With gorgeous orange, yellow and black wings, the monarch may be the most recognizable type of butterfly. It lives in warm climates such as Mexico, California and along the Gulf Coast, and is known for its annual migration from Eastern North America to Mexico. This Monarch Butterfly Swirl Cold Process was inspired by these gorgeous insects. Layers of monarch-colored soap are poured into the mold and swirled with a hanger swirl tool to create the effect of butterfly wings.
The fun part about the butterfly swirl is that every bar looks unique. When the bars are placed side by side, the butterfly image really pops. This technique was created by Zahida of Handmade in Florida, click here to read our interview with her.
What You’ll Need:
Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold
Hanger Swirl Tool
38 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
5.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
12.5 oz. Distilled Water
2.7 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Tangerine Wow! Colorant
Black Oxide Pigment
Fizzy Lemonade Colorant
Yellow Oxide
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Soap Crafting. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.
COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Then, disperse 2 teaspoons of the colorant into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). In separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Black Oxide, 1 teaspoon Yellow Oxide, 1 teaspoon Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, and 1 teaspoon Tangerine Wow! Colorant into 1 tablespoon of a light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.
MOLD & TOOL PREP: Line the Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold with freezer paper with the shiny side up. For tips on how to line the mold, click here. Bend your hanger tool so it fits the mold perfectly by length.
ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
TWO: Melt the Swirl Quick Mix completely. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 3 tsp. sodium lactate.
THREE: Once the batter has reached a light trace, split the batch into four separate containers. The largest container should contain about 700 mL, two containers should contain about 400 mL and the last container should contain about 150 mL. To the containers, add the colorants listed below:
- Container A (700 mL): 2 Tbs. dispersed Titanium Dioxide
- Container B (400 mL) 1 tsp. dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant + 1/4 tsp. dispersed Yellow Oxide
- Container C (400 mL) 2 tsp. Tangerine Wow! Colorant + 1/2 tsp. dispersed Yellow Oxide
- Container D (150 mL): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Black Oxide
FOUR: Add the fragrance oil proportionately into each container. It’s okay to eyeball it! Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in in fragrance oil.
FIVE: Pour about 1/3 of the white soap into the mold. Tap the mold on the counter to get rid of any bubbles.
SIX: Holding the yellow soap several inches above the mold, pour about 1/3 of the yellow soap into the mold, allowing the yellow soap to break through into the white. Concentrate the pour into one side of the mold. Pouring the colors into one side helps produce the butterfly wings in the final cut.
SEVEN: Holding the black soap above the mold, pour about 1/3 of the soap directly over the yellow soap pour. Again from several inches above the mold, pour about 1/3 of the orange soap and the white soap.
EIGHT: Cycle through the yellow, white, black and orange colors until the majority of all the soap has been poured. Save a small amount of white to cover the top, and a small amount of each color to create a swirl on top.
NINE: Firmly tap the mold on the counter to settle the soap and release any air bubbles. Line the hanger tool up alongside the length of the mold on the side closest to you. Insert it all the way to the bottom of the mold. Then, move the hanger in circular motions toward yourself starting at the bottom and spiraling towards the top. After you have completed about 4-5 circles, pull the hanger toward you and out of the mold.
TEN: Tap the mold firmly on the counter to release air bubbles. Gently pour the remaining white soap on top. Use a spoon or spatula to even out the white soap.
ELEVEN: Carefully pour a line of black soap down the center of the mold on top of the white soap. Don’t worry about the line looking perfect. Then, create a line of orange and yellow soap on either side of the black line, leaving a small amount of white in between each line.
TWELVE: Insert the tip of a dowel or chopstick into the very top layer of the black soap. Drag the chopstick up and through the yellow soap, creating a half-heart shape. Repeat this motion into the orange soap. Imagine you are creating small hearts, or butterflies in the top of the soap.
THIRTEEN: Repeat this swirl process until you reach the end of the mold. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles, and spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. Cover with the lid of the mold. Insulate the mold for 24 hours. Unmold after 3-4 days, cut into bars, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.
- Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold
- Hanger Swirl Tool
- 38 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
- 5.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 12.5 oz. Distilled Water
- 2.7 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil
- Titanium Dioxide
- Tangerine Wow! Colorant
- Black Oxide Pigment
- Fizzy Lemonade Colorant
- Yellow Oxide
- Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
- Melt the Swirl Quick Mix completely. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 3 tsp. sodium lactate.
