How can handmade soap get better when it already contains luxurious ingredients and a mouthwatering fragrance or essential oil? Hide a prize inside! It’s simple to do with this Message in Soap Kit from Bramble Berry. Ahem…do I see money hidden in that soap? If you have never made melt and pour soap before check out some basic techniques on Soap Queen TV.
Ingredients
.2 oz. Iridescent Glitter
1 oz. Pearberry Fragrance Oil
2 lbs. Clear Melt and Pour Base
5 Clear non-stackable lip butter pots
Yields: 8 bars of soap
Buy the kit in the click of a button!
PREP: The first step is to decide whet you’re going to hide in your secret message soap. Money is always a popular one with the kids and love notes are sweet for your sweetie. I thought it would be fun to hide a soap necklace in my soap (it only seemed appropriate). I got this necklace a couple years ago. It is custom-designed from Nancy Miller Jewelry Designs. Enclose your goodies in your clear containers, screw the lids on tightly and set them aside.
ONE: In a heat safe container, melt 16 ounces of clear melt and pour soap in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Once the soap is fully melted add mix in 1/2 of Pearberry Fragrance Oil and stir.
Fragrance Note: Pearberry fragrance oil is water clear in color and does not discolor at all. The natural color of your fragrance or essential oil is an important design consideration when making melt and pour.
TWO: Pour a super thin layer of clear soap in each soap mold cavity, about 1/8 of an inch thick.
THREE: Liberally spray your plastic containers with rubbing alcohol and set the containers in the soap, prize facing down into the soap (so when the soap comes out of the mold you’ll see the prize facing up).
Tip: The rubbing alcohol will eliminate air bubbles and help the secret container stick in the soap.
FOUR: This is the creative part. Add a pinch (or two) of Iridescent Glitter and diluted Peach LabColor. Mix well. Add just a touch of LabColor for a soft peachy hue. You can work all the way up to a darker and brighter orange color the more drops of color you add.
Tip: Learn how to dilute your LabColors in this blog post.
FIVE: Once the soap has cooled to at least 130 degrees, sprits the first layer of soap with rubbing alcohol and pour the final layer. Let the soaps cool for 4-6 hours before unmolding. Then repeat all 5 steps and make 4 more soaps!
What do you plan to hide in your secret message soap? Leave a comment with your secret message plans and you’ll have a chance to win the soap necklace from Nancy Miller Jewelry Designs!
Hi! I was wondering, do you think cork bottles would work in place of the pods…
Hi Amy!
We have never tried this before, but I would guess that it would work just fine! If you do give it a try, let us know how it goes on our Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
Hi, what is the best size jar to use. Does it have to be thick wall, and only clear lids, or can it be done with any lid or type plastic cosmetic jar.
Hi Val!
The best jar size depends on the size of your soap. In this particular tutorial we used the Non-stackable Clear Lip Butter Pots because they fit so well with the mold. As long as the container you are using will not melt, you can use whatever you would like in this tutorial! I hope this helps. =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Non-stackable Clear Lip Butter Pots: https://www.brambleberry.com/Non-stackable-Clear-Lip-Butter-Pots-P3022.aspx
How do you use the water soluble paper?
Hi Katelyn!
Water soluble paper is actually really easy to use! All you need to do is choose what image or words you would like and print it out on the WSP (Water Soluble Paper). After it has printed and dried, you will spray it with hairspray and then let it sit for a few days to dry. After it has dried, you can cut it out and embed it in your M&P soaps. We actually have a Soap Queen TV Episode where Anne-Marie goes over how to use it:
Soap Queen TV Episode 9: Water Soluble Paper: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQQ34xtF3gU
I hope this helps! 🙂
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Thanks so much Becky! This helps a ton!
Katelyn
I’m so glad to hear that! If you get pictures of your soap done, we’d love to see it. You can share pictures with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry
-Becky with Bramble Berry
You should give away each soap with a plain Pandora bracelet, and then inside each soap would contain a different Pandora charm.
What a fun idea! Thanks for the suggestion, Natalie.
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Love this!! I plan on using some great hearse and skull charms from a fellow etsian I found to go along with my goth themed Etsy shop!! I have embeded toys before with great success I never thought to hide it in a plastic case!!
That’s a fantastic idea! Love it!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Love notes would be the best! I also think the treasure hunt would be so fun!
Aren’t these great ideas? I really want to do this for a birthday present for my family members!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
If I was going to make this soap for someone I lived with, I think a great idea (Especially for kids) would be to have a key that opens a treasure chest. So them it would be a mystery until they get the key!
If it was for someone else, some small jewelry item would be typical.
Or maybe a sample of body lotion.
Once the soap is all gone, they can still enjoy the scent for a little longer.
I like that idea Lianne! Having a small sample of lotion in there would be a fantastic selling point!
