Supplies & Materials: Potions

Before you buy anything, scholar, read this: the Level One list below is made of things you already own or can get for free. Level Two is for the scholar who wants the historically closer tools. Both levels teach the same craft.

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Back to the Potions Laboratory

A Note from Professor Muddlenook

Read this list the way you read a recipe: all the way through before you touch anything. Most of this laboratory runs on kitchen equipment and a bound notebook. When a lesson asks for something more, it will say so, plainly, before you need it.

PROFESSOR CRIMBLEBREW MUDDLENOOK
Potions Laboratory
Master Apothecary, Head of House Meridies

Level One: The Household Road

Level One is the household road. Everything on this side is a household item, a free material, or an inexpensive basic, and it is the whole course: every lesson runs on Level One stores alone. If you only ever shop this list, the course is complete for you.

Writing & the Archive

• Bound notebook or journal (your Recipe Journal) — L1, U1–U6
• Pens, pencils, permanent-ink pen, ruler — L1, U1–U6
• Index cards and small slips of paper — L1, U1–U2
• Adhesive label or bookplate — L1, U1

Workspace Setup

• A table, counter, desk, or clear corner — L1, U1
• Zone markers (masking tape, index cards, small trays, folded paper tents) — L1, U1
• Small basket, box, or tray (the receiving inbox) — L1, U1
• White paper sheets (bench background for honest observation) — L1, U2
• Newspaper or disposable cloth (surface protection) — L1, U5–U6

Labels & Marking

• Adhesive labels, masking tape, and marker — L1, U1–U6
• String or ribbon and scissors (tie-on labels) — L1, U1
• Paper, pencil, and clear tape (makeshift labels) — L1, U1

Vessels & Glasswork

• Glass jars with lids (mason jars, jam jars, sauce bottles, spice jars) — L1, U1–U6
• Small tins with lids — L1, U5–U6
• Heat-safe jars, mugs, and bowls — L1, U4–U5
• Saucepans and heat-safe pots — L1, U4–U5
• Small glass bottles with tight lids — L1, U4
• Glass stirring rod — L1 (chopstick) / L2, U1–U5

Measuring & Weighing

• Kitchen scale that reads in grams — L1, U4–U6
• Measuring spoons — L1, U4–U5
• Measuring cups — L1, U5
• Ruler or measuring strip — L1, U1–U6
• Timer, stopwatch, clock, or phone timer — L1, U2–U5
• Kitchen, candy, or instant-read thermometer — L1, U4–U6
• Magnifying glass or loupe — L1 / L2, U2–U3, U5

Grinding & Processing

• Mortar and pestle (stone, ceramic, or marble from the kitchen aisle) — L1, U1, U3
• Heavy ramekin plus wooden rolling pin handle (mortar stand-in) — L1, U1, U3
• Sturdy zip bag and rolling pin (coarse crushing) — L1, U3
• Fine mesh sieve, tea strainer, or small kitchen strainer — L1, U3
• Damp cloth or folded towel (to steady the mortar) — L1, U1
• Soft brush or clean pastry brush (sweeping powder between materials) — L1, U1
• Dust mask — L1, U1–U3

Straining & Filtering

• Clean cloth square (old cotton shirt, tea towel) — L1, U3–U4
• Paper coffee filters — L1, U3, U6
• Cheesecloth — L1, U3–U4
• Funnel (or rubber band to secure cloth over a jar mouth) — L1, U3–U4

Heat & Melting

• Kettle or heat-safe pot (adult handles the boiling water) — L1, U4
• Double boiler setup (saucepan plus heat-safe bowl that sits above the water) — L1, U4–U5
• Trivet or heatproof mat — L1, U4
• Oven mitts and dry folded towel — L1, U4–U6
• Wooden spoon, chopstick, or stir stick (never plastic near heat) — L1, U4–U5
• Candle warmer or supervised stovetop on lowest setting (wax melting) — L1, U1
• Low-temperature glue gun, or metal teaspoon with tealight and heat-safe saucer (sealing wax) — L1, U6
• Matches or lighter (handled by the adult) — L1, U6
• Ice cubes (cooling the still lid) — L1, U4

Solvents & Menstrua

• Water — L1, U1–U6
• Olive oil (plain, not extra-virgin for formulation work) — L1, U4–U5
• Sunflower, canola, or light cooking oil — L1, U4–U5
• White vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar — L1, U4
• Plain honey — L1, U4
• Vegetable glycerin (food or cosmetic grade, pharmacy or craft supplier) — L1/L2, U4
• Plain unflavored vodka, 80 proof (purchased, poured, and stored by an adult; study only) — L1, U4
• Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) — L1, U5–U6
• Liquid dish soap (stand-in emulsifier, study only) — L1, U5
• Kitchen vanilla extract (solid perfume scent) — L1, U6
• Plain lip balm or petroleum jelly (solid perfume wax base) — L1, U6

