Yesterday was the first official day of summer. Thanks to the sun, my garden and flowers have been growing like crazy. The fresh blooms inspired me to create this Buttercup Melt & Pour Soap. The Mini Daisy Silicone Column Molds create flowers within the bars, and a thin strip of green soap creates a stem. The top is decorated with more yellow flowers and a touch of glitter.
This project is scented with a combination of Sunflower Fragrance Oil and Flower Child Fragrance Oil. The scent combination is a sophisticated floral blend, with notes of jasmine, bergamot and musk. Both fragrances discolor slightly to an ivory/tan. Over time, I found the blue color changed to a slightly more teal hue.
This is an advanced melt and pour project. It involves several layers that require an understanding of melt and pour temperatures. A spray bottle of 99% isopropyl alcohol is crucial for this project. Click here to get more tips for layering melt and pour soap. If you haven’t made melt and pour soap before, I would recommend getting a few simpler projects under your belt first.
What You’ll Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
3 Mini Daisy Silicone Column Molds
48 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
25 oz. White Melt and Pour Base
.4 oz. Sunflower Fragrance Oil
.7 oz. Flower Child Fragrance Oil
Buttercup Mica
Caribbean Blue Mica
Kermit Green Mica
Fine Iridescent Glitter
99% Isopropyl Alcohol in Spray Bottle
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Find the supplies you need for this project below
ONE: Chop and melt 15 ounces of White Melt and Pour Soap Base in the microwave using 15-20 second bursts until completely melted. In a small container, mix 1 tsp. Buttercup Mica with 1 Tbs. 99% isopropyl alcohol, stir to fully incorporate. Split off 10 ounces of the melted base into a separate container. Add all of the mica mixture to the 10 ounces of melted soap and stir to combine.
TWO: Place the Mini Daisy Silicone Column Molds into a container to position the molds upright. Pour the yellow soap in two of the three Mini Daisy Silicone Column Molds. Then, pour the remaining 5 ounces of white soap into the third Mini Daisy Silicone Column Mold. Spritz the top of the molds with alcohol to help disperse any bubbles. Allow the soap to fully cool and harden. Watch this video for more information on using the 2-part silicone molds.
THREE: To make the stem, chop and melt 10 ounces of White Melt and Pour Soap Base in the microwave using 15 second bursts. In a small container, mix 1 tsp. Kermit Green Mica with 1 Tbs. 99% isopropyl alcohol and add the mica mixture to the melted soap. Stir to combine. Pour the green soap into the bottom of the 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold, and spritz the top with alcohol to help get rid of any bubbles. Allow the soap to fully cool and harden.
FOUR: Once fully cool, remove the green soap from the mold. Cut the thin layer in half vertically so you have two long strips. I found that my layer was a little bit thicker than I wanted, so I used a peeler to make the layer a little thinner. This step is optional, and will depend on how thick you’d like the stem of the flower to be.
FIVE: Remove the flower embeds from the mold and trim them if necessary. I love using the Clean Up Tool for this step! Cut all three embeds to be the same length as the 10″ Silicone Column Mold. With the leftover embeds, cut them into small, thin flowers. These will go on the top of the soap at the very end.
SIX: Chop and melt 40 ounces of the Clear Melt and Pour Soap in the microwave using 30-45 second bursts. Mix together 1/2 tsp. of the Carribean Blue Mica with 1/2 Tbs. of 99% isopropyl alcohol until smooth. Add the mica mixture to the melted clear soap. Stir to combine.
SEVEN: Mix together the Sunflower and Flower Child Fragrance Oils in a glass, fragrance safe container. Add the fragrance blend to the melted blue soap and stir to fully combine.
EIGHT: Place one of the yellow embeds into the far left corner of the mold, leaving a small amount of space between the side of the mold and the embed. Check the temperature of the blue soap. If it’s hotter than 130° F, allow it to cool to 125° F or below to prevent it from melting the yellow embed. Spritz the mold and embed with alcohol to help the embed adhere, then pour a thin layer of the blue soap into the mold until it almost covers the yellow embed. Spritz with alcohol to get rid of any bubbles.
