized, such as vitamins E, C, and A, which are also great for your skin. These vitamins can be found in various oils. Sand or pumice can be added to the soap, to make it exfoliating. Also, some metals, such as titanium, silver, nickel, or aluminum can be added for antibacterial properties, and to make the soap bright white.

Soap-making is a delicate process, but the ingredients used to make soap are fairly simple: oils, lye, water, fragrances, colorants, and other, optional additives. The fats and oils used in soap can be derived from either animal or vegetable fat. Typically, soaps made from vegetable oils are softer than those made with animal fat. The most useful oils for soap-making are fixed oils – oils that can be raised to a high temperature without evaporating. Fixed oils include a variety of base oils, such as olive, palm and coconut oils.

There are two types of fats used for soap-making: saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats make a hard soap.

They commonly come in a solid form and must be melted prior to use; cocoa and shea butters are good examples of saturated fats. Unsaturated fats, like some vegetable oils, come in a liquid form, and are commonly used to make liquid soap. To use these fats to make bar soap, they must be mixed with saturated fat; the more saturated fat you use, the harder the bar will be.

Historically, lye (also called sodium hydroxide, potash, or caustic soda) was hand-extracted from wood ashes. It is now commonly found in many hardware and grocery stores. It is the ingredient that hydrolyzes the oils or fats, and turns them into soap.

The minerals and other additives in tap water make it less than ideal for soap-making. Therefore, it is best to use distilled, bottled, or spring water. There are two types of scent oils: essential oils and fragrance oils. Fragrance oils are man-made and contain alcohol, so they are typically avoided; the alcohol and other chemicals in the oil may be drying or irritating to the skin, and cause unforeseen problems with the saponification process, or ruin the soap mixture altogether.

Essential oils are more costly, and sometimes more difficult to find; however, a smaller amount is required (usually only a drop or two) and they retain their scent better because they are undiluted. Research oils thoroughly before use; some can be irritating to skin, or even toxic. Also, different amounts are required for different oils, because some will overpower others if the same amount is used for all.

Avoid potpourri, candle scent oils and other strong, commercially-made fragrances, as they often contain harsh chemicals that can be irritating to the skin as well. Whole or crushed herbs can also be used, but they will not give their full benefits in a first batch of soap; if you use herbs, the best thing to do is to rebatch the soap later, to extract the full benefit from the herbs.

Colorants can be purchased at a soap-making supply store.

There are also various other natural ingredients that you can use to color soap, such as powdered clay, cocoa powder, tea, paprika, saffron, or ratanjot. Avoid using fabric dyes, hair dyes, candle colorants, or paints to color your soap; even if they are labeled as “non-toxic,” they are not safe to have in contact with skin for prolonged periods, and they may dye your skin.

Some sources say that crayons can be added to soap for coloration, as long as they are made of stearic acid (most crayons made now are), but there is some debate on this topic; it is probably best to err on the side of caution, and avoid using them.

Depending on the oils used in the recipe, the resultant soap can be prone to spoilage.

Various preservatives can be utilized, such as vitamins E, C, and A, which are also great for your skin. These vitamins can be found in various oils. Sand or pumice can be added to the soap, to make it exfoliating. Also, some metals, such as titanium, silver, nickel, or aluminum can be added for antibacterial properties, and to make the soap bright white.

This holiday is important to people everywhere because it celebrates the achievements of the American workers. So this holiday is celebrated everywhere in America. Lots of people decorate their homes for Labor Day. If you have kids you can get them involved in decorating by having them make decorations with crafts.

You can shake up your Labor Day with this fun craft. You will need two paper plates, scissors, zip lock bag, glitter, patriotic confetti, silver and red ribbon, dried beans or rice, stapler and markers. The first step is to cut out the center of one plate. Put glitter, silver ribbons and confetti into the zip lock bag. Make sure it is securely shut. You want to center the zip lock bag over the hole that you cut out of the paper plate. Staple it in place. You want to make sure it is secure so you need to put the staples close together around the circle. This is to make sure that nothing gets out of the bag. Now you need to put beans or rice in the center of the other plate. Put the plate that has the bag attached to it over the top of the other one so that there is a space in between that the rice or beans can move around, than staple it shut. It is important that you put the staples close together to keep everything in. Then you can add your own decorations with markers and red ribbon.

Another fun craft is a Patriotic Paper Chain. The supplies you will need are red, white and blue construction paper, stapler, tape, and misc. craft supplies to decorate with. The first step is to cut the all three colors of construction paper into 2 inch wide strips. Make a loop and then staple it together or tape it. Then put the next color paper through the first and make a loop. Then close it with tape or stapler. Repeat this until all of the paper is gone but be sure that you use alternating colors for your chain. Then decorate with stickers, glitter or makers. These two crafts will be a big hit with any kid on Labor Day.