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Felted Soap

A curious idea, but the result can be very pleasing. Make a bar of soap with a built in wash-cloth, good for gentle exfoliation.

Materials

• A bar of soap (one that is round or has rounded edges will be easier to cover evenly; edges are apt to make thin spots)
• Wool roving or batts - it doesn’t take much (colorfast; rich colors should be checked to make sure they will not run)
• A stocking or piece of similar mesh or netting
• A ribbed mat, such as a washboard, a felting board, a sushi mat, a ribbed container lid, or a piece of bubble wrap (not absolutely essential, but useful to speed up the process)

The Process

• Wrap a thin layer of wool around the soap in one direction.
• Wrap a second layer at right angles to the first.
• Wrap a third layer on top of the first.
  These layers can be all the same color, or not. Cover the soap as evenly as possible, paying special attention to corners and edges.
• Add wisps of wool in various colors and directions.
• Carefully put the wrapped bar in the toe of your stocking, or wrap it up snugly in whatever mesh or netting you are using. Gently dribble on warm water, till the wool is wet through.
• (If you are not using a mat, skip to the next step.) Gently rub the wrapped soap on the mat of your choice, all sides and all edges, for about ten minutes. It should lather up.
• Roll the bar around in your hands as if you were washing them. When the wool is well adhered to the soap, remove the stocking or mesh wrapper.
• Rinse with cold water. The cold will shock the wool and may give the felting process an extra boost.
• Rinse away the suds, squeeze the bar a little bit to remove water, blot on a towel, place on rack to dry.
  Between uses, the bar should be placed on a rack so that it can dry out.