-Becky with Bramble berry
Such a fabulous idea!! I think that earings, money or a treasure hunt map for a bigger item (book) would be a hit for my kids!
If I made these beautiful soaps, I would put little encouraging notes to my daughter in them. Phrases like “You ARE amazing.” “You are more loved than you know.” (and my favorite) “You Can.”
The phrases apply to everyone at every age, not just 11 year old girls!
I would hide a small coin for children – a motivation to take bath every night and morning 🙂
I would leave a love message for my hubby. Some words to tell him all the love I feel and gratitude for all these wonderful years together. Maybe in a blue soap with cedarwood FO. Other two soaps for my children, with funny messages and colorful soaps.
🙂
Claudia
What a sweet idea! I am sure that he would appreciate those little notes! After seeing all those sweet ideas, I think I might just have to do this for my husband!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
I would put a Bible verse and a charm for my daughters anklet in my soap. She works at a Christian camp during the summer, and it would be a nice surprise for her.
Many thanks for this amazing and fun
Secret Message Soap Tutorial!
I would put surprises in the soap,
according to the time of year and
holidays…
Cindi
That is a fantastic idea Cindi! That sounds like it could be an incredible soap, and sounds like it could sell quite well!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Thanks for the wonderful tutorial. Wow. So many great ideas for what to include.
Elissa – I’m with you. I would love to make some of these with lip balm inside the pot.
Two ideas: for my grand-dtrs birthday she is having a fairy party… what a cute party gift if each little box contained a tiny fairy. And with the sparkles what could be better for the little 5 year old girls.
For my sister’s birthday I think I will fold up her gift certificate to the coach purse store and make her work for it!
Do you know if these little boxes will hold up in CP soap? What if we did not gel the soap?
Susie, that is a fantastic idea for your granddaughter’s birthday party! These should hold up just fantastic in CP soap! Let us know how it turns out!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Great idea! I’ve thought of cute stuff but a lot of them wouldn’t work just plain being in the soap- I never even thought of putting them into a pot first!!
I haven’t done a hide and seek soap for years, but this has inspired me to get busy and do one! Since my Son and Grandson’s birthdays are coming up soon, I am thinking that I will hide a clue to a treasure hunt in my Sons soap. Really drag it out! We always try to outdo each other in the hiding and presenting of gifts. We use rocks and such to weigh down light things, and things like that. One year I threw my gift away, as it was taped on the back of a box that another gift came in. My boys thought it was so funny, but they finally got the “trash” back out after two hours or so, laughing the whole time. I think it’s time for me to get even for that one!
Now, since my Grandson is still quite young, a bath toy or dinosaur would be good for his. He has a few years yet before Nana gets devious with him! Lol
I have two very curious boys and I think a decoder ring and a secret message to a stash of lego goodies, inside a giant minifigure soap would be just perfect! Great idea, I’ve done toy embeds before but this is a nice grown up version!
That sounds like a great treasure hunt! I bet they would love having that wonderful adventure!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Such a great gift idea. Depends on the “occasion” and the recipient. A little love note would be great. Money would be welcome. And a little hand-stamped necklace would be lovely (cuz I recently bought one with my fav “poem” on it.). 😀
I love this idea! I may have to get some MP base when I put in my next order (which will be soon, business is booming!)
A couple of years back- I put my now sister in laws engagement ring in a bar of soap for my brother.
The joke was they had been together so long (8 years) that he wanted her to wait a little longer. He didn’t tell her it was in there either.
I did one layer with a pic of them together on the soap but the ring was in a white layer.
She completely freaked butt naked in the shower and called me as soon as she saw it. LOL
It was a cute idea at the time I thought. She still talks about it to this day. 🙂
Oh my goodness, what a fantastic idea! No wonder she is still talking about it, what a sweet story!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Such great ideas!!!! I haven’t made a lot of m&p soap, but this looks like something I might have to try or figure a way to incorporate it into cp soap. I think I will hide coupons for fun activities that my kids can cash in.
It’s definitely an easy M&P recipe, and hiding coupons in it is a brilliant idea!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Such great ideas!!! I haven’t made a lot of m&p soap, but this one looks like one I might have to try or figure a way to incorporate it into cp soap. I think I will hide little coupons for my kids to cash in.
This would make a perfect birthday gift! I think my daughter would flip for a pair of earrings in her soap. What a great idea!
I’m seeing a huge possibility for Birthday and holiday gifts – as my husband makes jewelry for a hobby and we could have a great time combining what we love to do into one amazing gift!
Also wondering how well these would do at craft shows – I have one coming up in May and will have to give this a try and see how it goes!
I would make these for my wonderful granddaughters, the soap would contain a miniature picture of their great grandmother and one of the charms from her bracelet. (I can’t decide who should get which charm, so this would be an ideal way for me to give them to the girls) Love this idea
I have a great idea for a soap set! Make a bath-bomg containing the chain, then have a set of smaller soaps each containg different charms and pendents. Each time you finish a soap you get to change you necklace!
