Soap Queen

Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more

Tutorials by difficulty level:

Search Results for: Facebook Photo of the Week

Facebook Photo of the Week (April 12th – April 18th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

With just a few days until Easter, we are in full spring mode. To celebrate, yesterday we kicked off our Easter Egg Hunt. Participating is easy: simply find ten Soap Queen Egg gifs on BrambleBerry.com and then email to receive two exclusive cold process recipes along with a PDF on how to use colorants in cold process. But don’t wait, the egg hunt ends on April 21st.

Speaking of contests, we’ve got plenty more going on. If you’re thinking ahead to Mother’s Day, there is still time for the ShowMomLove Contest. Simply post an image of a handmade gift on Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest by April 20 to enter to win a kit from the Soap Crafting Club. If going green is your thing, there’s also an Earth Day contest. Show us a photo of your recycled soap mold on our Facebook page with the hashtag ‘#BBEarthDay’ to win an Eco Chic Melt and Pour kit.

This week we shared a comprehensive list of tips, tricks and information for beginning soapers. Whether you want to start working with melt and pour or cold process, the Beginning Soaper Resource Roundup has you covered. If melt and pour is your soapy method of choice, this Carnation Cube Cuties Melt and Pour Tutorial is perfect for beginners. Featuring the unique Carnation Fragrance Oil (our sample of the month) and Jojoba Beads, this project will leave your skin smooth and smelling of fresh flowers.

Speaking of fresh flowers, our Facebook Photo of the Week from Whitetail Lane Farm was clearly inspired by spring:

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (April 5th ~ April 11th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

One of the best things about the soaping community is how generous soapers are to one another. This week we announced the lucky winner for the Soap Guild Ticket Giveaway, and were blown away when another soaper came forward to giveaway her ticket as well. Congrats to the winners of the ticket giveaway — Gates of Burly Stone Soap Co. and Dawn of Horsin Around Soap. We can’t wait to hear about your experiences!

With summer quickly approaching, it’s time to prep your skin for the sun. Exfoliation is the key to healthy, glowing skin and this Margarita Salt Scrub Tutorial leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. Curious about which exfoliant is right for your project? The new Exfoliant Sampler Pack allows you to experiment with eight different kinds. If you’re instead looking to sooth irritated skin, the Sunday Night Spotlight: Oats has great info and project suggestions.

Speaking of sun, look no further than our Facebook Photo of the Week for lots of bright sunshine rays. It could bring sunshine to even the gloomiest of days!

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (March 29th ~ April 4th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Life is full of ups and downs, and you have to expect the unexpected. Soap making is no exception. When a Soap Crafting Club project went sour because of a mis-manufactured fragrance, we got creative and saved the soap with the Hot Process Hero technique. The result was this colorful Black Cherry Hot Process Hero Tutorial. Rolling with the punches is key to business as well, as the demise of the shopping guide The Daily Candy demonstrates. As we learn from our mistakes, it’s also important to celebrate successes. The interview with Jill of Calise Soapworks is a great example of a small operation growing into a successful, full-fledged business.


This week we also shared the Springtime Room Spray Tutorial, which is a great recipe for beginners. Made with a refreshing combination of Crisp Apple Rose and Spring Meadow Fragrance Oil, it brings the fresh scent of spring inside. If you’re looking for more quick and simple projects inspired by warmer weather, the Sparkle Power Bath Bomb Tutorial and Sweet Summer Scrub Tutorial are great places to start. Speaking of warm weather, our Facebook Photo of the Week from Margaret of Sweet Soft Skin Handmade Soaps is a great example of a spring cold process project:

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (March 22nd ~ March 28th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

With spring officially here and March behind us, it’s exciting to start using lighter scents and colors in projects. The Eggcellent Easter Melt and Pour Tutorial features both; the Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil and Eden’s Garden Fragrance Oil blend combined with pastel colors make it the perfect project for the upcoming holiday.

