This project was designed exclusively for Martha Stewart Radio. It’s a way to make all of your basic soap molds versatile and season appropriate for pennies.
What you need:
Basic Soap Mold (Note: this mold has been discontinued, it has been substituted with the 6 Cavity Oval Mold)
Fragrance or Essential Oil
Melt and Pour Soap (white and clear)
Unmounted Rubber Stamps (examples here – I get mine at the Dollar Store)
Optional: Black Oxide, Fuchsia Labcolor & Rose Pearl Mica
Buy everything you need here!
1. Carefully place the unmounted rubber stamp, flat side down. The textured design side should be facing up, towards you.
Note: The Basic Soap Mold pictured above has been discontinued, it has been substituted with the 6 Cavity Oval Mold
2. Cut approximately 4 ounces of white melt and pour into 1″ squares. Melt in the microwave on short bursts for 30 seconds until fully melted (full tutorial on basic, beginning melt and pour soapmaking concept here).
3. Fragrance your soap. For 4 ounces, approximately 3 ml of fragrance or .10 oz of fragrance or essential oil is ideal.
4. You can color this soap or leave it white. We found that white or pale colors provided the best contrast.
5. Spritz the rubber stamp with rubbing alcohol. Then, start to pour the first layer. Pour this soap carefully. I found that a dropper was ideal for getting the soap into the mold without overflowing onto the rubber stamp. The key to this project is a thin, thin layer that does not submerge the stamp.
6. Allow this layer to harden for approximately three to five minutes. While it is hardening, prepare your second color of soap. Melt, color and fragrance the soap. We used clear soap with black oxide (tips on using black oxide in melt and pour soap are here), fuchsia labcolors and pink rose pearl mica.
7. Spritz the thin layer of hardened soap with rubbing alcohol. Slowly and carefully pour the second colored layer. Make sure your soap isn’t too hot or else you’ll melt your first layer, try to stick around 120F.
Bonus: Carefully dropper in a third color into any stamp detailing for an incredibly exciting finished soap!
8. Allow the soap to harden for at least 4 hours. Gently pop the soap out of the mold.
9. Carefully peel back the rubber stamp.
10. Clean up any little soap overhangs with a dental pick (available in the Bramble Berry Melt and Pour Kit), a small paring knife or anything that has a fine pick and scraping tool.
Voila! You’re done! You can do this with any stamp for any holiday – you’re not just limited to the Day o’Love. Think Easter, St. Patrick’s Day and Father’s Day – there are so many cute unmounted stamps out there. Check your local Dollar Store. That’s where we got our stamps and they had a great selection.
I can’t wait to read what you do with this tutorial and the nifty, creative things you find to do with it.
Yay! I totally will. I am loving your site. You are so crafty! Thanks for the heads up about your fun bridal shower project.
Hey AM. I'm posting a link to this over at http://www.newlywife.com next week, check it out if you get a chance. I'm showing how to make bridal shower favors & another post on bridal shower gifts. I just love the way you can personalize these so easily!
OMG. This is scary – becasue before I learned to craft soap I was passionately into card making and scrapbooking (still am – barely :+}) I’ve got all kinds of rubber/acrylic stamps. I love re-use!! I can’t wait to give this technique a go. You are amazing.
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing.
Irena
Cindy –
So sorry I forgot to answer your question!
Actually, the soap at the top of the post is a different bar than the last photo. I had so much fun making these that I probably made 20 bars and just took pictures as I went along and experimented with different looks.
Thanks to everyone else for all of your encouraging words!
This soap is so beautiful, Anne-Marie! I love it! It’s also a perfect way to customize soaps for special orders! You are amazing! Great job with Mario, too! I LOVE that show and listened while I soaped ! I was smiling the whole time!
Anne-Marie,
Thanks for the additional information. I will give it a try and take pictures of the soaps.
Brigette,
Thanks for your question!
It’s hard to explain in words (much easier to show) but I’ll try. 🙂
First you pour one thin layer of white soap – it shouldn’t cover the stamp at all. Second, you pour a thin layer of pink – I used a dropper and poured the soap over the stamp so it would fill up all the little crevices. Just make sure you can still see the highest levels of the stamps. And after that layer sets up you pour the rest in black. this really isn’t a finicky technique with tons of scraping and cleaning up.
Isn’t that great?
Let me know when you’ve tried it if you have any follow-up questions. And I’d love to see your soap!
Beautiful as always Anne-Marie…such a great idea!
I have done soaps with the stamps but you took it to a whole new level. I have only done one color but your creativity with the multiple colors is awesome. Can you provide more detail on the one with “kisses?” I can’t figure out how you got the black of the lettering and the pink around it. I am probably making it more complicated in my head that it is but any tips/info would be appreciated. Those soaps are truly beautiful.
All I have to say is that you are the bomb!!LOL!!No wonder you are the queen!!!That soap is pretty cool!!
I love the contrast!!Loveeeeeeeeee it!!
Brilliant! They are so pretty, I am just in love with them! Certainly Martha worthy!
You were wonderful on the show today, A-M! I really enjoyed it and liked seeing the step-by-step here while listening to your instructions!
This is so cool! What a great idea! I love your black and white version – so sharp!
I’m so sorry I missed calling in today. The morning got crazy on me. 🙁
Hope you have a great weekend!
Just listened to you on Martha Stewart – great show! I love your stamp soaps! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked those stamps up and could never come up with something cool to do with them.
Loved your spot on Sirius Radio. Is there anyway to hear it again?
Angie
Looks like I’m going to have to do a raid on the dollar store and Michael’s….
I love them… guess I know what I might be trying this weekend! You always have the most creative ideas.
Cool project, and it looks like a lot of fun!
Heather
Very cool idea AM! Something I had never even thought of!
i was doing this but having it all 1 color- the 2 really makes it pop! amazing as always!
Thanks, Anne-Marie, the top one is beautiful, but I’m a little confused – how did you get from the bottom picture to the top?
There you go again, being crafty and wonderfully contemporary at the same time. I know Martha and her staff will love your creativity. Now that my daughter is 7 and my son is 5, I'm feeling more comfortable letting them work with the hot M&P a bit. I love your blog and all of the creative things I find here, nicely coupled with some great business tips too!