Saturday was a day full of interesting sessions, one of which was a session by Amanda Griffin on how to make single cavity silicone molds. Amanda lives in Dallas, Texas and teaches soapmaking classes that include the basics of formulation as well as more advanced soapmaking techniques that include working with color, swirling and she’ll even teach you how to make your very own silicone molds.
Have you ever found a little ornament you thought would be the cutest soap, or wished you could make your soap into something more personal? Learning to make your own single cavity silicone molds offers you a wide range of new and interesting shapes for your soaps. Think about unique shapes such as Buddhas, pine cones, cupcakes, fake food, grandma’s figurines, thrift store finds, and holiday themed items. The possibilities are endless!
Within the session Amanda explained the types of materials that were best suited for the use of making silicone molds. Pretty much anything goes, however your surface needs to be non-porous, if you find the item you’ve selected is porous be sure to seal it before making your mold.
You will also need to give thought as to how pliable you would want your mold to be for example; if you are making a slab or log mold you might want the walls to be more sturdy to hold in the larger amount of soap. Small single cavity molds will need to be more pliable to release your small irregular shaped item.
Amanda gave several examples of household items that can be used to make a mold box-the mold box holds the item you want to cast (and will ultimately become your mold); such as a pine cone, fake food item, nail polish, etc. She also explained that in order to make the proper amount of silicone you need to figure up the cubic inches within your mold box minus the space your item will take away. Don’t be afraid; there’s a calculator for that.
Getting set up for the mold.
Pouring the silicone.
One great option for pourable silicone is the DIY Pourable Silicone Kit and E-Book from Bramble Berry that includes Part A and Part B with complete instructions written by Amanda Griffin. This kit is perfect for making fun single cavity molds. (Pssst, another tip! For those more experienced with making silicone molds, Bramble Berry also sells the pourable silicone on its own!)
Silicone slab/log molds make soapmaking so much easier as they solve the huge problem of getting your soap to release without the headache of all that pushing, tugging and destruction of your soap-saving you time and money. Making your own mold is a great solution to the costly expense of purchasing a ready made mold and if you want a very specific size it is the best option. Amanda showed us how she made her very own slab mold from just a few pieces of melamine (as her mold box) from the local hardware store and pourable silicone. Yes, a new slab/log mold is really just a DIY project away.
Hi again, thanks for replying. I am making melt and pour soap. Yes, it is an adorable mold!
Thanks, Cadence.
Hi Cadence!
Thanks so much for that information! With melt and pour soap, it can take up to 12-24 hours to unmold from a silicone mold. If you’re still having trouble unmolding after that time, pop your mold in the freezer for about 10 minutes. That should help the soap remove smoothly. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi. I have a tiny silicone mold (around the size of a figurine), and it is shaped like a cat. It makes adorable mini soaps, but I find it impossible to unmold it without breaking it (I have several beheaded cat soaps lying around 🙁
Do you have any tips that would help?
Thanks, Cadence.
Hi Cadence!
That sounds like such a cute mold! I’d love to help you out. Are you making melt and pour or cold process soap?
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I can see how this concept for molds is a game changer. The idea of using the silicone in connection with log molds is likely as valuable as the ability to make custom one-at-a-time molds. Thanks for the info.
Good morning, Al!
Making your own molds (or even embeds) with a custom silicone is really a lot of fun and we can’t wait to see what our readers and customers do with their soaps. If you end up getting the kit, be sure to let us know how it works for you. 🙂
Happy Soaping!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
I am so pleased to see this blog post as just this morning I stumbled across this concept! There are a few novelty soap molds that would be perfect for my … area, and a DIY is the perfect answer! Can’t wait to place my next order so I can get the kit from Bramble Berry!!
Hi Jennifer!
Making your own silicone molds can be so much fun and the possibilities are endless. You’ll have to let us know what you end up going with and if you get any pictures, be sure to share them with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page. 🙂
DIY Pourable Silicone Kit with E-book: https://www.brambleberry.com/DIY-Pourable-Silicone-Kit-with-E-book-P5450.aspx
Happy Soaping!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry
Great article, Michele! You did a great job sharing what the session was all about. It’s fun to read and relive the conference.
Hi Jean!
I totally agree! I wasn’t even at the conference and with the guest posts from both Michele and yourself, I felt like I was really there. Thank you again for being our guest blogger! 🙂
-Becky with Bramble Berry