The Havana Classic Series came to an end last week. It included a variety of projects featuring our Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil. This scent is a great choice for another upcoming holiday, Father’s Day. Colored with a masculine palette of blue, deep red and mustard, the Neptune Column Pour Cold Process Tutorial would make the perfect soap for men and women alike. If you are looking for more manly projects, check out this Easy Whipped Shaving Soap or this cute Golf Ball Melt and Pour Tutorial.

Speaking of beautiful color palettes, the Facebook Photo of the Week features five gorgeously colored scrubs that really pop! These natural scrubs from Stripped Soap Co. use clays to achieve these vibrant colors.

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (March 15th ~ March 21st)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Despite the name, The Soap Queen blog posts all kinds of information and how-to guides on everything from sewing to cooking. It’s sort of a smorgosboard of my personal interests at the time. This week however, was all about the subject that got it all started: soapy projects!

Learn how to make Luscious Lemon Cupcakes with this tutorial. Don’t be fooled by the fluffy frosting, these cupcakes are made with melt and pour soap and feature the Lemon Cake Fragrance Oil. As a bonus, this wonderful fragrance is also 20% throughout all of March.

Visit the Soap Queen Tumblr for this rum aftershave recipe as part of the Havana Classic series.

The Havana Classic series began this week, so be on the lookout for projects featuring the Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil until March 26. This series features projects that are perfect for the man in your life, including the Havana Layers Melt and Pour Soap. Made with lots of scrubby exfoliants and fun colors, it’s a tough soap that will make hands squeaky clean. Visit the Soap Queen Tumblr for a recipe for rum aftershave too!

Speaking of fun colors, the Facebook Photo of the Week is bright, cheery and features sherbet-like colors that are perfect for spring.

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (March 8th ~ 14th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

This week was jammed packed with inspiration and exciting events. If you are looking for a fun way to try new soap projects and connect with fellow soapers, there are still a few spots open in the Spring Subscription of Soap Crafting Club. For more information about the club, head over to this post. This week we also announced a contest to win a Soap Crafting Book and Soap Crafting Kit for your mom or other loved one. Entering the contest is easy; simply upload a photo of a crafty gift you have made to Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter with hashtags #ShowMomLove and #BrambleBerry. Don’t wait, the contest ends April 20th!

Speaking of handmade gifts, this recipe for Cherry Blossom Solid Perfume would make the perfect, quick and easy present. Not only is solid perfume easy to make, it’s easy to use. If you’d like to learn more about making solid perfume, check out the “How to Make Solid Perfume” Soap Queen TV Video. If you’re interested in making liquid perfume, this tutorial for White Ginger and Amber Spray Perfume will show you how.

The Cherry Blossom Solid Perfume is a perfect spring gift.

This tutorial for the Natural Colorant Taiwan Swirl proves that natural colorants are anything but dull. If you need more convincing,  look at the Facebook Photo of the Week from Herbolution Natural Body Care.

Look closely! The soap stamp says, “Chocolate: It’s not just for breakfast.”

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (March 1st ~ March 7th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

The first week of March flew by, and this week on the blog was all about helpful tips and surprising combinations. Sunday’s Soap Queen Cuisine recipe took a healthy twist on the donut. These Vegan Maple-Sriracha Donuts are a flavor combination so wild it works! If you’re looking for a lotion with lots of skin-loving additives, look no further than the luxurious lotion tutorial. The lotion itself is already super skin-loving given its base of Argan oil and Shea butter, but you can customize it up to three ways with various extract, scent and color combinations.

Quickly and easily determine the final color of your lip balms using the Spoon Trick.

Speaking of color combinations, how can you tell the color of your lip balm before the whole batch has hardened? One easy way is the spoon trick. It makes coloring lip balms a breeze. Finally, celebrate the luck o’ the Irish with the the Shamrock Cold Process. The soap features a sloping half circle to highlight the cute soap stamp in the center. In fact, the shape reminds us of this week’s Facebook Photo of the Week.

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (February 22nd ~ February 28th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

This week was full of newness! A surprise S.O.A.P panel included eight new members, and then there were a variety of products showcased in What’s New: Winter Edition 2014 post. That list includes everything from new springtime fragrances such as Wildflower Honey Fragrance Oil and Sunny Herb Garden Fragrance Oil to handy soaping tools like the Triangle Silicone Spatula and Squeeze Bottles.

Argan, Jojoba and Chia oils are all in the Nourishing Nail Oil Recipe.

Speaking of new, this Nourishing Nail Oil Recipe will take your nails from dry, to shining and new in no time. This week the focus was on two colorants that bring fresh, newly-bloomed flowers to mind: Green Chrome Oxide and Hydrated Chrome Green. Not only are these colorants beautiful, but one of them — Green Chrome Oxide — is 20% off this month.

This weeks Facebook Photo of the Week was clearly inspired by fresh, bright hues as well. Made by Three Changos Handcrafted Soap, this Citrus Cilantro Exfoliating Soap features vivid colors and multiple layers of exfoliation.

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (February 15th ~ 21st)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

It may be the middle of February, but I’m ready for spring to arrive. It’s exciting to watch the days get longer and feel the temperatures slowly rise. In the meantime, why not get a head start on your spring cleaning? This guest post from organization goddess Michele Connolly is the perfect place to begin. Michele has tons of great tips on when to sell, donate or throw away your clutter. This week I also shared a recipe for a Blueberry Kale Smoothie, which is a delicious way to “declutter” your breakfast. It’s full of body-loving ingredients such kale, chia seeds and blueberries. Yum!

The delicious Blueberry Kale Smoothie

While you wait for temperatures to rise outside, get crafty inside. The Soothing Baking Soda Oatmeal Bar is made using the double boiler method, and it’s a great natural recipe for sensitive skin. If you’d like to learn more about this technique, How to Make Rebatch Soap walks you through the process. Looking for more natural soap inspiration? Check out the interview with Janelle of Jangle Soapworks. Janelle makes all her soap with goat milk from her own farm, and prefers to use natural colorants and essential oils.

If you’re looking for a project bursting with cuteness and color, our Rainbow Hearts Melt and Pour Tutorial is sure to fit the bill. Scented with Pink Grapefruit Fragrance Oil, this tutorial not only looks bright and spring-like, it smells equally cheery. Speaking of cuteness and color, our Facebook Photo of the week has plenty of both:

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (February 8th ~ 14th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

This week, we covered a wide variety of topics including soap making oils, Pinterest business strategies and two crafty tutorials.

If you are a cold process soapmaker, you know your soap is only as good as the oils in the recipe. For All Olive Oils are Not Created Equal, we tested 10 different store bought oils to see how they held up in cold process soap, and the results may surprise you. If you’d like to learn more about soapmaking oils, the Free Beginner’s Guide to Soapmaking: Common Soapmaking Oils is full of information regarding a wide variety of oils.

Curious about store-bought olive oils in cold process soap? Check out the post.

Ready to start crafting? This week our retail store Otion shared a fun tutorial for soapers of all ages. Inspired by astronomy, the Cold Process Planets in a Melt and Pour Galaxy Soap involves cold process and melt and pour techniques to create a soap that’s out of this world! If you’re looking to make lotion instead of soap, this massage cream tutorial made with White Thyme Essential Oil is both calming and moisturizing. It’s perfect for dry, winter skin.

If the cold weather has you feeling down, this week’s Facebook Photo of the Week is full of spring inspiration.

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (February 1st ~ February 7th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Welcome to Friday, everyone! Hopefully you’re staying warm despite the insanely cold weather that has swept through many parts of the U.S (the Pacific Northwest even woke up to snow on the ground this morning). Even with the weather outside, this soap is bright and cheery Dandelion Zebra Cold Process tutorial and sure to liven up your soap lab and who doesn’t love a pink cupcake (which feature a secret ingredient)? Thank you for the amazing comments on the new soapy tools post. A few lucky people will find a brand new Silicone Tool Set on their doorstep next week. Expect to see more Bramble Berry customized soaping tools in the future.

