Making Soap at Otion Soap in Bellingham

I’m really not good at being creative or artsy. If you hand me a paintbrush dipped in the most gorgeous, luscious colours and tell me to paint anything my heart desires I’ll totally choke and end up producing a weak attempt at a smiley face. My latest attempt at being creative was at Otion Soap in Bellingham, but thanks to their foolproof drop-in soapmaking session, I actually made a handful of items that look and smell pretty — even if my imagination took me to a place where unicorns are blue and spaceships are hot pink.

Making Soap at Otion Soap in Bellingham

Located in the heat of Downtown Bellingham (301 W Holly St), across from the iconic Rocket Donuts rocket, Otion Soap is a maker’s dream. They have a drop-in space, Crafter’s Corner, where you can make lip balm, nail polish, bath bombs, and soap all within an hour (for $10 to $20).

If you’re making the melt & pour soap, first pick out your glycerin soap base (with additional options like shea butter or olive oil), pick pre-set mold, your colours, fragrance, and you’re good to go. Otion’s staff will do all the heavy lifting by heating up your soap base for you so that you can concentrate on your creations.

Reservations for Crafter’s Corner are encouraged but drop-ins are welcome. While you’re waiting for your soap to set, browse the wide selection of Bramble Berry Soap Making Supplies that you can purchase and take home to develop even more soap goods on your own time.

Also check out the jam-packed class board on the side wall. They have everything from candle making and mineral makeup classes to beer, milk, juice, cold process soap classes. You can also book the whole Crafter’s Corner for birthdays, company parties, bridal parties and more.

I was pretty pleased with my unicorns and spaceships, complete with sparkles, and was amazed at how easy the process was. Another member of my group made her soap with shae butter so it wasn’t translucent, it was more pastel, and used white and blue with nautical-themed molds. Another used olive oil base, as I did, and went with a tiki theme.

You can be pretty creative with this drop-in experience or, if you’re like me and need a bit of a boost, there are literally out-of-the-box solutions that can help you along with the guidance of Otion’s staff.

Stop by with friends on your next trip to Bellingham for a fun, hands-on, and creative afternoon of making useful beauty products or call 360-676-1030 and reserve your spot. Follow Otion on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

Making Soap in Vancouver

In Vancouver, there are no permanent drop-in soap-making shops but occasional workshops are hosted by The Soap Dispensary, or 4Cats Arts Studio.