 INTRODUCTION

Carving involves cutting or chipping away a shape from a mass of stone, wood, or other hard material.
Carving is subtractive process whereby material is systematically eliminated from the outside in.

Soap and soapstone sculpture is entirely a carving process, cutting down the figure rather than adding to
it. EASY TO HANDLE, soapstone is worked with a sharp knife or razor blade and a rasp for removing large
areas.

 WHAT IS SOAP CARVING

1. ITS MEANING

ASMR videos show cutting soaps in various methods, generally, but traditional soap carving is more
about lightly scraping your soap to get intricate details. While sculpting with higher-grade materials
allows for minimal error, sculpting and carving with soap will enable you to fix minor problems. This is an
excellent way for someone to practice and explore their sculpting interests without breaking the bank,
or it may even be a great method of therapeutic crafting for some as well.

2. HISTORY

PART 1: History tells us that in preparation for the Loi Krathong festival, one of the King's servants
named Nang Noppamart thought about how she could improve her decorations. As the festival calls for
decorated baskets to float on a river, she carved a flower and bird to enhance her basket, sparking a
tradition. Narong's work thus comes from a long cultural heritage. Though soap and vegetable carving
fell out of popularity after the 1932 Siamese revolution, it is now gaining in popularity with young
children often taught the craft in school. From more traditional floral patterns and dragons to
contemporary figures, Narong is pushing the limits of what is possible with soap carving.

PART 2Even during the dark times of the Great Depression, Americans still bought soap. These
competitions from Proctor & Gamble proved to be an affordable pastime to get one’s mind off reality, if
only for a little while. After this period in time, soap carving began to fall in popularity, though it never
faded out entirely. There is still a community of people who enjoy soap carving and find joy and
relaxation in art. 

3. IN MODERN TIMES

Traditional soap carving is rising in popularity among the masses. There could be a number of different
things that cause your interest in soap carving in particular, but one of the most influential media that
leads to soap carving is the ASMR videos that are shared across social platforms internationally.

ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, has become a craved sensation all around the
world, resulting in the production of thousands of videos. Soap is used in these videos on a regular basis,
the soap being used with instruments to create a sound. The sounds that are produced trigger ASMR, a
euphoric sensation in your brain and scalp.
This ASMR media led to the rising popularity in carving soap, which ultimately resulted back in what is
known as traditional soap carving for some crafters!

 Soap carving tips

Use the tips below (pwede mong dagdagan, itagalog mo na lang ibang explaination mo ditto)

1. Choose your soap wisely.

While any type of soap can work, consider color and texture when choosing for your students.
Also, fragranced soaps can become overpowering after a while. I’ve also found rectangular
shapes tend to work better than curved bars.
2. Set up a designated workspace.
Lay down newsprint or other paper to gather shavings as students work to make cleanup more
efficient.
3. Take measures to keep the soap workable.
Keep the in-progress sculptures in plastic bags to preserve the moisture of the soap and keep it
from drying out and becoming brittle.
4. Encourage students to work slowly and be conservative as they carve.
It’s always possible to carve more away, but very hard to add material back.
5. Save some shavings. 
Students can make limited repairs with water and soap shavings, which is why it’s helpful to
keep some of the shavings!
6. Keep warm water on-hand.
Dipping cutting tools in warm water helps keep breakage to a minimum.

 Tools and Raw Materials

The several types of tools and raw materials required for the soap carving are as follows.
Bathing Bars: (pwede mong dagdagan, itagalog mo na lang ibang explaination mo ditto)

Soaps are used as the basic material for the craft.

Sharp (pointed) Tool:
It is generally used to draw the outlines of the motifs.
Modeling Tool:
It is used for more intricate points.
Gouge:
It is used to carve out the materials with circular, semicircular shapes.
Thai Knife:
Thai shaped knifes used for major carvings.
Cuticle Pusher:
 It is used in some cases for very fine line work carving.
Cloth:
To keep the soap surface dry and easier for carving by keeping it away from air and water molecules.
V tool:
It is used to give more detailed carving on the soap surfaces.
Tooth Pick:
It is used to remove out the small intricate materials from soap surface.

Pencils:
It is used to draw the outlines of the figures to be carved.
Cutting Tool:
It is used for cutting channels of different sizes for removing the soap surfaces.

 HOW TO MAKE A SOAP CARVING

PROCEDURE:

Step 1: Research

First, students will research their animals/objects and locate multiple images to use for reference. They
should locate various views to help with the three-dimensional aspect of the project.

Step 2: Sketch

After they’ve completed their brainstorming, it’s time to sketch! Students will be required to create a
plan utilizing at least three views of the sculpture. A top view, bottom view, and side view. This step
pushes them to think about their work in the round, rather than in a two-dimensional sense. It also
helps them to plan out what parts and spaces of the soap to carve.

