We have a brilliant start to the season with our popular soapmaking workshops, and have just launched dates for the rest of the year. 

Margaret Raymond Florist: You can find us at 81 Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 7EU (map here).  In our classes you make a larger quantity of soap, do lots of experimenting, and have a wider range of ingredients to choose from as we teach from our own premises. This is suitable for all skill levels, please ask if you have a specific area you’d like to focus on so we can prepare specialist ingredients for you to use.

You can book online, in person in our shop at any time, or via telephone on 01702 300068.

Please see below for our current dates for 2024.

HALF DAY DIY WORKSHOP: 2 TYPES OF SOAPS

August 25th 2 – 6 pm £68 (LINK HERE)

October 27th 2 – 6 pm £68 (LINK HERE)

December 8th 2 – 6 pm £68 (LINK HERE)

HALF DAY DIY WORKSHOP: SOAP & 3 BALMS

14th July 2 – 6 pm £68 (LINK HERE)

22nd September 2 – 6pm £68 (LINK HERE)

24th November 2 – 6pm £68 (LINK HERE)

Private Hire Workshops: You can hire a private soap making workshop for a minimum of 4 persons. Get in touch to check dates.

Vouchers: We do offer gift vouchers, please ask and we’ll be glad to personalise one for you.

We have been teaching bath bomb classes in our shop and surrounds, and they have been so popular that we decided to add more dates so we can list them online as well. 

These classes take place at Margaret Raymond Florist, and spaces are limited. You can book in store, or by telephone 01702 3000 68. 

CHILDRENS CLASSES focus on fun, creative blending of colours and botanicals with child-safe essential oils. Each child makes a variety of bath fizzies to take home. 

The bath bombs pictured on the left were made by a seven year old in one of our recent children’s classes. We are so impressed! We have a range of fun shapes to play with, and only use natural colourants and essential oils. Suitable for ages 6+. Bookings must be made via telephone or in store.

Summer Holiday Dates:

24th July 10am – 12pm (£20)

7th August 10am – 12pm (£20)

21st August 10am – 12pm (£20)

ADULTS CLASSES focus on the aromatherapeutic elements of essential oils to make bespoke bath bombs for your home, including luxury ingredients like shea butter. You can book adults classes online here. 

25th July 6 – 8pm (£35)

22nd August 6 – 8pm (£35) 

Please get in touch if you’d like to attend our PITCH AND PLAY soapmaking classes. These are people who have already attended our INTRODUCTION TO COLD PROCESS soapmaking or who have made soap before.

You will be expected to have had some experience with cold process soapmaking before. You will be given recipes, plenty of ingredients to choose from, and loads of advanced techniques to experiment with.

You will make over 600g of soap in each class. These are the classes coming soon:

• Learn to make BEER soap
• Castille Soap
• Palm-free soapmaking
• Clay play (experimenting with clays and charcoal)
• Blends for Friends (invent a blend of essential oils for a batch of soaps with the help of an aromatherapist – great for gifts)
• Advanced swirling techniques

We will also be working with other talented makers to offer the following workshops:

• DIY Creams and Lotions
• DIY Lip Balms (beeswax and carnauba wax options)
• DIY Bath Bombs
• Soy wax candlemaking
• Aromatherapy blends

Learn how to make Cold Process Soap

We’re passionate about traditional crafts, and we’re reviving the art of cold process soapmaking in this fun workshop that covers the basics of oils and butters, proper safety, working with lye, choosing essential oils and botanicals, making soap at home, getting creative with swirls and techniques, and of course – soapmaking!

We don’t use artificial ingredients to scent or colour our soaps, so you’ll get creative with clays, botanicals and essential oils. In this half day workshop you will make two soap recipes, you’ll work with your chosen scents and designs, and you’ll take home plenty of info and experience to get you started on your soapmaking journey. You’ll also take home a selection of soaps from the day, some recipes, and a good understanding of the science behind soapmaking.

We keep workshops small so that you have fun, make friends and can ask plenty of questions while you get hands-on experience. That does mean that spaces are limited; if you miss out, please get in touch to join the waiting list in case of cancellations, or keep a look out for more dates which are added regularly.

Take it further

Already got the basics under your belt? Join us for experimental classes in advanced soapmaking techniques and learn how to make cold process soap with fruit purees, experiment with milks, and play with swirls, layering and textures. We also run fun “join in” workshops for those already familiar with the soapmaking process. You’ll learn to make a range of summer cocktail soaps (Gin & Tonic anyone?), or other seasonal soap varieties (Mulled Wine Soap, Cinnamon Soap) depending on the time of year.

We can also run workshops in the business of soapmaking for those who want to find out more about cosmetic safety assessment, EU regulations, and the necessary steps to take when you want to start up a soapmaking business.

What people say

“Was so therapeutic, thank you so  much for a really lovely day, thoroughly enjoyed it.” – Karen C

“Thank you for an amazing soap making session, it was absolutely lovely to meet you and learn so much in just a day.” – Tite P