Varieties of scents filled the IZone Makerspace room at Werth Tower on Wednesday, Sept. 24, as students came in to make their own soap bars. Hosted by the Innovation Zone and facilitated by maker specialist Britney Nguyen, this event was the perfect way to destress in a calm environment.
“We have a large variety of different smells, we have one 24-set of typical essential oils that include lavender, rosemary, scents like that,” said Nguyen. “Then we have our weird scents, it’s a twelve-pack of really random scents. We have one called baked milk. We also have over 24 colors for students to choose from and around 30 different types of molds.”
The event was open to 12 students and registration was required prior to the event. The soap-making process itself took around one to two hours, but the event ran from 4 to 8 p.m., so students were welcome to come in later if they were busy until a certain time.
“Honestly, I always wanted to do more of the creative events and incorporate more crafty things,” said Nguyen. “I feel like doing that will bring in more people to come in because a lot of times people are more intimidated coming in to learn how to make a cutting board or a coaster, but soap making is just relatively easy.”
Nguyen gave a brief introduction to the Innovation Zone, explaining to students about each of the three spaces, including the Makerspace room where they were for the soap-making event. Nguyen then passed around scents, colors and molds so participants could start looking at what they would like to use.
Students also had the option to use shea butter or an alternative for those who may be allergic. With all the color, scent and mold possibilities, students were able to create two soap bars.
“One of the most enjoyable parts for me has been meeting other people who are in different majors and different years from me,” said Aoife Niles, a first-semester animal science major.
The soap-making process began with two students going at a time, as there were two burners available, giving other students the opportunity to mingle with one another while they waited.
Nguyen asked the participants if they had a preference for background music, ensuring they enjoyed the experience to its full potential. Participants also asked about her experience joining the Innovation Zone and what the process was like for those interested in joining as well.
While the soap was forming in its mold, students were able to leave and return if they wanted to get dinner or get something else done during that time. Many chose to stay and continue talking to the new people they met.
“We do have a lot of student outreach events called skillshares, and we typically have two per month each semester,” said Nguyen when asked about other events that the Innovation Zone holds. “The one before this was fairy light wall designs, we also have Halloween piñatas, fall picture frames, gingerbread houses and something that we like to do towards the end of the semester is a Bob Ross paint night.”
After around 45 minutes, students were able to take their soaps out of the molds and see their creations. The Skillshare concluded with Nguyen handing out goodie bags provided by her and the Innovation Zone for participants to put their soap bars into.
With midterms coming up, events like this one are perfect for attending and de-stressing. Upcoming October events include making your own cutting board on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 6 to 10 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 18, from 2 to 6 p.m., as well as Halloween piñatas on Monday, Oct. 27, from 4 to 8 p.m.