Soap Carving with Grandchildren
Comments(6)
I used to have a post on soap carving. I took it off to spiffy it up a wee bit. That was, oh, back in April, I do believe. Haven’t had a chance to do any of that spiffy-ing. (Is that a word???) This summer has been too wild and crazy. However, my site statistics show that people have been searching for it — to the tune of over 340 times!!! I decided I’d better re-post it.
Alas, I removed that posting so deftly that I cannot find hide nor hair of it. Guess I’ll have to start fresh.
I have memories of trying to create something artistic with a bar of Ivory soap. I ended up with a pile of shavings and several indistinguishable lumps of soap. That was an early indicator of my crafting skills and abilities . . . Those skills haven’t improved over the years. Sigh. Maybe when my grandson, Spencer, gets a wee bit older I might once again attempt this activity with him.
Until then, here are some useful links for you to enjoy:
- A hilarious article What Ever Happened to Soap Carving by Linda Godfrey
- Soap Carving Instructions and Tips by whom else but Ivory Soap
- Beautiful soap carvings done by the Carving Institute in Bangkok
- YouTube video of soap carving
Useful Ideas
(in no particular order)
- Use a potato peeler. It might be easier for little hands (and safer).
- Cut out the main design first. Add details last.
- Use a large bar of soap. It’s easier for young children.
- Cheaper soaps tend to crack and break more easily than name brand soaps.
- Melt soap shavings down and put in a mold and make a decorative bar of soap. A chocolate mold sprayed with cooking oil works well.
- Paint your carving. Give it two coats making sure the first coat has dried completely before applying the second one.
- Use an orange stick (used for pushing back cuticles) for etching in details.
- Simple pictures from coloring books can be reduced on a copy machine to be used as a pattern.
- Soap carving can lead to an interest in wood carving.
Soap-happy,
Digi-Gram
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What a fun posting. I have fond memories of Ivory soap carvings too.
Patricia Twitchell
The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creek
Any good stories you’d like to share about soap carving??? Did you end up with a finished product? Or a pile of shavings, like me?
we are trying to start a carving class for kids \
do you have any advise
Good for you!! Is this a wood or soap carving class? Either way, I suggest that you have some simple patterns to start with especially if you have fairly young children. You could get ideas from children cartoon books.
http://omasally.blogspot.com/search?q=soap
My own soap carving adventures with two of my grandchildren were less than ideal, ending in one beautiful little rabbit created by the teenager and a pile of soap flakes and frustration for the younger child. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I too loved that hilarious article.
Sally
Mmmm . . . maybe this is an activity for older children.
Thanks for sharing your experience!