We had the privilege of vendoring at two Earth Day events this month. The first was midweek at Indiana State University and the second was the following Saturday at Saint Mary of the Woods College, White Violet Center for Eco-Justice. We really enjoyed both of these events. The weather was spectacular each day and there was a comfortable, happy feel in the air.
We decided to demo how to felt a bar of soap at our first Earth Day celebration. The process is not difficult and one we really enjoy. Jessica, our assistant, was on hand with me (Julie) at the show. She took care of helping customers with their purchases while I demonstrated the felting process and answered questions about it. We had several thousand students and visitors come thru during the time we were set up, it was great to meet and talk to so many new people.
The process of wet felting wool onto a bar of soap will actually make the bar of soap inside last longer than a traditional bar of soap. When the wool gets wet it does not feel rough or scratchy, rather it softens up and provides a gentle exfoliation. Using a wool felted bar of soap feels much like using a washcloth and soap all in one.
Indiana State University sent out a press release on our demonstration plans and we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves on the front page of Valley Life the Sunday before the event. It prompted us to make several wool felted soap kits so our clients could make their own bars at home. They were a success and everyone seemed to like them with a few customers even sending us pictures of the bars they made at home. The kits come with all the supplies needed to make one bar of felted soap along with directions and your choice of bar of soap.
Although we did not do any demo at the following event at Saint Mary’s we did have a great time connecting with our customers one on one. The pace of that show was a little slower and just perfect for visiting and catching up. The campus at Saint Mary’s is old, well maintained and stunningly beautiful, if you ever find yourself in the area I would highly recommend you take a few minutes to relax, recharge and reconnect with the Earth there.