Homemade soap class opens the door for in-home business opportunity

When Kathey and Marc Miller, owners of ol' folkie Products, decided to attend their first soap-making class at the in 2008, little did they know that they would be embarking on a potential business path for the future.

“I was going to attend the first class by myself, but when the class was in danger of being cancelled because of an empty spot, I persuaded my husband to come with me,” Mrs. Miller said.

Mrs. Miller originally opted to take the class because of her interest in handmade products and the fact that the amount of soap made in this one day class would cover the cost of attendance.

The first class didn’t go quite as well as Mrs. Miller had expected with only one half of the soap they created setting correctly, so she and her husband decided to take another class.

The second time around the soap came out great, but it was Mr. Miller who ended up getting  hooked on the soap-making process.

 “The first Christmas after learning how to make our own soaps, our friends and family were the original recipients of our handmade gifts. Everyone loved the results and from there we started getting requests for more,” Mrs. Miller said.

Mr. Miller expanded on the one basic recipe they were taught in class and went on to create his own special blends using all natural ingredients like almond oil and shea butter as well as adding different natural scent oils to make each soap blend unique.

Mr. Miller commented, “The process of making your own soap isn’t a quick one. You have to heat and stir your ingredients at a precise heating point then pour the mixture into a large mold where it sets for a couple of days. After setting properly you cut the large block into individual bars where it then has to cure for another 30 days.”  

Mrs. Miller explained that her husband hosts a weekly radio show on the local community station WRFG 89.3 where he goes by the moniker, ol’ folkie. Mr. Miller’s programming is decidedly more bluegrass- and blues-oriented, and the name seemed to fit. It also seemed a perfect fit to describe their product line which is all handmade the “old-fashioned” way.

Mr. Miller decided to expand his product offerings one day when a local clay company, Atlanta Clay, asked him to create a lotion bar. He was already using a fine ground clay which gives the soaps a silky feel, so he decided to take the challenge. The lotion bar became a success and later on Miller decided to expand his product line again by adding a shampoo bar.

“The shampoo bar and the lotion bar are great  for air travellers as they don’t have to worry about the carry on liquid restraint imposed by airports these days. We can also customize our products and label designs for special requests like weddings or corporate events,” Mr. Miller said.

The Millers are currently in the process if updating their website to allow customers to order on-line or request customized orders.

When it comes to handmade products in South Cobb, ol’ folkie Products certainly isn’t the only game in town, but they are quickly gaining a reputation of providing quality items at a reasonable price. By keeping their packaging simple, the Millers save on costs. Their 4- to 5-ounce soap bar, as their 2.5-ounce luxurious lotion bar sells for $5 as well.

The soap can last for weeks if it's allowed to dry between uses, the Millers explained.

Keeping in line with the idea of doing things the “old fashioned” way, Mrs. Miller is also an avid pottery maker and designer. 

“Our basement has become the company workshop these days and we are enjoying every minute of it,” she said.

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