- Once the batter has reached a light trace, split the batch into four separate containers. The largest container should contain about 700 mL, two containers should contain about 400 mL and the last container should contain about 150 mL. To the containers, add the colorants listed below:
Container A (700 mL): 2 Tbs. dispersed Titanium Dioxide
Container B (400 mL) 1 tsp. dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant + ¼ tsp. dispersed Yellow Oxide
Container C (400 mL) 2 tsp. Tangerine Wow! Colorant + ½ tsp. dispersed Yellow Oxide
Container D (150 mL): ½ tsp. dispersed Black Oxide - Add the fragrance oil proportionately into each container. It’s okay to eyeball it! Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in in fragrance oil.
- Pour about ⅓ of the white soap into the mold. Tap the mold on the counter to get rid of any bubbles.
- Holding the yellow soap several inches above the mold, pour about ⅓ of the yellow soap into the mold, allowing the yellow soap to break through into the white. Concentrate the pour into one side of the mold. Pouring the colors into one side helps produce the butterfly wings in the final cut.
- Holding the black soap above the mold, pour about ⅓ of the soap directly over the yellow soap pour. Again from several inches above the mold pour about ⅓ of the orange soap and the white soap.
- Cycle through the yellow, white, black and orange colors like this until the majority of all the soap has been poured. Save a small amount of white to cover the top, and a small amount of each color to create a swirl on top.
- Firmly tap the mold on the counter to settle the soap and release any air bubbles. Line the hanger tool up alongside the length of the mold on the side closest to you. Insert it all the way to the bottom of the mold then move the hanger in circular motions towards yourself starting at the bottom spiraling towards the top. After you have completed about 4-5 circles, pull the hanger towards you and out of the mold.
- Tap the mold firmly on the counter to release air bubbles. Gently pour the remaining white soap on top. Use a spoon or spatula to even out the white soap.
- Carefully pour a line of black soap down the center of the mold on top of the white soap. Don’t worry about the line looking perfect. Then, create a line of orange and yellow soap on either side of the black line, leaving a small amount of white in between each line.
- Insert the tip of a dowel or chopstick into the very top layer of the black soap. Drag the chopstick up and through the yellow soap, creating a half-heart shape. Repeat this motion into the orange soap. Imagine you are creating small hearts, or butterflies in the top of the soap.
- Repeat this swirl process until you reach the end of the mold. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles, and spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. Cover with the lid of the mold. Insulate the mold for 24 hours. Unmold after 3-4 days, cut into bars, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.
Can you substitute tapioca powder for arrowroot powder. Because Bramble do not have it in stock. I ordered everything to make the body butter, but did not realize that the tapioca powder was not in my cart.
You sure can! The arrowroot powder can be substituted for tapioca powder. It helps absorb some of the greasy feeling on the skin. You can use it at the same amount as the tapioca. 🙂
Arrowroot powder: https://www.brambleberry.com/Arrowroot-Powder-P3706.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Could you describe the swirls in step 9 a bit more? Thinking vertically, does the hanger tool touch the bottom of the mold for the bottom of each swirl, or does the bottom of each successive swirl get progressively higher in the mold? Thinking horizontally, does the hanger tool go all the way from the side closest to you to the side furthest away for each swirl? I can never tell from all the videos I’ve seen exactly what the horizontal and vertical movement of the tool is. Any help is appreciated!
Hi Dawn!
As you’re swirling vertically, you want the tool to get progressively higher. Horizontally, we dragged the tool almost all the way to the other side, stopping just short of touching it.
The great news is, anyway you swirl the soap will look great! For instance, if you do touch the other side of the mold horizontally, it will just drag the color a little farther. 🙂
This video by Handmade in Florida may be helpful for you as well. It shows the motion of the swirl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUSYRY4l-jU
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you!
You’re welcome. 🙂
This looks really cool! I really want to make cold process soap, but what beginners cold process soap recipes would you recommend?
Hi Emmeline!
It is a lot of fun! We have some great resources if you’re just starting out, including a four-part video series. I would recommend checking out those resources first: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/beginning-soaper-resource-roundup/
We also have a Beginner Cold Process Kit. It comes with all the ingredients you need, and step-by-step instructions. It’s a great recipe to start with. It’s actually the first soap I made! 🙂
Cold Process Beginner Kit How-To: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/cold-process-beginners-kit/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Sad, I missed the cut off for the discount! 🙁
Oh well hope to try this recipe soon.
This recipe is a lot of fun, I hope you get a chance to try it Jenner!
Also, we do have some sales coming up in the future. You can sign up for our newsletter to learn about the sales beforehand. 🙂
Newsletter Sign Up: https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry/app_137918839619668
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Anne Marie ~ just wanted to let you know how beautiful these soaps are. The colors are gorgeous and the swirl is dynamic! You really nailed the Monarch butterfly design. 🙂 ione eve
Thanks so much Ione, so glad you like the soap! That means a lot to us. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello. I have some questions about weight when it comes to soap making. I usually use grams and kilograms when I do weigh anything, but I can not find many soap recipes in my language and I have a digital scale that measure in both gram / kg and oz, but there are two kinds oz, it says nothing about that in the recipe, Is it lb oz or fl oz I should use when I weigh oil, lye and water?
I also have a question about the digital scale, I’ve been looking around everywhere but can not find one that can weigh more than one number after the comma, if I should weigh in grams there is no comma after the first number. For example 5.32 oz. lye , I get only 5.3 oz, do you think it will work, or does it matter?
Sorry for my bad english, hope you understand me and can help.
Hi Silje!
When you’re weighing your oils, you want to use pound ounces. Pound ounces are a weight measurement, while fluid ounces are a volume measurement. Sorry for any confusion! You can read more in the Weight vs. Volume post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/a-guide-to-weight-vs-volume/
Also, you may like our KD7000 Scale! It measures as small as .1 grams. 🙂
KD7000 Scale: https://www.brambleberry.com/KD7000-Scale-with-Small-Adapter-P5388.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you for answer! I will read the link, thank you for it!
It had been super nice if I could have bought the KD7000 Scale, unfortunately it becomes too much for shipping, I then have to pay extra for VAT (Think that’s what it’s called), and it is not cheap.
But thank you again for your answer! Can not wait to try out some of your soap recipes!
Just wondering- the side that insert the hanger tool into (closest to you, as you say)- is that also the side that the color was mainly poured into? Or are you entering on the white side?
Hi Shoshana!
You’re inserting the hanger tool on the side the color was poured into. That way, the color is dragged into the white, creating the wings. Sorry about any confusion! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I bought Anne Marie’s book and she has diagrams for some moves that I found very beneficial-is there a way to show the moves of the hanger in the same fashion? On a paper then photographed/scanned.
That’s a great idea Jenny! We’ll definitely look into that for this post. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks so much Kelsey, I think the butterfly swirl is amazing! Just wish I could figure it out, lol! I also highly recommend Anne Marie’s book-bought it twice. 🙂 Is she doing another?
Just wondered if a diagram has been shared yet for the movement of the hanger to create the butterfly yet? This question was posted in 2015. Has it been covered yet? Tia and keep up the great work you all do here!
Handmade in Florida has an amazing video that shows the movement of the swirl! You can see that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUSYRY4l-jU
We also have a new video on Soap Queen TV that uses the hanger tool. The motion for the swirl is a bit different than the butterfly swirl, but it gives you a nice idea of how to use it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FthYuM94DuA
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
The instructions above say insert the hanger on the side closest to you but by thr pic appears on the side furthest away? Then bring in circular motion to you. I think it should say insert the hanger furthest away and then bring into you with circular motion.
Hi Robin!
In the pictures, we showed it with the hanger away from us to help make the pictures a little more clear! When we had the hanger closest to us, the pictures were mostly arms. 🙂
However, we found having the tool closest to us made it a little easier. You may want to try both ways and see what works best for you!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Gorgeous! I’ve been wanting to try my hand at soap making after lurking around and reading your blogs. This one really makes me want to give it a try! I love the colors, very befitting of the name. Really, it’s simply beautiful.
Thank you so much Dawn! I hope you give it a try, it’s a lot of fun to make. Also, cutting it is extra exciting because each bar looks different. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I agree! Awesome soap! Where do you get the hangar tool from? Is that something Bramble Berry might start carrying?
So glad you like the soap Michael! We actually made the hanger tool. Also, good news – we are planning to carry them in the future! Watch out for that on the website within the next month or so. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
So beautiful!!! So that must be the secret- pouring all colors on one side. I’ll have to try that next time. 🙂
So glad you like it Martina! Also, pouring on one side helps give you beautiful butterfly wings. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
That is one gorgeous soap!
Thank you so much Margaret, glad you like it! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry