Soapmaking for Fun and Profit Make Money Doing What You Love For Fun and Profit
Soapmaking for Fun and Profit Make Money Doing What You Love For Fun and Profit
Discover How to Profit from Your Craft
Have you ever dreamed of learning how to make fragrant soaps? You can! Soapmaking For Fun & Profit was written with two purposes in mind: to teach you the basics of this fun craft and to show you how to turn these new skills into cash! Whether you’ve been crafting for years or are just getting started, you’ll learn:
?The benefits and enjoyment of soapmaking
?The right materials, tools, and equipment to use
?How to create a special “crafting place” in your home
?Ways to sell your creations at craft shows, shops, and other outlets
?Craft business basics, including pricing and record keeping
?And much more!
User Ratings and Reviews
2 Stars Not over impressed
As a someone getting into soap making for the first time I guess I was looking for something more professional than this. Here is the book in pros and cons.
Pros:
Nice bit on re-batching cold process soaps, which can be essential when using delicate ingredients.
Some nice recipes to stimulate the first timer in soap making.
Good coverage on suggestions of where to sell and how to price your soap.
Good basic coverage on other ingredients such as essential and fragrance oils.
Cons:
A big chunk of the business section is purely American based so guidance on starting your own business in this craft is limited for non-Americans.
A lot of repetition of processes when making the recipes, which made me feel like the author was padding the book out, I would have preferred the instructions once and reference to the relevant parts in the recipes.
Inconsistency in the recipes and guidance, such as the curing time for cold process soaps. The author, at the start of the cold process section, states that CP soaps should cure for at least 3 weeks before re-batching and then goes on to say in the recipes to re-batch 1-2 weeks into the curing time so as to mix in the scent and other ingredients. Likewise, in many of the CP recipes the curing times under the Time heading don’t equate to the curing times in the Instructions.
There are quite a few mistakes in formulas given in the book, such as in sale price calculations and calculation of the amount of water needed to dissolve the sodium hydroxide (an important point, it is only with an example calculation are the instructions clear and the error resolved).
A lot of general writing errors which, for me, interrupt my reading and general pleasure of the book and don’t impart a feeling of professionalism.
Overall, if you are a newbie to soap making then I wouldn’t recommend this book. I also bought Anne Watson’s “Smart Soapmaking” which lays out the method of making cold process soap nice a clear and is a great introduction to this craft. I think the author needs to find a new proofreader, if the book was proofread at all, before she brings out the next edition.
I bought this book for two reasons, 1) to get some ideas for recipes beyond the basics, 2) to get some background in soap making as a business. In all honesty I can say, mistakes aside, it did accomplish the first point and sort of gave me something to think about on the second, but I did walk away from the book once it got into the “Mini-Course in Crafts-Business Basics” as it was not relative to the country I reside in or am from and I don’t like leaving a book unfinished.
5 Stars Excellent Resource For Those Looking To Make Soap & Sell It
I really find this book an excellent resource for soapmaking and small business. I have not tried any of the soap recipes in the book, but they seem straightforward. There seems to be more melt and pour and hand milled than cold process recipes, and there were no hot process recipes. All recipes that use butters describe using a double boiler to melt it but I have read in other sources that a microwave can be just as fine for this purpose, so I found that the recipes could be made even simpler by mentioning this.
This book covers all aspects of soapmaking beyond just the actual ingredients and putting them together. Packaging, labeling, and more are in here.
The business aspect of the book is what I find the most useful. It is concise and easy to understand for those who do not have a background in business. The book reviews taxes, record keeping, selling venues, wholesale, consumer safety law, and a great list of other resources for those who want to continue learning about small business for crafters.
This book is now 10 years old, so I would imagine some of the consumer safety regulation and law in the US has been changed so I would recommend that readers make sure you do go to other resources for this as well.
5 Stars Clean Read
This book covers everything you will ever need or want to know about soap making. It explains the three different methods of making soap and has some very good soap receipes. If you are serious about selling your soap, it covers all that too. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about making soap for fun or profit. I have three different books on soapmaking, and this is the one I always refer back to to refresh myself about my new hobby of making soap.
4 Stars Very informational book - Good for first-timers and the business minded
I have 48 post it notes marking key information throughout this book. I am extremely happy with my purchase. It it filled with a ton of advice from cold process to handmilled to melt and pour to opening your own business, pricing, marketing, selling - you can tell this writer is passionate about soap making.
Her advice is pratical - preparing a work station, creating scents, interesting molds, many handy hints, checklist for craft shows, tips for selling on the web, etc. etc. etc. Now, I know there are a few comments that the recipes aren’t that spectacular, but let’s be honest here….most of us want to create our own recipes anyway, right?!
I’m not into the cold process so I really can’t critique that portion of the book. Yes, about 1/3 of the book is a mini-course in crafts business basics, written by Barbara Brabec - a book within a book. For me this was extremely interesting and information I wouldn’t want to do without.
I sell and buy books on Amazon and although I like to sell my used book, this is not one I will be putting back up for sale. It is here in my kitchen to stay.
5 Stars Great book for newbies
I like this book because she gives a lot of other detailed info that some other books don’t like terminology and hints and tips that others don’t think about (like known allergens for example). This book definitely has the newbie in mind. It was very helpful to me and I WOULD recommend this.
It also has a great list of resources like where to find packaging or essential oils, and even fresh herbs. Pretty much everything you need to get started.
Probably not for the experienced soaper.