Autumn is upon us and to celebrate we’ve created this gorgeous soap project full of colorful leaves. This project takes advantage of the clarity of Bramble Berry’s House Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base to highlight the depth created by layering the soap leaves. You can even customize this project to mimic the new spring leaves come springtime.
What You’ll Need:
27 oz Clear Melt and Pour Base
27 oz White Melt and Pour Base
Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block
Non-Bleeding Perfect Orange Color Block
Shimmer Light Gold Color Block
Non-bleeding Perfect Red Color Block
Shimmer Cappuccino Color Block
Non-Bleeding Chrome Green Color Block
1 teaspoon Iridescent Glitter
0.5 oz Arabian Spice Fragrance Oil
3 mL diluted Aqua LabColor
Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: Cut and melt 12 oz of Clear Melt and Pour base into small, 1 inch cubes. Melt in the microwave on 30 second bursts, add 1 teaspoon of glitter, 5 mL of Red Apple Fragrance Oil and then divide into six different containers. Each container should hold about 2 oz of melt and pour base. Then, color each container with shavings from a single color block. Remember, the color blocks are WYSIWYG, so add more or less color according to your preference.
TWO: For this step, pick two colors that are complimentary and simultaneously pour the two colors into the Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold. Move your hands as you pour to create interesting patterns, and you can even drag a chopstick or dowel through the soap to give it an extra swirl. TIP: I used three separate Glossy Silicone Square Tray Molds so we could pour all three color pairs at once, but if you are working with just one mold, you can wait 15 minutes and let the soap dry, unmold it and then pour your next set of colors.
THREE: After about 15 minutes, unmold the flat, colored layer of soap. Cut out the leaves on the free Bramble Berry Fall Leaves Template, then use a Clean Up Tool to trace the outlines onto the soapy leaves. This part takes some patience and precision, but it’s totally worth it! After you’ve traced light outlines on the soapy leaves, they are easy (but time consuming!) to cut out with a craft knife.
FOUR: Cut out about two dozen leaves and then set them aside. Then, cut and melt about 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base. Add 3 mL of Red Apple fragrance and stir, and then pour the layer into the Brownie Tray Mold. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the layer to form a thick skin, spray the soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol, and then arrange the soapy leaves in a “pile” on the clear soap.
FIVE: Repeat the process of cutting and melting 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base, adding fragrance, letting it dry, spraying isopropyl alcohol and arranging a new layer of leaves until you’ve filled about half the mold. I repeated this process three times, but it may be different for you depending on how many leaves you originally cut out. Be careful to pour when your clear soap is at 130 degrees or less. If you pour any hotter, you risk melting your pretty leaves!
SIX: Cut and melt 27 oz. of White Melt and Pour base. Once the soap has been fully melted, mix in 0.5 oz. of Arabian Spice FO and 3 mL of diluted Aqua Blue Lab Color. Once the soap has cooled to 130°F or below, and the soap in the Brownie Tray Mold has formed a thick skin, spray the molded soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol and pour the blue soap over it. Spray again with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubble and surface tension. Let the soap dry overnight and then unmold and cut!
Give the soap 1 – 2 hours to dry before unmolding and then cut, wrap and enjoy. Want wrapping tips? This is a great video to watch for help with your soap wrapping.
Want tips on wrapping your beautiful melt and pour soaps to prevent them from sweating? Check out this Soap Queen TV video on quick and easy packaging techniques!
- 27 oz Clear Melt and Pour Base
- 27 oz White Melt and Pour Base
- Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block
- Non-Bleeding Perfect Orange Color Block
- Shimmer Light Gold Color Block
- Non-bleeding Perfect Red Color Block
- Shimmer Cappuccino Color Block
- Non-Bleeding Chrome Green Color Block
- 1 teaspoon Iridescent Glitter
- 8 ml Red Apple Fragrance Oil
- 0.5 oz Arabian Spice Fragrance Oil
- 3 mL diluted Aqua LabColor
- Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold
- Clean-up Tool
- Fall Leaves Template (PDF)
- Cut and melt 12 oz of Clear Melt and Pour base into small, 1 inch cubes. Melt in the microwave on 30 second bursts, add 1 teaspoon of Glitter, 5 mL of Red Apple Fragrance Oil and then divide into six different containers. Each container should hold about 2 oz of melt and pour base. Then, color each container with shavings from a single color block. Remember, the color blocks are WYSIWYG, so add more or less color according to your preference.
- or this step, pick two colors that are complimentary and simultaneously pour the two colors into the Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold. Move your hands as you pour to create interesting patterns, and you can even drag a chopstick or dowel through the soap to give it an extra swirl. TIP: I used three separate Glossy Silicone Square Tray Molds so we could pour all three color pairs at once, but if you are working with just one mold, you can wait 15 minutes and let the soap dry, unmold it and then pour your next set of colors.
