Here are simple recipes you can use to practice, one for each of the melting techniques — double boiler, slow cooker, and microwave. Experiment with them and combine elements of different ones until you come up with the method that is right for you.

Basic Hand-Milling Recipe, Double Boiler Method

• 1 pound shredded plain cold- or hot-process soap or 1 pound premade soap shreds
• 4 ounces water
• 3 to 6 drops food coloring
• 1 teaspoon dried herb
• 1 teaspoon fragrance oil or essential oil

1. Place the shreds in the top of a double boiler. Cover. Add the water and the food coloring. Place water in the bottom of the double boiler. Heat the water to boiling, then turn down to simmer. Stir gently. (Avoid vigorous stirring to keep the foam level to a minimum.)

2. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Don't let the boiler boil dry! Check the soap mass. It should have started to soften, and even become translucent by now. If it hasn't, just be patient, it will. Stir gently.

3. While the soap mass is heating, set out the rest of the ingredients. Check your soap every 10 minutes or so and keep adding water to the boiler. When the soap has taken on a translucent look and you can stir the water all the way through, you are ready to make the additions. Sprinkle the herbs over the mass and stir until evenly distributed.

4. Remove ⅓ cup of the soap mass and place it in a warmed glass bowl. Stir the fragrance material into this and then return it to the pan and stir it in thoroughly. If you want to alter the amounts of additives, make further additions and stir well.

5. Scrape the soap mass into heat-resistant molds. Pack well and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until soap is cooled. Turn the soap out of the mold. Cut into bars if you haven't used a bar mold. Let air-dry for a week or more, turning the bars so that they dry evenly.

Basic Hand-Milling Recipe, Slow Cooker Method

• 1 pound shredded plain cold- or hot-process soap or 1 pound premade soap shreds
• 4 ounces water
• 3 to 6 drops food coloring
• 1 teaspoon dried herb
• 1 teaspoon fragrance oil or essential oil

Keep checking your soap every half hour or so while the soap mass is heating. Depending on the slow cooker and the type of soap you are using, this method can take anywhere from an hour to overnight. You have to experiment to find out what's going to happen.

1. Place the shreds, water, and food coloring in a slow cooker. Cover. Turn the slow cooker to its lowest setting. Let the soap mass heat in the pot for about 15 minutes, or until the pot is up to temperature. Stir gently. (Avoid vigorous stirring to keep the foam level to a minimum.) Let it cook for 30 minutes.

2. Check the soap mass. It may have started to soften, and even become translucent by now. If it hasn't, just be patient, it will. Stir gently.

3. When the soap has taken on a translucent look and you can stir the water all the way through, you are ready to make the additions. Sprinkle the herb over the mass and stir until evenly distributed.

4. Remove ⅓ cup of the soap mass and place in a glass bowl. Stir the fragrance material into this and then return it to the pan and stir it in thoroughly. If you want to alter the amounts of additives, make further additions and stir well.

5. Scrape the soap mass into heat-resistant molds. Pack well and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until soap is cooled. Turn the soap out of the mold. Cut into bars if you haven't used a bar mold. Let air-dry for a week or more, turning the bars so that they'll dry evenly.

Basic Hand-Milling Recipe, Microwave Method

• 1 pound shredded plain cold- or hot-process soap or 1 pound premade soap shreds
• 4 ounces water
• 3 to 6 drops food coloring
• 1 teaspoon dried herb
• 1 teaspoon fragrance oil or essential oil

Check your soap every 3 minutes while it's heating. Depending on the microwave and the type of soap you're using, this could take from 15 to 30 minutes or more. You must experiment to know exactly what will happen.

1. Place the shreds in a microwave-safe glass bowl. Add the water and food coloring. Stir gently. (Avoid vigorous stirring to keep the foam level to a minimum.)

2. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the microwave oven. Set the oven on medium temperature and set the cooking time to 3 minutes.

3. Using oven mitts, remove the bowl from the microwave. Check the soap mass. It should have started to soften, and even become translucent by now. If it hasn't, just be patient, it will. Stir gently. Continue to heat the soap mass in intervals of 3 minutes, removing each time to check on the status. Be very careful; the soap mass will be very hot!

4. When the soap has taken on a translucent look and you can stir the water all the way through, you are ready to make the additions. Be very careful of escaping steam, don't stick your head over the bowl as you stir. Sprinkle the herb over the mass and stir until evenly distributed. Remove ⅓ cup of the soap mass and place in a glass bowl. Stir the fragrance material into this and then return it to the pan and stir it in thoroughly. If you want to alter the amounts of additives, make further additions and stir well.

5. Scrape the soap mass into heat-resistant molds. Pack well and smooth the top. Be careful about your molds; you can distort or completely melt a mold with the microwave-heated soap mass. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until soap is cooled. Turn the soap out of the mold. Cut into bars if you haven't used a bar mold. Let air-dry for a week or more, turning the bars so that they'll dry evenly.

Unmolding

Getting hand-milled soap out of the mold can be a challenge. You'll have to use trial and error. Some batches are just stickier than others. Some may release with no trouble at all, and others may take extended time in the molds before they'll release.