Who could have predicted that the same condiment squeeze bottles that hold mustard and ketchup could actually turn out to be indispensable soapmaking tools? We got our 12 oz. Squeeze Bottles in at the beginning of November, and have been soaping up a storm with them.
Squeeze bottles are a vital part of many soapy designs because the narrow tip allows you to lay down precise lines. These lines are the foundation for many intricate swirls, such as the Peacock Swirl, Frog Foot Swirl and Butterfly Swirl. As with our silicone tools and molds, we recommend hand washing these bottles for best results. They can be difficult to clean, so we recommend filling them with warm water and letting them sit immediately after use. Then, screw the top on and shake vigorously to loosen up the soap inside. Use a scrubby bottle brush to get rid of any stubborn soapy remains.
We recommend using these bottles for cold process soaping only. Melt and pour soap hardens much more quickly, and you could get stuck with a gloopy mess trapped inside your bottle.
We used squeeze bottles to lay down the first part of our Frog Foot Swirl.
The uses for the Squeeze Bottle don’t stop at making excellent, precise lines. You can also take advantage of their nimbleness and precision to “draw” designs directly onto your soap! For the Holly Berry Cold Process design below, we used the bottles to hand draw holly leaves on the surface of the soap for a truly festive touch.
Using the Squeeze Bottles to draw designs on the Holly Berry Cold Process soap.
One of our favorite techniques is the Squirty Swirls design, and it’s easily achieved with the Squeeze Bottles. This technique is surprisingly simple, and results in a beautiful design every time. You can learn more about the Squirty Swirls recipe in the Soap Crafting Book, or you can also check out this fun Rainbow Squirty Swirls recipe that we posted earlier this week. Simply fill your bottles with colored soap and squirt layer upon layer into the mold to achieve this super cool design!
Using the bottles to create the Squirty Swirls design.
Below is just a snapshot of a few more designs that have been created in part using the Squeeze Bottles. The design options are unlimited.
Top: Butterfly Swirl, Hawaiian Shirt
Bottom: Peacock Swirl, Mantra Swirl
Have you used Squeeze Bottles in your soapy designs? What is your favorite pattern to make?
I’ve used squirt bottles a couple times, but always end up with the soap going too thick to pour, so there’s a lot of waste. I’ve tried using ziplock bags with so-so results and plastic frosting bags, which worked somewhat better.
Is there a secret for using these without the soap going super thick? Or too thin?
Hi Belinda!
We’ve found that having your soap at thin trace works best when you’re using the squirt bottles. To get thin trace, stick blend your oils and lye water until they’re combined but not thick.
Having a fragrance oil that doesn’t accelerate is also helpful. Each fragrance oil on brambleberry.com lists whether they accelerate trace or not.
You may like some of the recipes we mentioned in this blog post, which allow you a lot of time to work. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I am surprised that no one has commented on this post! I LOVE LOVE LOVE using squirt bottles when making soap!! The first one I ever used them with was the impressionist soap (I think that’s what it was called!) My teenage daughter’s, who swear they don’t like to make soap, have a blast using the bottles! A tip for leaning them: once you have used all the soap, take the lids off, and just let them sit in the open air for a couple of days-outside is great if it’s warm enough! The freezer works too! Then you just squeeze the bottles all the way around, and dump out the chunks of soap that fall out. I then stand them up in the sink, and pour almost boiling water into each of them, and let sit overnight. Dump them out the next morning, and what little is left comes right out by adding some hot water and shaking for a minute or two. I’ve never had to use a bottle brush, they come out perfectly clean every time! 🙂
Hi LuAnn!
I’m so happy to hear you love the squeeze bottles! They make so many awesome techniques fun and easy, we use them all the time :). I love your suggestion, that is so incredibly clever, thanks so much for sharing it with us :)!
-Amanda with Bramble Berry