Good Gifts from the Home: Soaps, Shampoos & Other Suds: Make Beautiful Gifts to Give (or Keep)

From the eyes of a beginner this book is great because most of the recipes don't cost a bundle or contain harmful chemicals like lye. (I dont think I want to experiment with lye just yet). This book also has ideas that are inexpensive and easy to follow. "Die-hard" soap makers that believe in only absolutly made-from-scratch recipes will most definatly not apprieciate this book. Many of the recipes start from store bought soap and shampoo which in my opinion does not reduce the quality of the end results. The things in this book are great for presents. I've actually have been asked by one of my friends if I would sell some of the things I make at her store!

Kelly Reno's book is great for beginners. It has simpler recipes where one doesn't have to buy all types of exotic ingredients. I especially liked the section on melt and pour soap recipes using glycerin soap. This is a great project for kids and for those who are a little hesitant to work with lye!

You can really be creative by using Kelly's base recipes and customizing them to your exact tastes for color and fragrance. We made all our Christmas gifts to rave reviews and the all natural ingredients are safe for the kids to use.

Kelly Reno's recipes are unusual and very creative. She even has a recipe for coffee soap in her book. Of the recipes I've made so far, everything has turned out wonderful and her instructions are easy to follow. Great gift ideas

The beauty of this little book is that the projects don't require you to start out with 10 pounds of animal fat and a bucket of lye. The projects are all geared to allow novice crafters to transform readily available ingredients into pleasing gifts while adding their own unique personal touches. Especially nice are the recommendations for creating attractive gift packaging and presentation. Another nice touch is that all the recipes can be crafted on the kitchen and are "child-safe." We found the "flavor your own shampoo & bath gel" section a delightful source of rainy day activities for mother-daughter teams