NINE: Allow the blue soap to cool slightly until it forms a skin. Then, insert one piece of green soap upright in the opposite side of the mold. You may need to hold the green soap in place for a few minutes to allow the blue soap to harden enough to stabilize the green embed.
TEN: Once the green layer is stable, spritz the soap with the 99% isopropyl alcohol to help the layers stick and pour more blue soap into the mold. Continue to pour until you have covered the first yellow flower embed, and pour a little extra create a layer in between the second flower embed. Allow this soap to cool and form a skin. Once cooled slightly, spritz with alcohol and pour a small amount of blue on top, then lay the white flower embed near the center of the mold.
Allowing the blue soap to harden slightly will keep the soap from falling down into the mold. Pouring a little bit of melted soap before placing the white embed helps the white soap stay in place.
ELEVEN: Remelt the remaining blue soap in the microwave using short bursts. When it’s 130° F or below, thoroughly spritz the top with alcohol and pour the remaining blue soap over the entire mold, making sure to fill in the various areas evenly. Place the yellow flower embed directly on top of the green stem embed. Spritz the top with alcohol to disperse bubbles.
TWELVE: Once the top has cooled and formed a skin, spritz with alcohol and place the small yellow flower pieces on top. Chop and melt 8 ounces of Clear Melt and Pour Base in the microwave using 15 second bursts. Once melted, add a pinch of iridescent glitter until you’re happy with the amount of sparkle.
THIRTEEN: Spritz the soap again with alcohol, and when the clear and sparkly soap is 130° F or below, pour it on top of the entire mold. Spritz with alcohol to remove bubbles, and allow the entire loaf to fully cool and harden. This can take about 4-6 hours.
Once cooled, cut into bars. Wrap the bars in plastic wrap to help prevent glycerin dew. Learn more about storing handmade products here.
Click to View the Recipe
- 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
- 3 Mini Daisy Silicone Column Molds
- 48 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
- 25 oz. White Melt and Pour Base
- .4 oz. Sunflower Fragrance Oil
- .7 oz. Flower Child Fragrance Oil
- Buttercup Mica
- Caribbean Blue Mica
- Kermit Green Mica
- Fine Iridescent Glitter
- 99% Isopropyl Alcohol in Spray Bottle
- Chop and melt 15 ounces of White Melt and Pour Soap Base in the microwave using 15-20 second bursts until completely melted. In a small container, mix 1 tsp. Buttercup Mica with 1 Tbs. 99% isopropyl alcohol, stir to fully incorporate. Split off 10 ounces of the melted base into a separate container. Add all of the mica mixture to the 10 ounces of melted soap and stir to combine.
- Place the Mini Daisy Silicone Column Molds into a container to position the molds upright. Pour the yellow soap in two of the three Mini Daisy Silicone Column Molds. Then, pour the remaining 5 ounces of white soap into the third Mini Daisy Silicone Column Mold. Spritz the top of the molds with alcohol to help disperse any bubbles. Allow the soap to fully cool and harden.
- To make the stem, chop and melt 10 ounces of White Melt and Pour Soap Base in the microwave using 15 second bursts. In a small container, mix 1 tsp. Kermit Green Mica with 1 Tbs. 99% isopropyl alcohol and add the mica mixture to the melted soap. Stir to combine. Pour the green soap into the bottom of the 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold, and spritz the top with alcohol to help get rid of any bubbles. Allow the soap to fully cool and harden.
- Once fully cool, remove the green soap from the mold. Cut the thin layer in half vertically so you have two long strips. I found that my layer was a little bit thicker than I wanted, so I used a peeler to make the layer a little thinner. This step is optional, and will depend on how thick you'd like the stem of the flower to be.
- Remove the flower embeds from the mold and trim them if necessary. I love using the Clean Up Tool for this step! Cut all three embeds to be the same length as the 10" Silicone Column Mold. With the leftover embeds, cut them into small, thin flowers. These will go on the top of the soap at the very end.