Show Your Love week is over and ended with with a pink salt foot scrub tutorial and a blow out 15% off fragrance oils sale. That sale may have ended, but good news: today is the last day to use the LOVE30 coupon, which is good for 30% off every item in the Mini Heart Bath Bomb kit.

With a certain heart-themed holiday ahead of us, it’s all about pink this week, and the Facebook Photo of the Week is no exception. Take a look:

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (January 25th ~ January 31st)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

This week was full of fun and easy projects, perfect for a beginner crafter. Our Super Simple Shoe Polish is a great inexpensive alternative to store bought polish, and adding a little brown or black oxide really helps to liven up worn or faded leather. We also kicked off our Show Your Love promotion by making these cute and easy Mini Heart Bath Bombs. Interested in giving these bath bombs a try? Order soon because everything in the recipe is 30% off until February 7th =)

Our Natural vs. Organic post is full of information for the beginner and advanced crafter. If these terms have ever caused you confusion, it’s a good read.

Looking for some culinary inspiration for your Super Bowl party? Out of the numerous chili recipes entered into our Chili Cook Off, Kari’s Chili Verde with Pork was the winner (click through to get the recipe to make it yourself). Everybody in the office loved the tangy verde sauce and hearty chunks of pork. It was incredibly delicious!

But let’s get back to my favorite topic…soap! This week’s Facebook Photo of the Week comes to us from Josie of Josie’s Beauty Boutique. Her “Don’t Eat Me Because I’m Beautiful” soap is lovely, and I was impressed to hear that she has only been soaping since November! She definitely got some bonus point for that cute and clever soap name too.

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (January 18th ~ January 24th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Soaping is a hobby that requires practice and persistence, and when a project turns out beautifully it’s all worth it. But unfortunately mistakes happen, and sometimes soap doesn’t turn out as you’d expect. To help you diagnose any soapy issues, Soap Behaving Badly is a comprehensive overview of a wide variety of soaping mishaps caused by fragrance oils, including ricing, acceleration and seizing. It’s a must read for both beginners and advanced soapers! If you are interested in learning more about preventing soapy blunders, our Explaining and Preventing Soda Ash, Why Did My Soap Turn Brown? and How to Prevent Fading and Browning posts are there to help.

The aftermath of our soapy fragrance testing. Check out Soap Behaving Badly to see what happened to (and how to salvage) these poor bars.

But let’s focus on projects that were successful! This week we shared a super easy and refreshing Infused Aloe and Rose Water Toner recipe. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, we also shared our Striped Berry Champagne Cold Process Tutorial featuring ombre layers separated by thin lines of mica for definition. If you’re a fan of ombre, check out these other DIY projects:

Tired and hungry after all that ombre crafting? This Ombre Layered Cake Recipe is sure to pick you up! Speaking of sugary treats, this week we also shared this Brown Butter and Basil Shortbread Recipe, which is a fun spin on the traditional cookie. As for the the Facebook Photo of the Week, the whipped soapy frosting on top certainly looks good enough to eat!

[Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week (January 11th ~ January 17th)

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

This week we made two exciting announcements, including the winners of our S.M.A.R.T. Goals Post. Thanks again to everyone who shared their 2014 goals with us — we had such a fun time reading them.

We also announced the beginning of our 2014 Soap Swap! In case you are unfamiliar with our Soap Swap, it’s a fun way to swap your creations with fellow soap makers, learn new techniques and receive 12 bars of unique soap. Hurry and sign up now, spots are filling up quickly.

An Instagram collage of some of the lovely soaps we received during last year’s Spring Swap.

This week we also shared our Honey Kisses Sheer Lipstick Tutorial, which is an inexpensive way to recreate my favorite store bought lipstick. Looking for more lip recipes? First, learn all about the process in our Talk It Out Tuesday: Lip Balm post, then give these tutorials a try! We also have you covered when it comes to cleaning up your lip balm project.

As for the Facebook Photo of the Week, this whimsical swirl caught my eye. Bonus points for their awesome use of natural colorants!


[Read more…]