One way to make it easier to see trailings is to place a work light directly over your pot so that you can see the surface better. If you cannot see trailings after stirring for a long time, (an hour is about the maximum time you should have to stir, you can assume the trailings are there and proceed with the next step.

Stirring can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, so be prepared by getting into a comfortable position beforehand or having a helper (with full safety gear) ready to spell you from time to time.

Step 12: Once you have finished the stirring process, pour the liquid soap carefully into your primary mold. Use a spatula to make sure you get all the soap off the sides of your pot and remember, "Waste not, want not."

Step 13: Put the lid on your primary mold and wrap the entire mold in insulating material such as old towels or blankets. The idea here is to ensure that your liquid soap does not cool too quickly, which can result in cracking or breaking. Even worse, you could have separation of fat and lye within the mixture.

Step 14: Allow 48 hours to pass, and then unwrap and open up your primary mold. While wearing your rubber gloves, touch the surface of the soap (the soap is still caustic at this point). You should be able to leave an impression on the surface of the soap, which should still be slightly warm.

Take this opportunity to check your soap thoroughly to ensure it appears solid. If you see areas of liquid, stop immediately and go to the problems and concerns section for advice. If your soap is still very soft on the surface, you can leave it uncovered for a day of two to help it dry. Do not worry about your soap not being cool enough at this point to prevent cracking or fat-lye separation.

Step 15: Grasp the sides of your primary mold and pull them away from the soap. The next step is to flip the mold over, preferably over a plastic tub or laundry sink. Push gently on the bottom of the mold to release the soap. Take care not to force the soap out of the mold. If it does not pop out of the mold somewhat easily, it may require more drying time.

Step 16: Now it is decision time - you must decide whether to cut your soap into bars or whether you want to hand mill it. If you want to hand mill it, check out our section on advanced soap making techniques. If you would prefer to cut your soap into simple bars, proceed to the next step.

Step 17: To cut your soap into bars, first place it on a clean surface such as a large cutting board or a sheet of builder's plastic. You should avoid countertops, as the soap may still be caustic and stain or damage Formica and other countertop materials. You are going to let the soap dry further in the open air, so be sure to put it in an out of the way place to prevent accidents.

Step 18: After a few days, your soap should be hard. Now it is time to cut it. Figure out how large you would like your bars to be and then cut a piece of cardboard that size to use as a template. Because the bars will shrink after you cut them, be sure to add about one-half-inch to each side. Use a nail or an ice pick to score the surface of your block so that it is ready for cutting.

Step 19: Once your block is scored and ready, you want to heat the blade of your sharp knife under a hot tap or in a bowl of hot water. Go ahead and cut your bars, being very careful to keep your cuts straight up and down so that each block has sides that are as flat as possible.

Step 20: Now that you have a batch of soap bars, they must cure for at least two weeks. During this curing process, the bars will shrink somewhat and become much less caustic. Before you set your soap aside to cure, make sure it is on a white or colorless surface, and that no inks are on this surface. If you are not careful, you may produce soap that has the nutritional ingredients of your favorite breakfast cereal imprinted on its surface.

Step 21: To test if the soap is fully cured, try washing your hands with it. If it is still caustic, you will likely feel a stinging sensation from the unsaponified lye seeping into little nicks or cuts on your hands.

If you have followed these instructions, you should now have a batch of homemade, all natural soap bars. If you enjoyed this process, practice it a few times before moving on to more advanced soaps.

Go to soap making for additional information and more soap making tips.