The children at Rainbow Bridge felted wool coverings for bars of soap--making "soap in a sweater"--as presents for their parents. It becomes soap and washcloth in one, and works best with a soap dish in which it can drain. We used Ivory soap, wool roving for the first layer, and colored wool for the outer layer. Here's a picture of them unwrapping the soap when the felting process was finished.
To make your own, here is what you will need:
- Bars of soap. We use Ivory, but scented or rounded soap works well, too.
- Wool roving. Wrap the soap with three layers of wool roving (we used white, but colored wool would also work). Wrap in alternating directions.
- Colored wool: then let the children add thin layers to form a beautiful package.
- Sections of pantyhose, tied at one end. You'll need to help them put it inside and pull it tight, tying off both ends.
Tubs of water, as warm as the children will use. Use a few drops of dish soap (optional) and lather up a bar; let a child play with one as long as possible to felt the fibers. Depending on the age and energy of the child, you may need to rework this yourself so the fibers tighten around the soap and felt together 10-15 minutes?).
Rinse and let air dry. Drying can take a couple of days, depending on the weather. - Remove from the stocking, and voila!
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