Kitchen Botanicals

• Dried oregano, dried thyme, dried mint, dried basil, dried rosemary, dried sage, dried lemon balm — L1, U1–U4
• Dried lavender buds and dried chamomile flowers — L1, U2–U5
• Bay leaves, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns — L1, U2–U4
• Coriander seed, cumin seed, cardamom pods, fennel seed, mustard seed, star anise — L1, U2
• Cinnamon stick, dried ginger pieces, dried turmeric root — L1, U3–U4
• Ground cinnamon, ground cumin, or ground black pepper (comparison) — L1, U2
• Coarse sea salt, fine table salt, dry rice, dried beans (practice materials) — L1, U1, U3
• Chamomile or peppermint tea bags (intake study and aging trials) — L1, U2, U6
• Black tea bags and instant or brewed coffee (paper aging) — L1, U6
• Red cabbage, ground turmeric, dark berries or raw beetroot (pigment study) — L1, U6
• Fresh rosemary sprigs, fresh rose petals (unsprayed), citrus peel (distillation) — L1, U4
• Thin-skinned orange (pomander) — L1, U6
• Clean sand, rinsed (filtration media) — L1, U3
• Garden soil (muddy-water filtration trial) — L1, U3
• Spoonful of clay soil from the garden — L1, U3
• Two or three plain charcoal briquettes or artist's charcoal sticks — L1, U6

Salts, Clays & Minerals

• Table salt (plain, no anti-caking if you can find it) — L1, U3
• Coarse salt: kosher or coarse sea salt — L1, U1, U3, U5
• Granulated white sugar — L1, U5
• Baking soda (pH trials) — L1, U6
• Powdered clay from a craft store (undyed, unfired) — L1, U3
• A lump of ochre, natural earth-tone chalk, or a spoonful of paprika (color stand-in; kept strictly separate from anything edible) — L1, U3
• Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) — L1/L2, U3, U5

Waxes, Fats & Binders

• Beeswax (block, pellets, or pastilles) — L1/L2, U4–U6
• Neutral oil: olive or sunflower oil — L1, U4–U5
• Soy wax flakes or clean pieces of old unscented candles — L1, U5
• Melt-and-pour soap base (clear or white, craft supplier) — L1, U5
• Pre-waxed wick with adhesive sticker base, or cotton string and a pencil — L1, U5
• Sealing wax sticks or wax beads — L1, U1, U6
• Powdered gum arabic (craft or art supply store; clear honey as experimental stand-in) — L1, U6
• Rosin / colophony (violin bow rosin from music shops, or pine resin) — L1, U4
• Parchment paper or silicone mat (casting surface) — L1, U6
• Cornstarch or talc (release agent for the seal matrix) — L1, U6

Color & Fragrance Materials

• Turmeric, cocoa powder, or paprika (natural soap tints) — L1, U5
• Dried lavender buds, calendula petals, or chamomile flowers (soap embeds; fully, crisply dry) — L1, U5
• Cling film (wrapping finished bars) — L1, U5
• A clean glass jar with a tight lid (cold aromatic blend study) — L1, U6
• Dried orange peel — L1, U5–U6
• Paper strips for test swatches — L1, U6
• Soft brush, cotton swab, or sharpened stick (laying down ink) — L1, U6
• A small paper bag (pomander drying stage) — L1, U6
• Toothpick or bamboo skewer (pre-piercing rind) — L1, U6

Sachet & Candle Hardware

• Muslin, cotton handkerchief, or cotton bandana (about 20 cm square) — L1, U5
• Dried botanicals, about half a cup (lavender buds classic; also rose petals, rosemary, chamomile, mint) — L1, U5
• Uncooked rice (neutral sachet filler) — L1, U5
• Ribbon, cord, or strip of cloth (about 30 cm) — L1, U5
• Newspaper (work surface protection) — L1, U5

Safety Supplies

• Dust mask (good practice for every grinding lesson) — L1, U1–U3
• Gloves (kitchen or disposable; cotton gloves for handling specimens) — L1/L2, U2–U3
• Apron or old shirt — L1, U5–U6
• Bowl of water within arm's reach (fire safety, incense observation) — L1, U6
• Safety goggles (adult demonstration observation, cold-process soap) — L1, U5

Nice to Have

Optional enrichment. The course is complete without any of these.

• Quill or dip pen with iron-gall-style ink (historical-hand labels) — L2, U1
• Brass candle snuffer — L2, U1
• Glassine envelopes (small specimen storage) — L2, U2
• Silica gel packets (saved from packaged goods; humidity control) — L2, U2
• A dedicated infusion shelf in a warm, dark cupboard — L2, U4
• Infrared thermometer (surface temperatures without touching) — L2, U4
• Brass or copper saucepan with ceramic or glass inner vessel — L2, U5
• Brass or copper whisk (the traditional beating tool) — L2, U5
• Seville or bitter orange (the traditional pomander fruit, in season) — L2, U6
• Loose-leaf black tea brewed strong (in place of tea bags) — L2, U6
• Soft natural-bristle brush (laying washes evenly) — L2, U6
• Blotting paper strips (even wicking) — L2, U6
• Wooden soap mold with a liner (the traditional casting vessel) — L2, U5
• Bound waste book or Failure Ledger section (the apothecary's failure record) — L2, U5
• Undyed wool or cotton cloth strip (mordant observation) — L2, U6

Order first, shop second, scholars. Most of this course asks nothing more of your purse than your kitchen already holds. What you do buy, buy once, label well, and keep for years. That is the apothecary's economy.

PROFESSOR CRIMBLEBREW MUDDLENOOK
Potions Laboratory
Master Apothecary, Head of House Meridies