Too early for Christmas soaping?

[Balloons]

Well after losing my job last fall due to the company closing the office that I worked in for 13 years everyone on my Christmas shopping list received mostly homemade gifts from myself and my husband, which they loved. I will be doing mainly homemade gifts again this year with the exception of one gift for each person. We have almost 15 people we get gifts for.
My plan is to make each person a gift basket with pj's and maybe 6-8 different scented soaps along with bath bombs and hand cream. I might even make some lip balms and sugar scrubs.
I recently made a big purchase of soaping supplies...Micas and fo's. I already have a ton of different oils.
Just wondering if anyone has started making cp soaps this soon for Christmas gifts? I wouldn't think it should be a problem. I'm thinking it will give them a longer time to cure.

 

[cmzaha]

As long as you know your recipe does not acquire dos and your fo's do not fade it is not to early. Without a tested recipe that has cured over 6 months and fo's the same I would personally wait until Sept to make the soaps

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Agreed with Carolyn. If you know the soaps will last without issue, then it's fine. Heck, for last year's Christmas, my gifts included one unscented soap that had been made in February and a scented one that was made in June. Both were big hits!

 

[Balloons]

Awwwww Oh well. I guess I can make some Halloween soaps in the meantime.

 

[dixiedragon]

Go ahead. You may have some lose their scent, but I have soaps that are 3+ years old that are still fine. I do have some that have lost their scent or just gotten a little funky and I tossed them.

*hint hint* It would be really cool if somebody hosted a Christmas swap in summer, so people could get cool ideas for Christmas soaps/gifts.

 

[Balloons]

What a great idea! I definitely don't have enough experience with cp soaping though. I just started in April.

 

[kchaystack]

*hint hint* It would be really cool if somebody hosted a Christmas swap in summer, so people could get cool ideas for Christmas soaps/gifts.

Xmas in July.... nice idea for a swap.

 

[galaxyMLP]

I like it and I just bought a Christmas fragrance oil. May be fuunnn!

 

[snappyllama]

Count me in if someone puts something together. Christmas in July sounds like a hoot.

 

[TeresaT]

Go ahead. You may have some lose their scent, but I have soaps that are 3+ years old that are still fine. I do have some that have lost their scent or just gotten a little funky and I tossed them.

THREE YEARS?! Oh my gosh! I just started in April. I gave almost all of the soap I made away. I found some left and was going to send it to my whinny nephew in Philadelphia, when I remembered the post I read saying I should keep my soaps and see how they are in 6 months, etc. I can barely keep soap two months. I cannot imagine three years. You are my hero. The self-control is absolutely incredible. Remarkable. I aspire to your greatness. Bravo! (Alas, not today, though. I "tried" the CP I made Saturday & Sunday. They were both still too wet to cut. But I did it anyway. I hang my head in shame...)

 

[Saponomancer]

Gosh I'd love to be in the christmas in july swap if we do it, I know I'm already thinking about christmas presents, I've got a huge list of people to make for.

I dont know if I'm going to have been here long enough depending on when it starts though ):

 

[Balloons]

DragonGirl...I don't think I meet the requirements either:sad:

 

[Relle]

Here are the rules for all to see -

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=5724

DG you are OK to participate after the 20th August.
Balloons your date is after the 30th July.
GalaxyMLP yours is after 19th June.

 

[Balloons]

Thanks Relle. Maybe I was really tired last night when I looked over the rules. I thought it said 500 posts Glad I read over the rules again. The end of July is not that far away!

 

[galaxyMLP]

Thanks Relle, I've been keeping track of mine! [emoji2] I figure if it actually starts in July it would be a fun swap for me to join. Otherwise I'll just wait for another swap to come along! Eventually I will join a swap here. Just too much fun to miss out on! Either way, I definitely don't thin k its to early for making Christmas (or other holiday) soaps!!

 

[dixiedragon]

THREE YEARS?! Oh my gosh! I just started in April. I gave almost all of the soap I made away. I found some left and was going to send it to my whinny nephew in Philadelphia, when I remembered the post I read saying I should keep my soaps and see how they are in 6 months, etc. I can barely keep soap two months. I cannot imagine three years. You are my hero. The self-control is absolutely incredible. Remarkable. I aspire to your greatness. Bravo! (Alas, not today, though. I "tried" the CP I made Saturday & Sunday. They were both still too wet to cut. But I did it anyway. I hang my head in shame...)

LOL. Self control? Sooo funny. I have been soaping for 10+ years and like most long-timers I a) have an ABSURD number of ingredients and b) can't bare to throw away soap, even if it is ugly or misshapen. So the good bars - even, good scent, good color, no cracks, etc, are given as gifts and the ugly bars (smell good but are ugly) get kept for personal use. I have a large box of odds and ends. Now I take them to work and put a sign on the box that says "free".

 

[TeresaT]

LOL. Self control? Sooo funny. I have been soaping for 10+ years and like most long-timers I a) have an ABSURD number of ingredients and b) can't bare to throw away soap, even if it is ugly or misshapen. So the good bars - even, good scent, good color, no cracks, etc, are given as gifts and the ugly bars (smell good but are ugly) get kept for personal use. I have a large box of odds and ends. Now I take them to work and put a sign on the box that says "free".

Oh, so you don't sell? Just a "hobby" to share with friends and family? Cool. That's what I'm doing now and the foreseeable future. However, I am retiring in seven years and I plan on doing the soaping thing to keep me from having to get a job. (Well, being employed by someone else, that is.). So, I have seven years to decide if that's really what I want to do or discover if I'm any good at it. I may end up with a thousand bars of soap and use a different one every day.

 

[not_ally]

I'd like to sign up for the swap if it happens!

 

[dixiedragon]

Oh, so you don't sell? Just a "hobby" to share with friends and family? Cool. That's what I'm doing now and the foreseeable future. However, I am retiring in seven years and I plan on doing the soaping thing to keep me from having to get a job. (Well, being employed by someone else, that is.). So, I have seven years to decide if that's really what I want to do or discover if I'm any good at it. I may end up with a thousand bars of soap and use a different one every day.

I don't sell. I really want to open an online shop and sell with 50% of sales going to certain charities - I have 2 in mind right now. But I'd need to get insurance, etc.

Right now it's all for gifts. All of my co-workers and family members get a lunch-sack full of goodies at Christmas. I will probably also have a July give away to clean up my space. I try to give everybody 3 "good bars" (nice and even) and 3 "factory seconds" (smell good but don't look as nice).