For most kids, bath time actually means play time! From rubber duckies to mermaids, the bath is a fun place to let kids’ imagination run wild. These Melt and Pour Bath Crayons give kiddos another way to get creative in the tub. Made with melt and pour soap and LabColors, these crayons are perfect for doodling in the shower and tub. They even work great on paper!
This tutorial creates three sets of six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Each tube uses undiluted LabColor to give intense color, so no need to dilute! A simple and quick project, these crayons wash away easily from the tub. To be on the safe side, test the soap crayons in a discrete area on your tub before unleashing your child’s creativity.
What You’ll Need:
4 oz. Clear Melt and Pour
18 Lip Balm Tubes
Lip Balm Pouring Tray (optional)
3 mL White Tea and Ginger Fragrance Oil
Red LabColor (small)
Orange LabColor (small)
Canary LabColor (small)
Emerald LabColor (small)
Brilliant Blue LabColor (small)
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: In a heat-safe container, melt the clear melt and pour in the microwave using 10 second bursts. Add 3 mL of White Tea and Ginger Fragrance Oil, and stir to thoroughly combine. If using the Lip Balm Pouring Tray, insert the lip balm tubes into the tray. We found the tray made it much easier to pour the soap!
TWO: Pour .6 oz. of the melted soap into a small container, and add 1 mL of undiluted Red LabColor. Use a spoon to thoroughly mix in the color. If necessary, place the container into the microwave using 2 second bursts to reheat the soap, making it easier to pour.Pour soap into three lip balm tubes and spray the tops with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles.
THREE: Pour .6 oz. of the melted soap into a small container, and add 1 mL of undiluted Orange LabColor. Use a spoon to thoroughly mix in the color. If necessary, place the container into the microwave using 2 second bursts to reheat the soap, making it easier to pour. Pour soap into the three lip balm tubes and spray the tops with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles.
FOUR: Repeat the process with the yellow, green and blue colors. If necessary, reheat the melt and pour in the microwave using 2 second bursts.
FIVE: When making the purple hue, we found the best results came from mixing the Red LabColor with the Brilliant Blue LabColor. To achieve our purple hue, we mixed 3 drops Brilliant Blue LabColor with 7 drops Red LabColor using the Droppers with Suction Bulb. Stir to fully combine the colors, and pour into three lip balm tubes.
SIX: Allow the soap to fully cool and harden, for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the tray, and enjoy!
What is your kids favorite bath time toy? Jamisen loves playing with his trucks and trains in the tub, while Lily is obsessed with this fun bath toy =)
- 4 oz. Clear Melt and Pour
- 18 Lip Balm Tubes
- Lip Balm Pouring Tray (optional)
- 3 mL White Tea and Ginger Fragrance Oil
- Red LabColor (small)
- Orange LabColor (small)
- Canary LabColor (small)
- Emerald LabColor (small)
- Brilliant Blue LabColor (small)
- In a heatsafe container, melt the clear melt and pour in the microwave using 15 second bursts. Add 3 mL of White Tea and Ginger Fragrance Oil, and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Pour .6 oz. of the melted soap into a small container, and add 1 mL of Red LabColor. Use a spoon to thoroughly mix in the color. Pour soap into three lip balm tubes and spray the tops with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles. If necessary, place the container into the microwave using 2 second bursts to reheat the soap, making it easier to pour.
- Pour .6 oz. of the melted soap into a small container, and add 1 mL of the Orange LabColor. Use a spoon to thoroughly mix in the color. Pour soap into the three lip balm tubes and spray the tops with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles.
- Repeat the process with the yellow, green and blue colors. If necessary, reheat the melt and pour in the microwave using 2 second bursts.
- When making the purple hue, we found the best results came from mixing the Red LabColor with the Brilliant Blue LabColor. To achieve our purple hue, we mixed 3 drops Brilliant Blue LabColor with 7 drops Red LabColor using the Droppers with Suction Bulb. Stir to fully combine the colors, and pour into three lip balms tubes.
- Allow the soap to fully cool and harden, this will take about 30 minutes. Remove from the tray, and enjoy
I recently tried making bath crayons. They color amazing, but I’ve been having some problems with the tubes. Everything was going great until I noticed that some of the soap leaked down into the bottom of the tube. It ruined their appearance, but they still worked. Once the soap hardened, the tubes either wouldn’t turn, or they turned and nothing happened. Any suggestions? What am I doing wrong?
Hmm, I’m wondering if the thin soap is getting into the tubes. When melt and pour is warmer, it does have a very thin consistency. I would recommend waiting until the soap is around 125-130F. At those temperatures it starts to solidify, making it a bit thicker. You can see in the pictures our soap was cooling down and getting thicker. That will hopefully prevent any leaking. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Love this. I don’t have LabColors. Can Mica’s and Oxides be used at all? If so, how much? Thanks.
