Photo by Carol English
Saturday, March 28, 2026
1 - 4 pm
This small-group soap making workshop in Carleton Place, Ontario offers a hands-on introduction to cold process soap making using traditional methods and local ingredients.
“If you’ve ever wanted to try making soap, this course is a great way to start. ”
Your great-grandmother was resourceful - she used what she had around her.
Rendering lard and tallow, pressing oils sourced from local farmers and foraging herbs and botanicals,. Families and communities pooled their abundance, shared their knowledge, and made simple, natural, homegrown products together.
To nourish, heal and care for their skin.
They knew where every ingredient came from. How the seasons unfolded and what that meant for the harvest. They knew the quality of what they were working with and the hands that had tended it. Supported by the land, the animals they cared for, and their neighbours.
Nothing was wasted. Trimmed fat from animals — often discarded today — became soap. Rich, gentle, nourishing soap.
And that soap? It's extraordinary for your skin.
Lard and tallow are remarkably similar in composition to human skin.
Non-drying.
Vitamin and nutrient rich.
A moisturizing cleanse.
Adding botanicals for their therapeutic properties, natural exfoliation and colour.
Free from preservatives, sulfates and parabens — and the hormone disruptors that come with them.
Sustainable, cost-effective and accessible.
When making batches at home, customize them for your skin type throughout the seasons. A gritty exfoliating bar for garden-worn hands. Soft and luxurious for the shower. A bar gentle enough for a baby. Goat milk or botanicals to soothe skin conditions.
Ingredients you know, like and trust. Made by your hands, grown in your community.
“I love how my soap turned out, thanks for a very positive experience”
You'll learn the theory while being steeped in the hands on tradition of making soap.
Come learn the foundations of cold process bar soap — made with locally rendered lard and sunflower oil. Simple. Traditional.
A foundational soap recipe and formulation resources as a PDF
Framework to customize soap for your skin throughout the seasons
Soap made collaboratively and shared (approximately 4–5 bars each)
Demonstration of rendering lard or tallow
Light snacks and tea
You'll leave with soap in hand - and a process that will live on in your home.
Carry forward the same values - local, seasonal, nothing wasted - as your great-grandmother. Made by your hands, shared with your family and community.
Melissa Cornacchia
Hi, I’m Melissa — the Honeybee of the Homestead.
I’ve been a homesteader, folk herbalist, forager, naturalist, and farm hand for over 16 years, learning through hands-on practice and reconnecting with traditional ways of living in co-creation with the Earth.
I’ve been making cold process bar soap for over 15 years and have taught many people along the way. In the past two years, about 200 people have attended this workshop, some continuing the practice at home and others growing it into something more.
When I’m not at the homestead, you’ll find me dancing or teaching dance, frolicing in the forest, and participating in community events.
Photos by Carol English and Cassandra Postma
what participants have to say…
“I was very happy to walk away with an understanding of the foundation of making soap (especially the lye part, which is why I wanted to learn in an in-person setting) and taking some soap home to cut and cure.”
“Thank you so much for the soap class. I really found it inspiring to try on my own. I’ve recruited a few friends for a group making afternoon in the future.”
Saturday, March 28, 2026
1 - 4 pm
CANCELLATION POLICY:
We are not able to offer refunds on workshop registrations, however your seat can be transferred to another person. Please contact hello@honeybeehomestead.ca to let us know of any last minute changes.
We require a minimum of 6 students per class. Workshops may be cancelled if our minimum registration has not been reached by one week before the workshop date. In this case, a full refund will be issued.
We host private soap making workshops!
Think team building, birthdays, bachelorettes, girl's nights, etc.!