If there’s anything that makes glycerin soap crafting even more of a joy, it’s using silicone molds. The shapes, textures, and amount of detail is mind blowing, plus the ease of unmolding can’t be beat! Today I’m going to discuss some tips to make your soaps as amazing as possible, and avoid any disappointing results (and in my next post I’ll give you some project ideas, too!). I used the Bramble Berry “Kudos Sunflower Handbag Silicone Mold.”
For starters, it can be hard to guess how much soap each mold holds (hard if you don’t read the description on the site like me!). So to determine the capacity of a mold, just fill it with water, then pour that into a measuring cup. Voila! That’s how much you need (add 1/2 oz more to make up for soap left in your cup).
The main challenge using these intricately detailed molds is that the textures can sometimes trap bubbles, causing gaps in the design or holes in the soap surface. Here’s an example of what that can look like:
Avoiding this is easy – it just takes some attention while you’re pouring. First, spray the surfaces of the mold lightly with rubbing alcohol before you pour. This helps pop bubbles on contact and thins the soap slightly so it flows into the tiny details better. Next, pour your soap pretty hot so it’s not thick at all. Just make sure that you don’t overheat your soap, causing bubbles.
Once you have poured, allow it to sit on the counter and harden at room temperature. Since the molds are so soft, it’s hard to move them without squeezing your soap and spilling or wrinkling the soap surface. Also, the silicone insulates very well, making it take longer to cool than in a traditional hard plastic mold.
Getting the soap out is definitely the fun part! Just pull the sides of the mold away from the soap – there will be no resistance at all – and stretch it while pushing the soap up and out. It’s super easy!
In my next post I will talk about using different soap base colorants, how to enhance the surface design, and how to make a jewelry-filled soap purse. I hope to see you then! 🙂
Happy melting and pouring!
-Debbie
Soapylove
