Question on soap carving

[Farmall]

My daughter has watched me carve and wants to start on it as well. I know I have seen books or other stuff on carving soap. Was thinking this might be a good way to get her started safely and also move her slowly to sharp stuff. Anybody know about the soap carving stuff I might be thinking of? Thanks for all help.

[doris]

yes, soap carving is very good way to start small kids carving :-) i carved a few soaps myself, its really fun....all you need is some sort of knife, and to a kid i would give the dull ones from kichen which you use to put butter on your bread. they do carve soap great, and a kid cannot cut itself easily with it...or, you make a wooden knife for your daughter, that works fine too... besides teaching her how to carve, say a little owl, most important is to teach safe dealing with the knife, even though it is not sharp. but then when you teach that properly, if she switches later to wood and sharp tools, you have one worry less, since she already knows and applies how to work with a knife or sharp tool safely...

[ZBH carver]

i have a little suggestion you could also just get a straight small brance and you could carve a little tool out of that like a small chisle or small knife, heres a link to Soap Carver for Youth that was a guide on how to make a soap carving knife.

[Mottles]

Hello, our carving club does soap carving with children-kindergarden to teen's. We have even taught at a senior care home.
We buy the large bars of Ivory soap, plastic picnic knives, wooden tooth picks and make easy outline patterns. Bunnies, dogs, cats, hearts, space ship.

Take the wrapper off the soap, use the plastic knife to scrape off the Ivory logo on both sides.
Place the pattern on top of one side of the soap. With the tooth pick draw an outline of the choosen pattern.
Then take the plastic knife and start to relieve the wood from around where your outlined the pattern.
Just keep carving out until you get a resemblance of the choose subject.
You can take the tooth pick and incise the features of the face, legs, etc.
I would recommend you begin with a simple pattern such as a heart shape.
Kathy

[SeaLeveler]

My daughter started with her own knife at 5 sharpening sticks and peeling apples.At 7 she started carving juniper with my honed chisels while wearing gloves and the wood was clamped to the table.the first thing she carved was a boat for her Papa and he still cherishes it .I wouldn't want her fighting with a dull knife and lose intrest.All it takes is supervision and safty equipment.Tony

[Big John]

Originally Posted by Farmall

My daughter has watched me carve and wants to start on it as well. I know I have seen books or other stuff on carving soap. Was thinking this might be a good way to get her started safely and also move her slowly to sharp stuff. Anybody know about the soap carving stuff I might be thinking of? Thanks for all help.

I'm in the process of doing the same with both of my daughters. Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers sells a kit that has a book, 2 bars of Ivory soap and 3 wooden tools for $18.95.
You can pick the book up, for around $12.00, make your own "Tools" out of popsicle/craft sticks, like ZBH Carver posted.
Their link though is; Soap Carving Kit from Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers

[squbrigg]

Soap carving is a great way to involve little ones in carving, teaches them the basics and they get a sense of doing it. Carving simple hand tools from hardwood is easy and they fit the little ones hand better than plastic knives or butter knives, plus it gives them a sense that those tools are "theirs" and they become very proud of them!

Help the little ones along, by sketching out a basic shape on the bar of soap ; a heart, a egg, a duck, a bird, a fish, etc. Keep it simple. Graduate them to plastersceine or sculpting clay if you like, they will learn well on anything. Wood ... well they need strength and control in their little hands, so when they are ready, help them along there with soome easy carving woods and a knife with a short blade and small handle, insist on a carving glove right off. Start them safely. An apron helps from the start, easier to clean up.

Most of all, the little ones value the time they spend with you! Learning at Grampy's side or Mommy's, is special time and they sure do enjoy the time you spend with them! Enjoy it, they grow up so fast.

Bob