Step 3: Carve

A great strategy to start with is to lightly trace an outline of their sculpture on the soap surface. Students
can begin to roughly carve out the shape of their sculpture with larger tools, before going back in to
work on details with more delicate tools.

Process:
STEP 1: SELECT YOUR SOAP
Choose a bar of soap. Any soap will do, but the harder the soap, the more difficult it will be to cut. On
the other hand, if it is soft instead of firm, it will be more likely to crumble. Rectangular soap is easier to
cut for beginners than round soap. The color you use is up to you and your project idea.
STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR KNIVES
Get a knife. A carving or paring knife is perfect for whittling down the soap into a basic shape. Soap is
often soft enough that kids can use butter knives, plastic knives, spoons, or popsicle sticks. For detail
work, you may wish to get a finer knife such as a detailing knife or substitute in an orangewood stick or
toothpick
STEP 3: DRAW YOUR TEMPLATE
Decide on the subject. What you make out of the soap is only limited by your imagination. Experienced
carvers make highly-detailed flowers and animals. For beginners, choose a block shape such as a turtle,
fish, or heart. These patterns fit the shape of the soap bar and don’t require much detail work.
STEP 4: TRANSFER TEMPLATE TO SOAP
Draw an outline. You can use a pencil to make the outline or you can etch the outline into the soap using
a knife, orangewood stick, or toothpick. This basic outline shows you what parts of the soap you need to
remove.
STEP 5: ROUGH OUT THE SHAPE
Slice away the outside portions. These cuts can be roughly done, but the soap may crumble if you try to
go too fast. Slice off the edges of the soap, starting at one of the corners. Cut down to your line so that
your soap forms the basic shape of your design.
Try using the knife as you would when peeling a potato, keeping it between your finger and thumb and
pulling it forward through the soap.
STEP 6: REFINE THE CARVING
Begin detail work. At this point, you may want to switch to a pointed knife, orange wood stick, plastic
fork, toothpick, or other sharp, precise instrument. Work from the middle of the bar and drag the
implement to scrape out small details such as eyes, scales, and petals
STEP 7: FINISHING THE CARVING
Polish the soap. Carefully use your fingers or a paper towel to remove any soap shavings left on the
surface. Use as little pressure as possible. The soap will be fragile if you added a lot of details. Wet your
finger and rub the surface to create a smoother finish. Let the soap dry for a day if you do this.

 ADVANTAGE

Its advantage is one of permanency and durability, while retaining the desirable characteristic of relative
softness. It does possess a grain, but the hazards of chipping and splitting are quite small.

Soap provides an excellent medium for people wanting to dip their toes into the art of carving. Not only
is it enjoyable, but all the skills and techniques you learn in soap carving can be used in other mediums –
wood, stone, or even fruits and vegetables.

 Disadvantage

The bar may be held in the hand and carved or peeled like an apple, but it is often more difficult to
control. The soap also becomes warm and mushy from the heat of a hand. Work slowly. Take only small
portions of the soap away at a time. (pwede mong dagdagan, itagalog mo na lang ibang explaination mo
ditto)
  IMPORTANCE OF SOAP CARVING

IMPORTANCE

Today, soap carving is a cheap way of learning if you enjoy sculpting and offers a hobby if you happen to
want to fill some of your free time. It is also a great way of keeping your sculpting inexpensive, as you
can use anything from cheap brands of white soap bars to luxury soap bars of choice.

It isn’t uncommon to find soap carving being used in grade schools or other environments that involve
teaching art to kids. However, it is just as common to find soap carving being utilized in the professional
workshops of sculptors, especially if their primary medium is the cleansing item. While it may seem a tad
unlikely, there are people out there who have professions in soap carving, making their liveliness by
sculpting this affordable medium into a beautiful piece of art.

BENEFITS

It's pleasing to the senses. 

From a tactile standpoint, it's unbelievably satisfying. The blade glides along the bar of soap, shaving off
smooth, curly ribbons and slivers that release soapy fragrance into the air. (pwede mong dagdagan,
itagalog mo na lang ibang explaination mo ditto)

It's stress-relieving.
You will find the act of working with soap soothing, refreshing, and cathartic. (pwede mong dagdagan,
itagalog mo na lang ibang explaination mo ditto)

MEMBERS:
Capa Jan Andre Castro
Crisanta Marie Ferrer
Felicite Regodon
Frances Imere
Juañ Ceasar
Julie Ann Guba
Perez Arshie
Reyna Mae Calicdan
Yvanna Joyce