Crafty Gifting: Candles and Soaps
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-- School Library Journal, 11/18/2009
Homemade gifts are some of the best presents teens can give to family and friends for the holidays. When it comes to crafts, candle-making and soap-making offer some of the easiest and least expensive projects to tackle, and even use many of the same supplies. Plus, they are easy to customize with just a change of color or scent. Smells like teen spirit!
BROWNING, Marie. 300 Handcrafted Soaps: Great Melt & Pour Projects. Sterling. 2003. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-4027-0797-1.
Gr 7 Up–The soaps in this beautifully designed book are made without animal fat or lye, relying rather on glycerin and coconut oil soap bases and essential oils and other botanicals for scent. Any number of household items can serve as molds. Because this type of soap sets up almost immediately, a soap-making session can take less than an hour from start to finish—instant gratification! Also available in Spanish: Crear 300 Jabones Artesanales: Con La Técnica de Fundido y Vertido ISBN 978-84-96777-44-6.
EWING, Kelly. Making Candles & Soap for Dummies. (For Dummies Series). Wiley. 2004. pap. $19.99. ISBN 978-0-7645-7408-5.
Gr 7 Up–Two for the price of one! This title is well organized and includes clearly illustrated step-by-step instructions for both the wax and soap arts. There are also sections on making this hobby a business and how to work a crafts fair, resources for candle and soap-making supplies, and a comprehensive index.
NICOL, Gloria. Candles: An Inspiring Guide to Creative Candles with 40 Step-by-Step Projects with Over 325 Specially Commissioned Photographs. Southwater. 2008. pap. $18.99. ISBN 978-1-84476-547-8.
Gr 9 Up–The photographs in this book will make readers run out and start decorating with candles everywhere! The candle glamour shots set the scene, and Nicol’s clear instructions on how to create these haute looks are easy to follow and, in many cases, make use of recycled and natural materials such as tin cans, sand, and glass jars. An international supplier list and index are included.
RHATIGAN, Joe. Soapmaking: 50 Fun & Fabulous Soaps to Melt & Pour. Sterling/Lark. 2003. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-57990-416-6.
Gr 4 Up–Soap designs your young readers won't want to miss, featuring the blow-me-away soap and the hold the pickles cheeseburger with the works! The photographs on each spread illustrate the process, and the side story of a boy chasing his tub-elusive dog is great fun. Most of these projects can be completed in 90 minutes or less. The format and instructions work for novice through more advanced crafters.
SACCHI, Luisa. Creating Candles. Stackpole. 2008. pap. $26.95. ISBN 978-0-8117-3476-9.
Gr 7 Up–There are over 100 different projects in this compact and clearly illustrated guide. Sacchi covers techniques, materials, and molds. Most necessary supplies are inexpensive and easy to find. Some of the smaller candles need just 15 minutes to cool, while larger projects may need 4 hours or more to set. There are plenty of fun and beautiful choices—a beeswax flower candle, a floating heart candle, and a rainbow gel candle, to name a few.
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