“This is an exercise in creativity, agility, patience, science, and imagination,” said Amal Sabrawi, the Lebanese instructor who has curated a series of workshops for the comic station at the ongoing book fair.
“Kids can buy soap-making kits online or at any stationery shop, but here, we’re giving them a hands-on experience,” Amal explained.
For this workshop, the Skilldeer team provided a natural shea butter soap base, a pouring beaker, natural essential oils, natural soap dyes, stirrers, and a specially prepared Naruto mould exclusively created for the SIBF event.
“This is a unique soap since the mould isn’t available elsewhere. I’m really excited to make it,” said 10-year-old Diala Elsayed.
The instructors and crew began by melting soap pellets in a microwave, and placing small beakers, stirrers, essential oils, soap dyes, and Naruto moulds at each child’s workstation. Once melted, the crew poured the liquid soap into the beakers, instructing the children to gently but quickly stir the mix before pouring it into the moulds.
“We’ve mixed beeswax with the liquid soap here to speed up the drying process,” the instructor noted. “But when you melt soap pellets at home, remember to stir every 30 seconds and allow more time for the soap to set in the mould.”
After pouring the soap mixture into the moulds, the children waited for it to cool before carefully scraping away any excess. After about 15 minutes, they assessed if the soap had set and, once firm, gently peeled the mould to reveal their unique, colourful Naruto-shaped soaps.
Each small figurine was placed in a transparent box, held securely upright with double-sided tape, then closed and tied with a ribbon.
“Now you have a personalised gift that you can give to someone special, or keep it for yourself,” Amal said.
Workshops like these are an excellent way to encourage children to create, and the ongoing Sharjah Book Fair offers ample such opportunities. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the 43rd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair runs until 17 November at Expo Centre Sharjah. The event, which is centred around books, offers a wide range of programmes and workshops to engage and entertain visitors of all ages. For more information, visit www.sibf.com.
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