- Chop and melt 40 ounces of the Clear Melt and Pour Soap in the microwave using 30-45 second bursts. Mix together ½ tsp. of the Carribean Blue Mica with ½ Tbs. of 99% isopropyl alcohol until smooth. Add the mica mixture to the melted clear soap. Stir to combine.
- Mix together the Sunflower and Flower Child Fragrance Oils in a glass, fragrance safe container. Add the fragrance blend to the melted blue soap and stir to fully combine.
- Place one of the yellow embeds into the far left corner of the mold, leaving a small amount of space between the side of the mold and the embed. Check the temperature of the blue soap. If it's hotter than 130° F, allow it to cool to 125° F or below to prevent it from melting the yellow embed. Spritz the mold and embed with alcohol to help the embed adhere, then pour a thin layer of the blue soap into the mold until it almost covers the yellow embed. Spritz with alcohol to get rid of any bubbles.
- Allow the blue soap to cool slightly and form a skin. Then insert one piece of green soap upright in the opposite side of the mold. You may need to hold the green soap in place for a few minutes to allow the blue soap to harden enough to stabilize the green embed.
- Once the green layer is stable, spritz the soap with the 99% isopropyl alcohol to help the layers stick and pour more blue soap into the mold. Continue to pour until you have covered the first yellow flower embed, and pour a little extra create a layer in between the second flower embed. Allow this soap to cool and form a skin. Once cooled slightly, spritz with alcohol and pour a small amount of blue on top, then lay the white flower embed near the center of the mold. Allowing the blue soap to harden slightly will keep the soap from falling down into the mold. Pouring a little bit of melted soap before placing the white embed will help the white soap “stick."
- Remelt the remaining blue soap in the microwave using short bursts. When it's 130° F or below, thoroughly spritz the top with alcohol and pour the remaining blue soap over the entire mold, making sure to fill in the various areas evenly. Place the yellow flower embed directly on top of the green stem embed. Spritz the top with alcohol to disperse bubbles.
- Once the top has cooled and formed a skin, spritz with alcohol and place the small yellow flower pieces on top. Chop and melt 8 ounces of Clear Melt and Pour Base in the microwave using 15 second bursts. Once melted, add a pinch of iridescent glitter until you’re happy with the amount of sparkle.
- Spritz the soap again with alcohol, and when the clear and sparkly soap is 130° F or below, pour it on top of the entire mold. Spritz with alcohol to remove bubbles, and allow the entire loaf to fully cool and harden. This can take about 4-6 hours. Once cooled, cut into bars. Wrap the bars in plastic wrap to help prevent glycerin dew.
Hi,
I love this soap! But I believe I am a little confuse.
When you combine colors in one design, you need to use non-bleeding colorants to avoid color migration. The Caribbean Blue Mica used in this soap, it is not a non-bleeding mica.
So, it is fine in two color combination at least use one non-bleeding? Please Help
Sorry for the confusion, the Caribbean Blue Mica is a non-bleeding colorant. We have updated our Non-Bleeding Colorant category, where you can now see it listed.
https://www.brambleberry.com/Non-Bleeding–C451.aspx
I didn’t know exactly where to ask this question. I have a simple bar using clear melt & pour base. The Surplus Cherry Almond fragrance is a little strong in the bars. Can I re-melt it and add more melt & pour? Will melting it down again affect the outcome of the bars?
thanks
You sure can! That’s one of the nice things about the bases is that you can remelt them. Just make sure to reheat the soap on short bursts so it doesn’t burn. Then, you can add the unscented soap to tone the fragrance down. 🙂
Learn more about preventing burnt melt and pour here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-avoid-burnt-melt-pour/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
please specify gram of 1 tbs of mica (any)
half tbs mica
similarly for other usage
Hi Vivek!
One tablespoon of mica is about 14.18 grams. However, because one is a weight measurement and one is volume, that may be a bit off. I would recommend adding 5-10 grams of color at first to see what you get. If you want it a bit darker, you can add more from there. 🙂
Read more about weight vs. volume here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/a-guide-to-weight-vs-volume/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi…
Am new to soap making & d first batch i did really sucked
I think d prob is cos i wanted to use some chemicals in it & it siezed & then turned into flakes. Pls can som1 help me with it? I wanted to make a whiteing soap as it’s d most common we use here(lagos, Nigeria) & am scared of d commercial ones because of too much parabens & heavy chemicals.
