How to Make Soap, Butter, and More With Just a Few Ingredients

You don’t need a pantry full of fancy ingredients to make useful things from scratch. In fact, some of the best homemade staples only take two or three things—and you’ve probably got most of them sitting around already.

If you’re looking to cut back on store trips, save a little money, or just get more hands-on with the stuff you use every day, these projects are a great place to start. From butter to soap, here’s how to get it done with what you’ve got.

Churn Homemade Butter From Heavy Cream

All you need is heavy cream and a jar—or a stand mixer if you want to make it easier. Shake or whip it long enough and the cream will split into butter and buttermilk. Strain off the liquid and rinse the butter with cold water to clean it.

Add a pinch of salt if you want, then store it in the fridge. That’s it. No mystery, no fancy gear. Just cream, some elbow grease, and a little patience.

Make Lard or Tallow From Animal Fat

Rendering fat is a smart way to use every part of the animal. Cut pork fat (for lard) or beef fat (for tallow) into small pieces and heat it low and slow—either on the stove or in a slow cooker. Strain out the cracklings once it melts.

Let it cool, and you’ve got shelf-stable fat for cooking, soap, or salves. It lasts months and replaces store-bought oil without a problem.

Whip Up Basic Bar Soap With Lye and Fat

Old-school soap only needs lye, fat (like lard, tallow, or olive oil), and water. Mix the lye into water—never the other way around—then blend that with warmed fat until it thickens. That’s called trace.

Pour it into a mold and let it cure for a few weeks. Use proper safety gear, because lye burns if handled wrong. It sounds complicated, but once you’ve done it, it’s just another useful skill in your back pocket.

Ferment Veggies With Just Salt and Water

Lacto-fermentation is about as simple as it gets. Chop your veggies—cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, whatever—and pack them into a jar. Mix water with salt (about 1 tablespoon per 2 cups of water) and pour it over the veggies.

Weigh everything down so it stays below the brine. Let it sit at room temp for a few days to a week, depending on how tangy you like it. That’s it—no vinegar, no heat, just salt, water, and time.

Make Your Own Simple Cheese

If you’ve got milk and either lemon juice or vinegar, you can make a basic farmer’s cheese. Heat the milk to just below boiling, then stir in the acid. It’ll curdle right away.

Strain the curds through cheesecloth, let it drain, and press it if you want a firmer texture. Salt it to taste. It’s not fancy, but it’s good—and it uses ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Make Homemade Yogurt With Milk and Culture

Yogurt only needs two things: milk and a little bit of plain yogurt with live cultures. Heat the milk to about 180°F, then cool it to around 110°F. Stir in a spoonful of yogurt, wrap it in towels, and let it sit warm for 6–12 hours.

You’ll end up with thick, tangy yogurt that you can strain for Greek-style or eat as-is. Save a bit as your starter for the next batch.

Mix a Natural All-Purpose Cleaner

White vinegar and citrus peels are all you need for a good cleaner. Fill a jar with lemon or orange peels, cover with vinegar, and let it steep for two weeks. Strain it and pour into a spray bottle.

Use it on counters, sinks, and just about anywhere that needs a wipe-down. It smells better than plain vinegar and still cuts through grime. No weird chemicals, no nonsense.

Build a Simple Salve With Oil and Beeswax

For cuts, scrapes, or dry hands, a homemade salve does the trick. Melt down one part beeswax with three to four parts oil (like olive oil or infused herbal oil). Stir while it cools and pour into tins or jars.

Once it sets, it’s ready to use. Add a drop of essential oil if you want, but it works just fine without. Great for sore hands after a long day of fencing, splitting wood, or just being outside.

Make Bread With Just Flour, Water, and Salt

You don’t need yeast to make bread—just time. Mix flour, water, and a pinch of salt into a shaggy dough. Let it sit overnight to ferment (that’s your wild yeast working), then knead, shape, and bake it.

It won’t rise like store-bought sandwich bread, but it’ll be dense, chewy, and full of flavor. This is how people made bread for centuries—and it still works just fine today.

Render Beeswax for DIY Projects

If you’ve got access to raw beeswax from your own hives or a local source, it’s easy to clean it up for use. Melt it in a double boiler with a little water underneath, then strain it through cheesecloth to catch dirt and debris.

Let it cool and harden, then store it in blocks or break it up for balms, candles, or waterproofing. Pure beeswax lasts forever and has a hundred uses around the homestead.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.