- After about 15 minutes, unmold the flat, colored layer of soap. Cut out the leaves on the free Bramble Berry Fall Leaves Template, then use a Clean Up Tool to trace the outlines onto the soapy leaves. This part takes some patience and precision, but it’s totally worth it! After you’ve traced light outlines on the soapy leaves, they are easy (but time consuming!) to cut out with a craft knife.
- Cut out about two dozen leaves and then set them aside. Then, cut and melt about 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base. Add 3 mL of Red Apple fragrance and stir, and then pour the layer into the Brownie Tray Mold. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the layer to form a thick skin, spray the soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol, and then arrange the soapy leaves in a “pile” on the clear soap.
- Repeat the process of cutting and melting 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base, adding fragrance, letting it dry, spraying isopropyl alcohol and arranging a new layer of leaves until you’ve filled about half the mold. I repeated this process three times, but it may be different for you depending on how many leaves you originally cut out. Be careful to pour when your clear soap is at 130 degrees or less. If you pour any hotter, you risk melting your pretty leaves!
- Cut and melt 27 oz. of White Melt and Pour base. Once the soap has been fully melted, mix in 0.5 oz. of Arabian Spice FO and 3 mL of diluted Aqua Blue Lab Color. Once the soap has cooled to 130°F or below, and the soap in the Brownie Tray Mold has formed a thick skin, spray the molded soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol and pour the blue soap over it. Spray again with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubble and surface tension. Let the soap dry overnight and then unmold and cut!
- Give the soap 1 – 2 hours to dry before unmolding and then cut, wrap and enjoy. Want wrapping tips? This is a great video to watch for help with your soap wrapping.
Will the Arabian Spice discolor the final blue layer?
Hi Kara!
It can discolor that layer. To combat that, you can add the same amount of Vanilla Color Stabilizer as the Arabian Spice Fragrance Oil. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Vanilla Color Stabilizer: https://www.brambleberry.com/Vanilla-Color-Stabilizer-P4156.aspx
I noticed when I click on “melt and pour” in the sidebar of this site that this tutorial doesn’t show up. The most recent one it shows is the leopard spots tutorial!
Hi Leanna!
It comes up just fine for us, so it sounds like it might be a browser issue. You can clear the cache on the internet browser you are using and restart it and that should help it right out! =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Liked the soaps and made some today, however I used a small leaf cookie cutter. It worked great. First bar I poured the second layer of soap to soon, 🙁 it melted the leaves. Learned from that fast. Joy
Hi Joy!
Pouring layers can be a little tricky, but with patience you can create so many fun projects. We can’t wait to see how your soaps turn out, be sure to share pictures with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page. =)
Happy Soaping!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry
Hello! I’m back into the soaping groove! What beautiful Autumn soap : )
Michelle
Good morning, Michelle!
We are so happy to hear that you have gotten back int your soaping groove. If you get a chance to make this soap, be sure to give us your feedback. =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Love those swirled leaves. They look beautiful. Thanks for sharing
Hi Odette!
We hope you get a chance to try out this recipe, and if you get any pictures, you can share them with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page. =)
Happy Soaping!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry
I noticed when I selected to add all items to cart it didn’t include the clean up tool or the molds. Are they sold out or is my cart glitches?
Great catch, Leanna. That’s been fixed now 🙂
-Kirsten with Bramble Berry
Finally a new MP tutorial! I love this idea! I might have to make my boyfriend buy me the supplies for this for Christmas!
Good morning, Leanna!
You will just love how this project turns out and if you want more melt & pour ideas, be sure to check out the melt & pour section here on the Soap Queen blog. You’ll find so many ideas that you can customize to your liking!
http://www.soapqueen.com/category/bath-and-body-tutorials/melt-and-pour-soap/
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Oh my goodness, I did the same thing as Bonne! Well, i did spray the layers, but I think I left too much time between the layers and it came apart. I’ve decided to just leave them as separate layers and give them away as guest soaps instead.
Hi Monica!
I am so sorry to hear that your layers didn’t stick. We found that you have to liberally spritz the rubbing alcohol between layers for this project. And like Patrice suggested, you can use a bit of clear melt & pour base as “glue”. I hope that this helps! 🙂
-Becky with Bramble Berry
I just made a soap very similar to this. I forgot to spray one of my layers and when I cut it, it came apart. Is there anything I can do now to save it (put it back together)???
Hope you have an answer – I spent a lot of time on it and I sure would hate to have to start all over.
Thank you for your help.
Bonnie
Can you add a very thin layer of clear between the layers?
Hi Patrice!
That is such a great suggestion and that is exactly how you would do it. A bit of clear melt & pour soap base is the perfect “glue” when your layers start to separate. =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Good morning, Bonnie!
If your layers have started to come apart, you can always melt a small amount of clear melt & pour base (https://www.brambleberry.com/Clear-Melt-And-Pour-Soap-Base-P3189.aspx) to act as “glue” between your layers. Be sure to spritz liberally with rubbing alcohol when using this method! =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Thanks. I tried that and it worked. Hopefully it will stick. I appreciate your help.