Prepare for Workshop Day
When leading a workshop, the first thing to do is have everything prepared well before workshop day. You must set a goal, know your audience, purchase supplies, and practice delivering the workshop lesson.
Set a Goal for the Workshop
Have a predetermined goal for your workshop. For example, if the workshop’s goal is an introduction to soap-making, have worksheets available so your guests can follow along during the class and take notes. Having notes available once the workshop is over greatly benefits your guests.
If the workshop’s goal is to have fun with a group of friends, having materials available for your guests to take notes might be unnecessary. You might choose to have the steps listed out for easy reference on a poster board or a single reference sheet.
Know Your Audience
When leading a soap-making workshop, you must know your audience members. Are attendees your friends, people interested in making soap for the first time, or is this a group of more experienced soap-makers looking to improve their skills to offer their customers a better product?
Purchase Soap-Making Supplies for the Workshop
You must provide soap making supplies for the session. If your workshop is a hands-on demonstration, you want guests to leave with soap they make during the lesson.
Choose Your Base
You have to decide if your workshop will teach the hot or cold soap-making process. If your workshop lasts for just a few hours, we recommend choosing a melt and pour base. If you are leading a seminar over several days, teaching the lengthier cold process of soap-making is possible.
Since we recommend using heat and pour base, you’ll need to decide which type of soap to use. Here are a few popular choices for heat and pour bases:
- Glycerine Soap:
- Goat milk
- Shea butter
- Hemp oil
- Aloe vera
- Stephenson Soap:
- Clear
- Shea butter
- Olive oil
- Palm oil
- African Black Soap
Offer Additives
Your guests will want to personalize their soap by including additives such as colors or fragrance oils. You don’t have to offer every type of additive available; however, providing a few options is a good idea. Choose from color, dried botanicals, seeds, fragrance oils, and more.
Get a Soap Mold and Cutter
You have two main options for choosing soap molds for your workshop. The first option is to use a large mold, like a loaf soap mold. This option is great for demonstration purposes. The second option is to have your guests use individual molds. You can offer many shapes and styles of individual molds for a truly personalized and unique soap-making experience.
If you use a loaf or tray soap mold, you will need soap cutters to break apart larger soap sections.
Select Take-Home Packaging
Your guests will want to take home the soap they make in your workshop. You should provide them with packaging so they can transport their soap without getting messy or rubbing against their belongings.
Bulk Apothecary offers heat and seal, shrink wrap, burlap bags, organza bags, soap boxes, and more to meet your packaging needs.
Practice Your Lesson Delivery
Before you deliver your workshop lesson, practicing your delivery is a good idea. Practicing your workshop will help you know what to say, become familiar with the class flow, and make any changes before the workshop begins.
Once you know your goal, understand your audience, gather materials, and have practiced your lesson, you are ready for workshop day!
Set Up and Welcome Your Guests
On the day of the workshop, set up before your guests arrive. Prepare the space and set arrange the materials so your guests can easily access the supplies they need.
There are two ways you can choose to group your materials. The first way is to group supplies into main categories. For example, set all base materials together, group all additives by type (color, seed, herbs, scents, etc.), and put the packaging materials together.
The second way to arrange materials is to group each person’s supplies for use during the workshop into an individual bundle. For example, each bundle would include the base, a small selection of additives, and packaging.
If you offer refreshments of any kind, make them presentable and accessible before your guests arrive. It’s a good idea to plan small breaks during your workshop so your guests can sample the available refreshments.
As your guests arrive, you need to give them their first instructions. Here are some things you should ask yourself when planning to welcome your guests:
- Will they choose their seat, or is there open seating?
- Do they need to pick up a bundle of materials, or are the materials at their workstation?
- Should they get refreshments and mingle before the workshop starts, or is there something else you want them to do while waiting for other attendees to show up?
Once everyone has arrived, introduce yourself and welcome your guests.
Lead the Workshop
It’s helpful to know your workshop flow, and since you have practiced lesson delivery before the live workshop, you are ready to lead the session.
Start by giving your guests an overview of what to expect. Explain the goal of the session. Review the soap-making ingredients and materials with your guests. Then, tell your guests what they should expect during each step of the soap-making process. Finally, review the schedule or plan with your guests.
While you teach the lesson, speak slowly, pause to answer questions for clarification, and give clear directions.
Lead the soap-making demonstration. Talk your guests through the process step-by-step, have your students follow along, and pause for questions. Don’t move to the next step until your guests are caught up and ready for the next step.
Offer assistance as you move through the lesson, and allow your guests a complete hands-on experience. Conclude the lesson by answering final questions and helping your guests cut and package their soap.
Shop Bulk Apothecary to Buy Soap Making Supplies Wholesale
When you’re looking to purchase supplies for leading a soap-making workshop, choose Bulk Apothecary wholesale supplies. We offer everything you need for soap-making, including bases, additives, molds, packaging, and more. Visit our website to explore our high-quality products today.