So i added glycolic acid, vit e, whitening glycerine, zinc oxide, kojic acid, tumeric powder & an already made apricot body scrub,
I chose CP because most of dis chems might be lost in CPHP….. pls somebody help.
I’m sorry about that Yemmy! We’ve found the best recipe for cold process soap is oils, sodium hydroxide lye and distilled water. That gives you a cleansing bar that feels great on the skin. A great recipe to start with is 33% coconut oil, 33% palm oil and 33% olive oil. You can also do a 100% olive oil soap. Read more about those recipes here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/formulating-cold-process-recipes/
And the olive oil soap here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/olive-oil/
The Lye Calculator helps to determine how much lye and liquid to add: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx
We have some more helpful resources if you’re just getting started, including how-to videos. Find those resources here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/beginning-soaper-resource-roundup/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Yemmy,
I am also new to soaping, but I’ve come to realize that cp soaps turn out right If you stick to All Natural ingredients in their right proportions. Chemical additives require Some knowledge of the chemistry of soap making. Do lots of research, read, read, read, almost every information you Will need is available online, however, get à soaping mentor, start basic, get iT under your belt before doing advanced stuff. If you follow Kesley’s advise you Will NEVER go wrong. I got the bulk of my knowledge from her site. I haven’t gone wrong yet.
Bella
Thank you so much Bella, glad you find the Soap Queen blog helpful! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi!
I’m new to soaping. Perhaps I’m posting in the wrong section…hope I’ll get a response 🙂
I’m formulating a cps and would like to know if the recipe I’ve formulated is okay? *** I know I’m off by 10% and based on your expertise, could you also advise on an oil I can add? To make it = to 100%..
OILS
Castor oil 10%
Coconut oil 25%
Sweet almond oil 10%
Olive oil 20%
Shea Butter 10%
Cocoa Butter 15%
Total: 90%
ADDITIVES
Red Sandalwood powder
Tumeric powder
Organic coffee grinds
Sodium lactate
As for the additives (both the powders) how and when should they be added during the cps making process? Also, would you happen to know how much I should be adding of each additive I should add?
This soap is mainly supposed to be used on the belly and on hips where women usually get stretch marks during pregnancy.
I’m also concerned that the turmeric and red sandalwood powder may stain the skin. Do you have any experience using these?
The soap is supposed to be exfoliating but I don’t want it too scratchy. Do you suggest a grind the coffee to make it into a powder? Not sure.
Help pls! 🙂
I can definitely help you out Mallaury! What kind of bar are you looking for – firm and cleansing or more soft and luxurious? I can suggest some amounts based on your recipe. 🙂
As long as you don’t add too much tumeric powder it should be just fine on the skin! I would recommend about 1/2 teaspoon per pound of oils. That should color the soap without any transfer. Read more about working with natural colorants in this post by Amanda with Lovin’ Soap: http://www.lovinsoap.com/2011/07/natural-soap-colorants-gallery-spice-and-herbal-powders-at-trace/
We haven’t done any testing with red sandalwood powder, so I’m not entirely sure how it works in soap. I would recommend contacting the manufacturer to find out if they know a bit more.
For coffee grounds, you can grind them to make them a bit more fine! It also helps to add a small amount to the soap so it’s less scratchy. About 1 teaspoon per pound of soap is a good place to start. 🙂
We used coffee grounds in this Espresso Shot Cold Process Soap: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/espresso-shot-cold-process-tutorial/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Kelsey!
Thanks for all that information.
I’d like something that’s soft but still “sturdy” and luxurious. Not too soft and not too hard either. With a good lather too.
Thanks so much for your help 🙂
😊 any advice?
