Little Soap School: Luxury Day Soap Making Courses

The Little Soap Company runs both residential courses and day-long events covering topics in depth from beginner level right through to advanced.

* FromBritain With Love has devoted a whole page review to our Little courses in their Course Notes section, so see here for a full, independent write up of one of our Little introductory day to soap making course.

Come and spend the day with us here in the Little Workshop where we will teach you all the skills how to make natural Cold Processed Soap.

Course Dates

Little Soap School days are run on days that suit both you and I throughout the year on weekdays (and some weekends are possible if we're not tied up doing shows!) Simply call (01386 831 379) or email Emma at sales@littlesoapcompany.co.uk to discuss your ideal dates....

One on one or small group ?

Our luxurious days are perfect either as an intensive session for you, or for you and a friend or colleague (lessening the price). Or gather a group together to lower the price even more - a maximum of eight - how about a Staff Away Day or Team Building or an alternative girlie day out , hen day, society away day - whatever the mix you bring, I guarantee you a great fun day our where you will all learn a new skill and go home laiden with your own creations!

Little Soap School take home creations

The only thing I ask is we only teach KNOWN groups which you organise and bring together - to us the dynamic is better and after all we are humble soap makers - trying to organise dates between various students fast turned us into PAs and that isnt what Little is about - we do the courses because we love the lifestyle and love teaching and spreading the word.... we do not just do courses for courses sake....!

For costs please refer to the Little Shop:http://www.littlesoapcompany.co.uk/little-courses/

Course Blurb and Piccies of the Little Life....

Just like eating vegetables you've home grown, or collecting eggs from your own chickens there is something similarly satisfying about using soap which you have made yourself. Fundamentally, you know what has gone into it - after all, our skin is our biggest organ and we need to look after it... Thing is, it's really not that complicated - any skincare regime should start with soap - and the good news is, if you can follow a simple recipe to make a sponge cake, then, without a shadow of a doubt we can get you making your first batch of cold processed soap before lunch. It's that simple - and if you have an arty lean then all the better as soap making is often described as the blending of chemistry and art so only the sky becomes your limit in terms of the endless possibilities for creating recipes, textures, natural colours and blends.

Our day-long courses are held at our workshop premises behind our 14th century cottage. the workshop can cater for up to eight students at a time. Or come on your own for complete 1 to 1 tuition. Eitherway, you're guaranteed to get the tutors personal attention and it won't cost any more than other companies charge for packing the room full of students and doing a demo at the front... This isn't a classroom theory day either - you couldn't get further from it... this is a hands on 'get yours paws dirty and make it yourself course. We believe you learn by doing - and you'll go home with 2 or 3 batches of your own concoctions as the Little workshop becomes yours for the day! We are so committed to ensuring that you get the most from your day we will even tailor the course to suit your needs especially if you have a particular purpose or interest... and if we have the expertise of course!

You'll go home confident and with all the skills needed to making traditional soaps using natural ingredients to a professional level. Throughout the day (no need for note taking tho' as everything is in your course pack) we will cover all the basics and more (come armed with questions or special recipes - if you have children or sensitive skin etc we can explore those recipes or if you keep bees we can concentrate on honey soap, or keep goats we'll do goatsmilk, if you beer we can do beer soap - so long as its natural and not synthetic we'll have a go... etc etc):

We'll cover:-

Brief history and basic chemistry of soap making.
Everything you need to get started: materials, ingredients and equipment and where to buy these things from
Safety aspects of working with sodium hydroxide
Preparation of your moulds and various moulding options
Using additives in soap such as flowers, seeds, oats, oxides, herbs, spices & clays
Adding Nutrient Oils for various skin conditions
Blending pure essential oils for fragrance
Mixing, insulating, cutting, curing and storing your finished soap
Ideas for your packaging/labels etc
The legalities of selling your soaps

Timings

It is your day and students come from across the UK (oh and France, Holland, Spain and Nigeria to date...) so naturally we will time the course around you. Want to miss rush hour and are driving a distance same day? Let's start at 10 or 10.30 and finish around 4.30ish - if you're an early bird or have children to pick up then let's start at 8.30 or 9 and just finish a bit earlier.... it's a luxurious day for you to chill out and let your hair down and we want you to arrive relaxed. Simple!

So, whatever time you arrange to arrive - there will be croissants and tea/coffee awaiting you... we'll start with a full discussion around the kitchen table as you settle about soap - what you want from the day and go through the theory part (but not too much - we are hands on and will be itching to get in the workshop a few steps away - as am sure you will be too!). We will explore and go through all the raw ingredients that can be used to make soap, then a more tactile touch, feel and smell of the delicious oils and butters as we talk you through your first batch in the workshop where you watch and ask lots of questions and we go through the process cover to cover....

Then after a delivious pub lunch and for the remainder of the afternoon (we take lunch next door but one at the famous 14th century National Trust owned Fleece Inn pictured above), you are let loose in the workshop and make it your own...... will get the opportunity to make your own batches of soap yourself, choosing which nutrinets, additives and blends of essential oils you would like to use. The workshop finishes at around 4pm. All ingredients, overalls, equipment, full course notes, tuition, breakfast and refreshments (including two course lunch with a glass of wine or ale at the end of the day) and afternoon tea and either homemade or locally made cake is included in the cost.

And the day doesn't end there.... we are not going anywhere and we are passionate in wanting the world to use proper soap - so if you get stuck when you get home or a few months down the line have any questions then you'll have our numbers and email and we love to hear how you're going and to keep in touch and will help with any glitches or questions!

For those who are contemplating turning this useful and fun hobby into a business opportunity we offer an extra business module to get you started too.

Where to stay

- If you want to make a stay out of your visit here we can recommend an array of nearby B&Bs and hotels to suit your needs, depending on the kind of stay you are after. - all within ten minutes from us. We really are spoilt for choice with The Fleece Inn next door or our nearest hotel is the fabulous Dormy House Hotel just five minutes up the road. Venturing into Broadway (about 10mins away) there is The Olive Tree B&B and Russells a Restaurant with Rooms, Buckland Manor and The Lygon Arms and spa , or 15mins drive through beautiful countryside past the village of Chipping Campden is the lovely award winning 'North Cotswold Pub of the Year' the The Ebrington Arms pub or if you prefer Evesham in the other direction (also about 15 mins away) there is the eccentric teddy loving Evesham Hotel. Chipping Campden (12 mins away) too boasts the Cotswold House Hotel & Spa, and numerous B&Bs or local farm house accomodation all within ten minutes driving distance from us....

* For prices and course specifications see:

http://www.littlesoapcompany.co.uk/little-courses/

For prices and different types of days:

http://www.littlesoapcompany.co.uk/little-courses/

For more piccies of workshops join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.199875880026773.60437.124040327610329