Money is a fab idea, I also like the idea of jewelry and the little notes (if you sell them could be a little thank you note for their purchase or a nice little discount on their next purchase would be cool.
Love it! I think I would put inspiring quotes or even dried flowers may look cute hidden in there. My teenagers love money and that is always fun !
Inspirational quotes are the best! I love the idea of putting beautiful dried flowers in there!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
I so needed this idea. My husband will be deploying in the next year and i am already thinking of care package ideas. It would be a blast to send him a new soap every month with a love note, small pics, a flower petal from his apple tree, the options are endless.
I was trying to think of something to put in the soaps and was reading everyone’s comments while I scrolled down to add my reply. When I read this one about Sara’s husband deploying and having love notes in his soap, or mementos from home, I got choked up. I can’t think of anything that could possibly top that. Way to go Sara!! :)… I hope you get the soap necklace prize. You rock!
This is just awesome! this will make a lot of wonderful:-) mail. It’s a good idea for all of us who want to help our soldiers, when we put together the “shoe box care packages” to be sent overseas! a fresh bar of soap with something special inside is always going to be a ‘feel good’ momement. remember when we bought Cracker jack just for the prize in the box?
I cant get this idea out of my mind..”Soap for Soldiers” project–I would include a tiny wooden cross, with a special prayer inside for the person who opened it.
something like:
This soap was made with prayer and love just for you! Remember God watches over you.
and then signed by whoever made the soap.
Karen
What a terrific idea. Too cute!
I would use some of the flower shaped pots and use round molds…
I soon will have step-grandsons and definitely will make this soap with money hidden in it as gifts to them! I might even try folding the money into an origami shape before placing it into the container!!
Love the soap necklace! A necklace hidden in the container would be the perfect gift for my teenage niece!
When we were younger, my Grandma always hid our Christmas money in different ways so we had to work for it. One year, she froze it in blocks of ice and buried the ice blocks in a snowbank. I think this is the perfect way to get a little retribution…I’m going to get her a gift cert to her favorite nail salon and embed it in a bar…nice and deep!
That’s too funny! I bet she would just think it is great that you are doing this back to her!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
hehe that’s so funny! A little bit of fun revenge!
Um.. I can’t type. I meant to say embedded.
I’m surprised at how clear your melt and pour is. I bought mine from BB and added blue to take the yellow out. I impeded some color soap and it looked blurry. I gave up on that project. In these photos, yours looks marvelous darling.
If you don’t stir for a while after adding the FO, it will be cloudy. I stir for a good 30 seconds to clear the soap after adding my FO 😉
I thought all fragrance tht had vanilla in it would discolor ? But really happy that pearberry will not 😉
Fun! Little bath toys are always fun…I’ll have to try money, that would be popular with the kids!
I Know it probably isnt practical to do, as it wont fit in the jars most likely – but it would be hilarious if you could put someones first car key in there.
: )
ameya
Thats a great idea about the key..Could you not shrink wrap the key??
That might be a fun practical joke on April Fool’s, but I wouldn’t suggest putting it in shrink wrap as it might melt with the heat of the soap. With something like the key, you could just embed it in the soap or you could find a container that fits it and embed that in the soap.
-Becky with Bramble Berry
my plan is to use the heartr shape lip balm pots and do White , red and silver. use them filled with red and silver charms and give them for either wedding favors or valtine’s gift.
Money would be popular… but a sweet note would be great as well! It might be fun to have a note inside starting a “treasure hunt” of some sort!! You could even put in one or two of the tiny bath pearls (filled with bath oil). An engagement ring wrapped in some sort of fabric or decorative wrapping paper… now that would be awesome!!
What a great idea! I can see adding love notes for my hubby (who loves my soaps!) And cute earrings for my nieces. 🙂
I definitely need to make some of these!
That is a super sweet idea! I bet your husband would love that! I think I might have to try that with my husband! 🙂
-Becky with Bramble Berry
The kids would love to find money inside!
I would love to hide little erasers or lip balm in my pots! Would make a great double gift idea!
Pretty little gemstones or funky little pins would be fun
I love the necklace idea! I make horse pendants and donate them to 4H and other youth riding groups competitions as prizes, and they would be great to embed in soaps! I think the kids would really love them as prizes.
I have put rings and spiders in the soaps for treasures. They have to use them to get the treasure. I had one customer that her son wanted the prize so he put it in the sink under dripping water to get the prize faster. What kids don’t think of. Lol
What a smart boy! These are fantastic soaps that you could put any prize in and it would be fun for any age!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
I love this tutorial! I’ve been toying with this idea for a while now but wasn’t sure quite how to accomplish it. I think I’d put bracelet charms or something inside 🙂 not sure though… hehe