Absolutely! For a semi-soft, sturdy bar with nice lather I would recommend:
Castor oil: 5%
Coconut oil: 30%
Sweet almond oil: 10%
Olive oil: 40%
Shea butter: 5%
Cocoa butter: 10%
The castor oil will add great lather, the coconut oil will add firmness and cleansing properties, the butters will also help firm the soap, and the sweet almond and olive oil will make it feel luxurious and moisturizing on the skin.
I would recommend making a small test batch with that recipe and giving it a try. That way you can see how it feels on the skin and adjust from there. If you want it softer, you can add more olive or sweet almond oil. If you want it a bit more firm, you can bump the butters or coconut oil up slightly. Keep tweaking until you find a recipe you love. 🙂
Read more about common oils and how much to use in soap here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
This post on Formulating Cold Process Recipes here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/formulating-cold-process-recipes/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Kelsey,
I have another question…
If making a milk based soap, do you weigh the milk while it is not in a frozen state?
Also…I had a question regarding superfatting. Since I already have my recipe, once I make my soap and mix it to a light trace, if I add extra oils, is this the super fat? Does the Bramble Berry calculator automatically superfat? I want to leave a bit of a buffer just in case the lye amount is off by a tiny bit.
You can weigh the milk in liquid or frozen form! Both should weigh the same. We like to measure out a couple more ounces than were using and freeze it. Then, add the frozen cubes to a container until you get the right amount. Some of the milk can get stuck in the trays, so the extra ounces account for any loss.
Read more about working with milk here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-add-lye-to-milk-for-cold-process-soap/
Our Lye Calculator automatically calculates the superfat for you! All you have to do is select the percentage of superfat you want. The calculator will reserve enough of each oil to create that percentage. We like to superfat right around 5%. That adds some luxury to the batch without making it too soft or sticky. 🙂
Read more about superfatting here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/superfatting-soap-an-explanation-2/
Lye Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Do you have to use 99% alcohol? I can’t find it in the store.
We’ve found 99% isopropyl alcohol works best for adhering the layers and popping any air bubbles. If you can find 97% that should work fairly well! 🙂
Read more about 99% isopropyl alcohol here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-99-isopropyl-alcohol/
99% isopropyl alcohol: https://www.brambleberry.com/99-Isopropyl-Alcohol-16-oz-P5682.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you.
You’re welcome! 🙂
Hi there!
These soaps are adorable 🙂 Another amazing tutorial!
I was actually planning to make something similar, but I’m not exactly sure how I’d do it. I was thinking that it would be cute to use this technique to put cat whiskers through the soap. However, I’m not entirely sure how. I was thinking that you would probably have to find a two part mould for the middle, then you would have to use three thin strips of soap for the actual whiskers.
Would you be able to help me with this idea? Is it possible?
Thanks so much!
Hi Cadence!
I think that would definitely be possible! I would recommend pouring several layers for each whisker. So, pour some soap into the mold and let it harden. Then, spritz the soap and place two long pieces of soap horizontally in the mold. Pour melted soap over those two pieces (just a small amount) and repeat with more long strips of soap. You could even put a round embed to look like a nose in the middle of the soap. For that technique, pour some melted soap, wait for it to form a slight skin, put the round embed in and hold it for a couple minutes until it stands up. 🙂
Mini Round Silicone Column Mold: https://www.brambleberry.com/Mini-Round-Silicone-Column-Mold-P5810.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This soap is super cute. Y’all are so creative!!
Thank you so much Dana, that means a lot to us! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I love this soap! But I was just thinking, you haven’t made lotions or scrubs in a while.
Thank you Anna, glad you love it! Also, that’s a great idea. We’ll definitely plan for more lotion and scrub recipes on the blog. Thanks for your suggestion. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Beautiful! I’ll probably try a version of this soon – after my shark week soaps, of course 😉
Would using vanilla color stabilizer keep the color from changing?
You can use Vanilla Color Stabilizer! Adding it at a 1:1 ratio with the fragrance oil will keep the color more blue than teal. Have fun making your shark and buttercup soaps Natalia! 🙂
Vanilla Color Stabilizer: https://www.brambleberry.com/Vanilla-Color-Stabilizer-P4156.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Shark Attack Melt and Pour: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/shark-attack-melt-pour/