Entry No. 60 — the Des Moines file — filed under: hands-on

By Wysteria

A small by-appointment maker's studio near Drake University offering candle, perfume, and cold-process soap classes for adults. The soap class is the standout: you make real lye-based cold-process soap, which is genuinely a bit of chemistry and has to cure for four to six weeks before you can use it, so you leave with bars you collect later. Candle and perfume parties run two hours, take four to ten people, and you're welcome to bring your own food and drinks.

The move: Book the two-of-you into a cold-process soap session, mix lye and oils into your own scented bars, and come back in a month to collect the cured soap.

📍 Before you go By appointment, 7 days a week, with a 4-person minimum on most classes; soap classes cap at 6. Cold-process soap needs 4-6 weeks to cure before pickup. BYO food and drink allowed.

• 📍 Drake neighborhood, Des Moines
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 1208 42nd Street, Des Moines, IA 50311

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23