Hi Natasha!
Glad you love the project! Micas and oxides may not be pigmented enough to write in the shower, even with quite a bit added. We recommend using LabColors for this project. We found they worked best. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I used the Canary Yellow Lab Color, but my soap crayons look green instead of the yellow yours are. Any ideas why?
I’m not entirely sure why that’s happening! The Canary LabColor doesn’t have any green undertones that I can see. Are you using the Clear Melt and Pour Base?
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Canary LabColor: https://www.brambleberry.com/Canary-LabColor-P3013.aspx
Would it be possible to do this with cold process soap? I would love to do it with goat’s milk cold process soap.
Hi Pamela!
I don’t believe this recipe would work with cold process soap. I think even with quite a bit of color, the soap wouldn’t write very well on the tub. It may also be difficult to get the cold process soap into the lip balm tubes. I would recommend using melt and pour soap for this tutorial. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Great minds think alike! I did it 2 years ago, but with clear lip balm tubes. 😊 They work so well! http://de-tout-et-de-rien-caroline.blogspot.com/2014/02/homemade-retractable-bathtub-crayons.html
Very pretty! I love all the colors. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Clear Lip Balm Tubes: https://www.brambleberry.com/Clear-Lip-Balm-Tubes-P4750.aspx
I ordered some supplies to make these. I think they are the perfect addition to my product line! I do not want to label the tubes individually because I think the labels would not stay on and the ink would come off. What are some great ways to package these? One idea I had was to get different colored lip balm tube tops so you can know which color is what and putting them in organza bags but I will probably have to stick a paper in there with the ingredients. Wondering what others have done with packaging these! Thanks.
Hi there!
I love the idea of different colored tubes to identify the colors! That would be an easy and pretty way to tell the crayons apart. If you like, you could paint the tops of the tubes with nail polish or waterproof paint. That would be a fun way to tell them apart. 🙂
You could also sell the crayons in a pack and include the label there. You could put them in a cute box or clear baggie. Either way would look awesome!
If anyone else has suggestions, I’d love to hear! You may also find some great suggestions on teachsoap.com/forum. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
clear lip balm tubes would allow you to not only see the color, but to know how much is left.
That’s an awesome idea Caren – nice and simple! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Clear Lip Balm Tubes: https://www.brambleberry.com/Clear-Lip-Balm-Tubes-P4750.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Is fragrance really needed? If you left it out, would you need to add something else to substitute?
Hi Heather!
You can leave the fragrance out if you like! That is an optional ingredient. The crayons will still work nicely without it. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi,
I wondering, could I use food coloring instead of LabColor? Would this be safe for a 2 year old and would it wash off the tub easily?
Hi Zubin!
I wouldn’t recommend using food coloring for this project. Food coloring is not intended for use in soap, so it can do weird things in your soap. It may take a lot of color to get the crayons to write, and because of that it may make the soap quite soft or watery.
I would definitely recommend using LabColors for this project. They are skin safe and it just takes a little bit for your crayons to write nicely in the tub. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I have never used LabColors before. Will it stain grout? The walls around are tub are tile.
Hi Stella!
We tested these crayons out in our showers and didn’t notice any staining! However, my shower doesn’t have tile so I’m not 100% sure. I would recommend testing one of the crayons out in a discreet area of your shower just to be on the safe side. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello,
Could you use a Shea or other white melt and pour instead of the clear to look more like a crayon?
Hi Shelly!
We didn’t try this recipe with those bases, but I believe that would work just fine! You may want to make a small test crayon just to be sure. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Shea Melt and Pour: https://www.brambleberry.com/Shea-Melt-and-Pour-P3192.aspx
White Melt and Pour: https://www.brambleberry.com/White-Melt-And-Pour-Soap-Base-P3191.aspx
Hi, I tried making this with liquid glycerin and it didn’t work. Do you know why? I colored the glycerin just like you did, and poured it in. The only thing I did differently than you was I used the liquid glycerin that you get in a bottle. Please help.
Hi, I tried making this with liquid glycerin and it won’t harden. Do you know why? I colored the glycerin just like you did, and poured it in. The only thing I did differently than you was I used the liquid glycerin that you get in a bottle. Please help.
Hi Celena!
Oh no, I’m sorry about that! Liquid glycerin helps make melt and pour soap soft and workable, so I believe that’s why the soap isn’t hardening fully. I would recommend using our LabColors for this tutorial. They are water-based colorants, so they allow the soap to harden like normal. They are also very concentrated, making them perfect for drawing in the tub. 🙂
LabColors: https://www.brambleberry.com/LabColors-for-MP-C173.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
These Home made ideas are extremely impressive. Keep doing what your doing.
So glad you like the ideas Chessi! Thank you for your nice comment. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Two questions:
1. Why did you choose that scent?
2. Can these be used on paper?
Hi Jenna!
We chose White Tea and Ginger Fragrance Oil because it’s a fresh scent that lots of people like! You can use any scent you like though. Watermelon Fragrance Oil would be a fun one. You can use our Fragrance Calculator to find out exactly how much to add to your soap: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
Watermelon Fragrance Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Watermelon-Fragrance-Oil-P3895.aspx
When choosing a scent, make sure to check out the description on BrambleBerry.com to see if it discolors. A discoloring scent would affect the colors of the crayons, so we don’t recommend using them. Read more in the Why Did My Soap Turn Brown post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/why-did-my-soap-turn-brown/
Also, these crayons can be used on paper! You can see how they look on paper in the photos above. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
My mom and i made the bath crayons today and they realy work i realy liked the blue crayon and the yelow is pretty nice. The green realy shines. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
Baby Chaverri (8 years old)
That’s awesome, so glad the recipe worked well for you! I like the blue and purple crayon best. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
What a great project! Do you think that using Melt and Pour Color Blocks in this recipe would work as well as the Lab Colors do? Thanks!
Hi Emily!
So glad you like the soap! We recommend using LabColors for this recipe. They are highly concentrated, and allow you to write on the tub! Even an entire color block may not allow the soap to write on the tub. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi,
Has anyone priced these out at all? I absolutely love them, and want to make them to sell and as gifts, but it’s hard to price out with the Lab Colors.
ps: thanks for the recipe! I’ve had a few friends say these have worked better than any store-bought bath crayons. Way more colorful and easier cleanup! 🙂
Hi Robin!
You are so welcome, glad you like the recipe!
Pricing your products depends on numerous factors, including the materials you used, the labor and the market you’re in. We have a great recipe on pricing your melt and pour soap that may be helpful for you: http://teachsoap.com/2012/03/06/pricing-your-melt-and-pour-soaps/
Also, the soapers on the Teach Soap Forum are a great resource! They may be able to give you an idea about how much they sell bath crayons for. 🙂
Teachsoap.com/forum
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I tried making these and everything was going well until the soap fully hardened. The tubes won’t turn to lift the soap like they should. Any suggestions?
Hi Paige!
Oh no, I’m sorry those tubes are giving you some trouble! I’d be more than happy to help you troubleshoot. How much color did you add to the soap? Let me know and we’ll get this figured out. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Will this work in a mold rather than the lip balm tubes?
Hi Josephine!
This soap is nice and firm, so it should work just fine in a mold! It may help to make a small test batch just to be sure though. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I had so much fun making these with my daughter. She couldn’t wait to take a bath afterwards. The green, orange and yellow didn’t color as much as I would have liked. If I remake them, would it help to add more of the Lab color?
Hi Gail!
So glad you like the recipe! If you want those colors a little darker, you can add some extra color. I would recommend adding an additional 1 mL to start with. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi!
This recipe is awesome, and I really want to try it, but at the moment I don’t have any LabColours. Would this recipe work with water soluble soap safe dye?
Thanks,
Cadence.
Hi Cadence!
We didn’t try this with the dye you’re referring to, so I’m not 100% sure! We recommend using LabColors for those recipe. We’ve found they’re the best colors for writing on tub walls!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I put this in my children’s Christmas stockings and they used them in their bath tonight. They had a blast playing with them.
Hi Marilyn!
What a fun stocking stuffer! So glad you like the recipe. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Will the dye colour the tub and hard to wash off?
Hi Eva!
When I tested this in my tub, the color washed off with just a swipe of the hand! We recommend drawing on a small area of your tub just to be sure though. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Could this be made using Micas instead of labcolors?
Hi Ninna!
We didn’t try this recipe with micas, but I don’t believe they would color as well! The LabColors are very concentrated, making them ideal for this recipe. I’d recommend using them. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I love this! I’ve had people ask me in the past if I had soap that would actually “colour” and now I can make it for them.
Hi Monica!
So happy you like the project! It’s a lot of fun to make. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Can this be done with already diluted Lab colors? Any idea how much you would need to use?
Hi Whitney!
We used undiluted LabColors because they give you a great color saturation without adding too much water. Using diluted colors won’t give you the color saturation needed to write on the tub, so we don’t recommend using them. Hope that helps!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I love this!! Super cute and I can just imagine the bath art stone kids would make. ♡♡♡
Hi Cathy!
So glad you like it! Lots of fun for the kiddos. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry