If you missed the first part of this Christmas Soap Gift Series Tutorial, click here.
I am going to show you how to make those lovely loopy swirls in cold process soap. There are other ways to do it, but these are good starter instructions that will help get you started down the path of creativity and adding colorful designs to your soap.
Step 5 Pour your soap mixtures alternating colors with each layer. I do about three to six layers depending on the depth of the mold. Ideally, you’d like to get two layers of each color, minimum.
Step 6 Using a kitchen knife, putty knife or a chopstick, snake through the soap in an up and down ‘S’ shape making short, squat ‘S’ shapes in the mold. Once that is done, drag your implement through the soap in two or three long, straight lines to make the finishing beautiful top design.
Step 7 Wrap up your soap to insulate it – we use wax paper and then wrap in old towels. Let your soap set-up in the mold for a couple of days until it’s hard enough to take out. You can either allow it to cure in a loaf shape or you can slice your soap and cure them in bars. Cure time will be about 4 to 6 weeks. Make sure that there is good air flow to the entire soap (whether in a loaf form or bar form), turning the soap at least once a week. Store in a dry, room temperature or slightly cooler, place.
Step 9 – After four to six weeks of cure time, package and give fabulous handmade soap to all of your favorite people!
Want a label like the the one in the picture above? We have free PDF’s for you to download and print. Click here for Christmas Forest labels, Fresh Snow labels, Cranberry Fig labels, or Cinnamon Sugar labels.
Looking for other easy and inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas? Click here for this year’s Christmas Gift Ideatutorials.
Thank you!!! I actually learned something – that the thicker the soap, the more it swirls!! Thanks for posting the link to the vid and for being the greatest soap blogger ever!
Hugs!
The video is here:
http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2008/01/video-of-swirling-melt-pour-soap.html
Here’s building the layers:
http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2008/01/fun-with-loaf-soap.html
Hi there
I look at this blog atleast 3 or 4 times a day – I am completely addicted. I saw on TeachSoap.com that you have made a Melt&Pour Swirling video – I have been looking all over for this vid and cant seem to find it – can you point me in the right direction. I live in a rural part of Africa and soaping is my only entertainment! I am very keen to try the Melt & Pour swirl – help please Ms Soap Godess!
Hi Anon –
I’m so glad that you like the labels! Yippeee!
You can open the labels up in Photoshop and paste over the words you won’t want.
In the meantime, our contract with our graphic designer doesn’t actually give us working files for this particular project. But the Photoshop option should give you a good workaround …
Could you let us know the password to the labels so they can be edited? I’d like to change them to all “soap.” They are so super cute!! Thanks!
Here it is:
http://thesoapbar.blogspot.com/2008/10/funneling-tutorial.html
Erin, Definitely post the funneling link! We’ve been playing with it at Otion but haven’t had great success with it. We need to improve our technique I think.
Soap Kitten,
I’m glad you like the soap. Erin is right, bright colors make a huge difference for swirling.
Hi Tangled Panda:
The first time I tried the funnel technique, it came out beautifully…except for one tiny detail – I didn’t make the contrasting color dark enough. After the batch went through the gel phase, the swirls disappeared.
ARGH! Don’t you hate it when that happens!
This is a very beautiful, festive bar of soap. Puts me in the Christmas mood.
I posted the link to the funnel tech. on a message board, some of them came out so pretty!
I never tried layering to create swirls. . I’ll have to try this, I am swirl challenged 😛
Very beautiful soap!
Have you ever tried the “funnel” technique for swirling? I found it on another craft/soaping blog that I visit (I can send you the link if you’re interested).
Erin