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Giveaway: Candlemaking and Soapmaking

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In continuing our month’s worth of giveaways for National Craft Month, Lark Crafts has offered several book titles we know you will love! There will be a new book giveaway each week, as well as other fun prizes throughout the month, so make sure you watch daily.

This week Lark brings us two beautiful and practical books by Rebecca Ittner: Candlemaking the Natural Way and Soapmaking the Natural Way. I recently did a review of the candlemaking book and shared some of its beautiful contents. If ever you wanted to get started in soap making or candle making, these are both excellent resources.

HOW TO ENTER
Simply leave a comment on this post and tell us if you make candles or soaps or if you have wanted to! Share the types of candles or soaps that you make, and if you have an etsy shop or tutorial blog, feel free to tell us about it! Tell us all about it before March 15th at midnight CST!

ELIGIBILITY
As much as we would love to include our Canadian and international friends I’m afraid this giveaway is restricted to those with a U.S. mailing address. If you live outside of the U.S. but have an address within the U.S. that we can ship to then you’re in! Otherwise, we truly apologize. You must be 18 or older to enter. Winner will be randomly selected on March 16th and notified via email. Winner will have 72 hours to respond with their shipping address, otherwise an alternate winner will be drawn. Good luck!

Please note, all prizes will be shipped at the conclusion of our National Craft Month celebration. Winners should allow 4-6 weeks for delivery after April 1, 2011.

Be sure to visit our new blog here at Craft Gossip, Candle Making with Sandra Williams. Don’t forget we have a Bath & Body blog too edited by Nellie Lurhmann!

Keep your eyes peeled for more fun to celebrate National Craft Month!

Comments

  2. My closet… woe is me. It has so much potential, so much wasted space, so much inefficiency, so boring. Definately could benefit from a makeover!

  3. I’ve never made soap before but have always had the intention of learning to do so. When I was 10, I was given a candle making kit which I had a great time with making fun colored candles. I’d like to make some more now that I’m old enough to actually burn them! 😀

  4. I make glycerine soap–but have always wanted to try lye soap and I love recycling old candles into new ones!

  6. I’ve made both before. I plan on making egg shaped candles for Easter again this year, by pouring the wax into a hollow egg shell.

  7. I am just starting to get into soapmaking; so far, I’ve only done m & p, working with a castile base. I would love to win the soapmaking book!

  8. I have been wanting to try and make my own soaps. Candlemaking is fun, but I always make a huge mess in doing it.

  11. I’ve made candles once but never soap. I think that would be fun. maybe I’ll win and then I can learn now!

  12. I have never made my own soap or candles, but these books sure would be a good start to helping my husband and I live a more self-sustaining lifestyle. Thanks for the opportunity to win!

  13. I am interested in trying both candlemaking and soapmaking. I have not tried either. I have done stamping on candles but never made them from scratch. I’d love to get good enough to sell them.

  14. I love candles but lately have felt like buying them is wasteful. I’d like to make my own natural candles so that I can reuse the same containers.

  19. I’ve made candles and would love to try soapmaking. They look like beautiful books!

  20. hi, i have made both before and make soaps every few months. Have been wanting to get into candle making again as well as expand knowledge on soapmaking.

  22. I made soap for a biology class in college and LOVED IT! I always wanted to keep it up but got sidetracked (life, kids…). I would love to get into it once again 🙂

  24. I’ve always wanted to try making both soap and candles…but find the process intimidating.

  25. I’ve never made either, but I would love to know how to make wonderful candles. I love them! Always lit at my house 🙂

  27. I have never made either, but I have been looking for the right time to try. This could be it!!!

  28. Hi! I am a stay at home Mom and a new crafter! I would love to learn and experiment with making soap and candles! Not only for my kiddos but maybe as gifts?
    Thanks

  30. I used to make soaps when I was younger to give as gifts to family. I remember how much I loved to do it. I’ve been wanting to learn how to make candles. Thanks for chance.

  31. I’ve made candles before, but it’s been awhile. I’ve been dying to try my hand at soaps!

  32. I use to make candles and made some for my neighbors Christmas gifts but haven’t made any for more than 3 years. I really miss it and want to get back into it again. I’ve experimented with soap but it never came out right.

  34. I made candles and soap with my mom as a little girl. I am almost knocked over with nostalgia when I think of how fun it would be to work through these books.

  36. I have made candles before but really want to try soapmaking… it looks like so much fun to do…

  37. i have not crafted these yet but would like to add thes to my never ending love of crafting

  39. These are 2 things I’ve been wanting to try but am so turned off in that isle of the craft store when I see how artifial all of the ingredients are. I’m intrigued that these titles are for making both “the natural way.”

  40. Many years ago I made candles and I enjoyed making them, so, I am not sure why I stopped making them. I have never made soaps but I enjoy all kinds of crafting so I’m sure that I would enjoy that craft also. Thanks for this giveaway.

  41. I’ve not made candles/soaps, but I have always wanted to do it. I’m such a sucker for both at craft fairs/art shops… Thanks for a chance to win!
    kmassmanATgmailDOTcom

  42. I have been wanting to learn how to make both of these. I started researching last year how to make candles, so I could give them as gifts. 🙂

  45. I’ve made soap with glycerin before but haven’t made candles. I would like to win either of them.

  46. I make both candles and soap and have even made lotion for my family and friends. I would love to win the great books and make some of the items in the books…. Good Luck to everyone….

  47. Hi!! I have made candles, but never soaps. I would LOVE to learn to do those!! Thanks for the opportunity!! I DO have a USA mailing address (I live in Ecuador for now) so YAY I’m in!!!

  49. I make scented soy container candles, as well as other produts, and have an etsy shop called Beach In A Box

  50. I’ve rebatched soap and made a few melt&pours with my daughter–lots of fun. I haven’t tried candles yet, but I sure I’d like it too.

  51. I unfortunatly have not tried either but I would love to try them both. I love pretty scented candles and also the awesome shapes that you can make with the soap molds.

  52. I make soy candles they last longer and don’t smoke as bad. As for soap I would really like to make some. I want to thank you for the book giveaway.

  53. i have always wanted to make candles! i would love to learn how to do it! thanks for the opportunity!!

  54. I made gel candles once – my dining room table was consumed, the smell of “cinnamon spice” almost killed a loved one :), and I vowed never to do it again. Knowing there’s a far better way…wow. I’d love to try making soy candles or candles using organic products and essential oils. Could use them anywhere or make gifts!

  55. I make beeswax candles from our bees and goats milk soap from our nubian goats and sell them at the farmer’s market. I’d love to learn some new techniques!

  58. I used to make simple candles when I was a kid (a looooong time ago) but never soap. I’ve checked into doing both at times as I’d like something to bring in a bit extra money since I’m on disability. These books look like they would answer my questions. Thanks for the chance to win!

  59. Been making candles for about 50 years. still enjoy making a good sand candle now and then. Haven’t tried soap yet. Never too young to try new things.

  60. I’ve made soap before but haven’t made any for a really long time. I want to try candles sometime in the future.

  61. i have tried making candles and soap. my candles dont turn out to good,i amke a lot of hand and body soap. i also make laundry soap it really pays off.

  62. I made candles when I was younger (the hippie thing to do! lol) I would love to learn to make soap for our family and friends…naturally! Thanks for the chance to win!

  64. I have never made candles but have always checked out the supplies and things when I am in the craft shop. If I had the book I know I would give it a whirl. Love the front cover!

  66. Since I’m a science major in college, making candles and soap had always been interesting to me though I’ve only made soap in class before.

  67. I have done a bit of candle making but no soap making as yet. I have been studying herbal combinations for soaps and want to learn more, especially milk-based recipes.

  68. I just started my at home spa product company and I think that adding handmade soaps and candles to my line of products would definitely add to the spa at home experience.
    Thanks for the giveaway and the possibility of a chance to win.

  69. I made glycerin soaps and beeswax candles what seems like a hundred years ago 🙂 and just was thinking recently about a trip to A I Root Co in Medina OH where I grew up. They had all kinds of bee products and with bees environmentally threatened, wanted to learn more about their work&harvesting as they change and work to preserve the bee population. They have evrything! Sheet wax for lil bits to make roll candles, etc. In fact, that was the first candle I ever made.

  71. I’d LOVE to win the soap book particularly….as I’ve gotten older, my skin has become so sensitive to everything! 🙁 I’d love to learn how to make some pure/organic soap products for my house…and the skin I’m in! 🙂

    Thanks for the chance to win!

  72. I am going to make candles and soap in the future.Right now I am in the process of learning.

  75. I’ve always wanted to try and make soap but am a little bit afraid. I’ve been given handmade soap and loved them.

  76. I would LOVE to make soap on a rope. We always joke about it…but this would push us to actually do it. 🙂

  77. I have collected all kinds of candle-making and soap-making supplies — I’m dying to get going on these projects!

  79. I have tried melt and pour soap before and it’s fun. Just made it for fun for the family. I would love to learn more techniques though.

    As for candle, haven’t tried it yet but would like to try. I like soy candles that are aromatherapeutic. Would love to learn how to make those.

  81. Having made both candles and soap, I love both making and using the fruits of my labor. These are two of the oldest crafts and almost a lost art. Thanks for introducing it to crafters.

  82. Have made candles for years and still am inspired by books and new styles that I see in the stores. Just getting into soap making, this book looks awesome!

  83. The only types of candle I have made have been re-purposed candles that I have melted down. I have not made soap before but have wanted to try. These books look very interesting.

  85. I made candles with my aunt as a child, and I’ve made M&P soaps as an adult, but I’ve always wanted to dive into soap and candlemaking.

  90. Making soap is fun and makes a great gift. I have only done this a few times and would love to experiment some more. Thanks.

  91. I want to start making my own soaps. I have a limited number of commercially availible soaps I can use due to perfume allergies and it’s time to try the homemade route!

  92. My family made candles when I was a kid and soap too, but I haven’t done either since I grew up. I would love to try both with my girls.

  93. I have never made candles or soaps, but I really really want to!
    hisprincess886(at)yahoo(dot)com

  94. Never made candles before, but always wanted to. I’m always buying candles for my place.

  95. I have friends that make candles every year for Christmas. I’ve always wanted to make soap, but the whole lye business scares me.

  96. I have made candles in the past for friends who are getting married and I have even done my own unity candles at my wedding….the next conquest is soap making….I have always had a fear that I would make it wrong and cause someone to “break out”…I would love to learn how to make soap and be confident I know what I am doing. There are so many beautiful organic soaps…and I think to my self,”I can do that but how?” I guess even if I do not win I will still resolve to teach my self soap making.

  97. I have been wanting to make soap for some time, this would be great. Use to make candles with my mom when I was a little girl but have not made any in a very long time, would be nice to do some with the grandkids.

  98. I haven’t ever done soap or candle making, but I would love to! Thanks for the chance to win!

  99. I am yet to make soap, but candle making is a favorite hobby of mine. I always recycle old candle hollows and melt them down and re-pour them to make recessionista candles.

  101. I want to learn to make soap! I’ve done candles a couple of times, but just haven’t been able to get them quite right. Would love some help in making them better.

Have you read?

Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Finger Painting Craft for Kids

Thanksgiving crafts have a habit of sneaking up on us. One minute we are still finding fake spiderweb stuck behind the sofa, and the next minute someone needs a turkey craft for preschool by tomorrow morning.

This easy Thanksgiving turkey finger painting craft is colorful, wonderfully messy and simple enough for toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy with a little adult help. Instead of painting individual feathers, children use their fingertips to create a bright fan of dots, swirls and overlapping colors around the turkey’s body.

The finished artwork looks surprisingly impressive, even when the young artist has enthusiastically ignored every instruction you gave them. Honestly, those slightly wonky feathers are usually the best part.

 

Why This Turkey Painting Works So Well

This is more than another paper turkey covered in feathers.

Finger painting gives children the freedom to experiment with color mixing, patterns, pressure and movement. The circular feather design also means there is no single “correct” way for the finished turkey to look.

It is a particularly good Thanksgiving craft for:

  • Toddlers and preschoolers
  • Kindergarten art activities
  • Thanksgiving classroom projects
  • Homeschool fall art lessons
  • Daycare activity tables
  • Handmade Thanksgiving decorations
  • Grandparent gifts and keepsakes

For even more projects to keep little hands occupied, take a look at these easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids. You may want to save a few now before the Thanksgiving-week craft panic begins.

Supplies

  • White heavyweight cardstock, watercolor paper or a small canvas panel
  • Washable finger paints or washable tempera paints
  • Brown cardstock or construction paper
  • Small scraps of orange, yellow and red cardstock
  • Googly eyes
  • Child-safe scissors
  • Washable craft glue
  • Pencil
  • Paper plate or washable paint palette
  • Damp cloths or baby wipes
  • Protective table covering
  • Child-sized art smock or old shirt

A pack of washable tempera paints is handy if you make children’s crafts regularly. Choose several warm Thanksgiving colors, such as red, orange, yellow, gold, purple and a small amount of green or blue.

Cardstock works for a quick classroom project, but heavyweight watercolor paper or an inexpensive canvas panel will create a sturdier piece that families can display each year.

Before You Begin

Cover the table before opening the paint. Finger painting has a remarkable ability to travel well beyond the original piece of paper.

Place a small amount of each paint color onto a paper plate rather than giving children the entire bottle. This reduces waste and helps prevent every bottle from becoming the same mysterious shade of brown.

Dress children in an art smock or an old oversized shirt and keep damp cloths nearby. Washable paint is wonderfully forgiving, but it is much easier to wipe a painted elbow immediately than discover it on the curtains later.

How to Make a Thanksgiving Turkey Finger Painting

Step 1: Mark the Turkey’s Position

Place the white paper or canvas vertically on the work surface.

Lightly draw a small oval in the lower center of the page. This marks where the turkey’s body will eventually sit.

Do not glue the body down yet. Keeping the center clear makes it easier for children to paint the feather fan without covering the turkey.

Step 2: Begin the Inner Feather Row

Ask the child to dip one fingertip lightly into the first paint color.

Starting just outside the penciled oval, press painted fingerprints in a curved row around the upper half of the turkey’s body.

The prints do not need to be perfectly spaced. A mixture of dots, short swipes and little circular marks will give the feathers more movement.

Step 3: Add More Colorful Feather Rows

Use additional colors to create larger curved rows around the first one.

Encourage the child to work outward, creating a rainbow or fan shape behind the turkey. Try to leave a little space between some of the colors so the painting remains bright.

Warm colors such as red, orange, yellow and gold create a traditional fall turkey. Purple, pink and turquoise can be added for a brighter modern version.

If your child loves turkey crafts, our roundup of 20 Thanksgiving turkey crafts for kids has plenty of additional ideas using paper, recycled materials, puppets and handprints.

Step 4: Create the Soft Aura Effect

While the paint is still slightly wet, use a clean fingertip to pull a few colors gently outward from the turkey’s body.

You can also add tiny fingertip dots between the larger marks to fill empty spaces.

The aim is not to blend every color completely. Too much rubbing will create muddy brown paint, which is practically a Thanksgiving craft tradition but not quite the look we are chasing today.

For younger children, simply let them stamp fingerprints around the page. The curved feather shape can be loosely guided by an adult, but the finished painting should still look like their work.

Step 5: Let the Painting Dry

Place the artwork somewhere flat and allow the paint to dry completely.

Drying time will depend on how enthusiastically the paint was applied. Thin fingerprints may dry quickly, while glorious toddler-sized blobs will need considerably longer.

Do not attach the paper turkey body until the background is dry.

Step 6: Make the Turkey’s Body

Cut a large oval from brown cardstock for the body and a smaller brown circle for the head.

You can also cut one long bowling-pin-style shape that combines the head and body.

Cut the following pieces:

  • One small orange triangle for the beak
  • Two orange legs
  • Two small orange feet
  • One curved red piece for the wattle

Glue the head, body, beak, wattle and feet together. Add two googly eyes.

No googly eyes in the craft cupboard? Draw the eyes with a black marker. I have bought enormous bags of googly eyes over the years and can still never find the correct size when I need them.

For another lovely keepsake idea, try this Thanksgiving handprint turkey, which uses a child’s traced hand as the turkey shape.

Step 7: Assemble the Turkey Artwork

Position the completed paper turkey over the unpainted oval in the center of the feather fan.

Glue it in place and press gently.

Allow the glue to dry before lifting or displaying the artwork.

Add a Thanksgiving Gratitude Activity

Turn the painting into a simple gratitude craft by asking the child what they are thankful for.

An adult can write the answers around the painted feathers, or older children can add one word to each feather section.

Ideas might include:

  • My family
  • My friends
  • My pets
  • My home
  • My teachers
  • My favorite food
  • Playing outside
  • Books and stories

You could also pair the artwork with this Thankful Gratitude Turkey Bucket and create a complete Thanksgiving gratitude activity for a classroom or family gathering.

Easy Turkey Finger Painting Variations

Use a Child’s Handprint for the Body

Paint the child’s palm and thumb brown, then press the hand onto the center of the page. Once dry, add an eye, beak and feet.

The painted fingerprints can then be added around the handprint to create an extra-full feather display.

Make a Family Turkey Painting

Give every family member a different paint color.

Each person adds a curved row of fingerprints to the turkey’s tail. Write each person’s name beside their section when the paint is dry.

This would make a sweet Thanksgiving tradition, particularly if you create a new family turkey painting every year.

Create Mini Thanksgiving Place Cards

Use small folded pieces of cardstock instead of a large sheet.

Add a tiny turkey body and a semicircle of fingerprints, then write each guest’s name underneath. These make cheerful handmade Thanksgiving place cards without requiring expensive supplies.

Paint on a Wooden Panel

Older children can create the design on an unfinished wooden panel using washable acrylic craft paint and sponge daubers.

Lightly sand rough edges before beginning and seal the finished artwork only after the paint has completely dried. Sealing should always be completed by an adult in a well-ventilated area using a product appropriate for the chosen paint and surface.

Make a Process-Art Turkey

Skip the traditional feather colors and let children choose their own palette.

Try:

  • Pink, lilac and turquoise
  • Blue, green and silver
  • Red, pink and gold
  • Earthy terracotta, mustard and cream
  • Neon rainbow colors

There is no rule saying a Thanksgiving turkey must be brown and orange. Somewhere out there is a turkey just waiting for a hot-pink feather makeover.

How to Prevent Muddy Finger-Paint Colors

The most common problem with this project is overmixing.

Children understandably want to swirl all the colors together. Unfortunately, beautiful red, yellow, blue and green paint can quickly become one enormous brown puddle.

Use these simple tricks:

  • Offer three or four colors at a time.
  • Begin with neighboring colors such as red, orange and yellow.
  • Wipe fingers before changing to a contrasting color.
  • Use a separate finger for each paint color.
  • Leave small white spaces between some of the prints.
  • Allow one painted layer to dry before adding contrasting details.
  • Put only a spoonful of each color on the palette.

Of course, if the child deliberately creates a brown turkey explosion and proudly declares it finished, it is finished. Children’s process art does not need to match the sample to be successful.

Tips for Making This Craft With Toddlers

Toddlers may not follow a curved feather pattern, and that is perfectly fine.

Prepare the paper turkey body in advance and let them focus on pressing, stamping and smearing the paint. You can rotate the paper as they work to help distribute the colors around the center.

Use a large sheet of paper so they have plenty of room and tape it to the table to stop it sliding.

Keep the session short. Ten happy minutes of painting is much better than stretching the activity until everyone is tired, the paint water has been tipped over and someone is wearing the paper plate as a hat.

Classroom Preparation Tips

For a preschool or kindergarten Thanksgiving craft, prepare the following pieces before the children arrive:

  • Brown turkey bodies
  • Turkey heads
  • Orange beaks and feet
  • Red wattles
  • Individual paint palettes
  • Labeled drying sheets

Write each child’s name on the back of the paper before painting begins.

Set up one table for painting and another for assembling the dry turkey pieces. A few inexpensive divided paint trays can make classroom color management much easier.

You can also combine this art project with one of these turkey learning activities for a Thanksgiving lesson that includes fine-motor skills, counting, science or early literacy.

Displaying the Finished Turkey Artwork

Once dry, the turkey painting can be:

  • Framed as seasonal wall art
  • Displayed on a Thanksgiving mantel
  • Attached to the refrigerator
  • Used as a classroom bulletin-board display
  • Given to grandparents
  • Turned into the front of a large Thanksgiving card
  • Mounted onto kraft cardstock
  • Photographed and printed onto family thank-you cards

Add the child’s name and the year to the back. It takes only a moment, and you will be glad you did when you pull it out several Thanksgivings from now and cannot remember which small artist created it.

This colorful Thanksgiving turkey finger painting is easy enough for young children but still produces something genuinely display-worthy. More importantly, it gives children room to experiment and create their own version rather than trying to copy an adult-made sample perfectly.

Set out the washable paints, embrace the fingerprints and remember that the table covering is not optional.