Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more
It was a colorful week here on the blog. For the next 6 weeks, we will be celebrating color with the #SoaptheRainbow Series. Each week, you can share your creations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by tagging them with #SoaptheRainbow. Some of our favorites will be featured on the Bramble Berry Instagram account and the winners will get a $10 Bramble Berry certificate. You can also enter for a Grand Prize worth more than $250. Learn more about the series and contest here.
Summer means bright colors, cool drinks and of course, Shark Week. Shark Week on the Discovery channel starts June 26th. The Shark Attack Melt and Pour Soap is the perfect way to celebrate. The bars are made by embedding shark toys into swirled blue and white soap. Coconut Mango Fragrance Oil gives the recipe a tropical scent. The project is great for Shark Week parties or crafting with kids.
At first glance, making soap can seem intimidating. However, it’s so easy to make! This week we launched the new Natural Soap Kit for Beginners, which includes everything you need to make soap from scratch. It also includes FREE SHIPPING anywhere in the lower 48 United States. The kit has three options made with 100% pure essential oils: Energizing Orange, Refreshing Lemongrass and Relaxing Lavender. Click through the Natural Soap Kit for Beginners post to learn more.
The warmer weather inspired several projects this week, including the Perfect Pineapple Cold Process Soap Tutorial. The recipe uses Flexy Fast Molding Putty and a real pineapple to create an authentic fruit pattern on top of the soap. It’s colored with shades of green and yellow and scented with Pineapple Cilantro Fragrance Oil. It’s a perfect summer soap.
Dried herbs are a great addition to any soap recipe. This week the blog featured several tutorials made with botanicals, including the Chamomile Oat Melt and Pour Bars. The top layer is decorated with chamomile herb for a unique and natural look. The bars also have chamomile extract and Chamomile Bergamot Fragrance Oil. For a creamy feeling on the skin, they’re made with Stephenson Oatmeal and Shea Melt and Pour Base.
Last week I made this gluten-free bread recipe. After pouring it in the pan, I immediately tapped it on the counter to get rid of air bubbles. I had to laugh because that is such a “soaper” thing to do. Knowing other crafters have similar experiences, I asked how others know they’re a soaper on the Bramble Berry Facebook page. There are so many hilarious responses. The team and I had such a fun time reading through them all. You can see all the responses here, and check out some of our favorites below.
Cindy L. knows she’s a soaper because her recipe volcanoed and she grabbed her camera to snap a picture! Learn the cause of soap volcanoes and how to prevent them in this post.
This week the blog featured several projects inspired by fruit, including the Apple and Sage Salt Scrub. It is made with the new Apple Sage Fragrance Oil, which is the perfect blend of sweet and herby notes. To exfoliate and moisturize the skin, the recipe has Epsom salt and avocado oil. Evergreen Mica and Apple Moss Green Mica complete the apple-inspired design.
The masculine projects continued this week with the Pumice and Poppy Seed Melt and Pour Tutorial. They bars are made with pumice, poppy seeds and Lagoon Green Jojoba Beads to help scrub away dead skin. The exfoliants also add color and interest to the soap. For a masculine scent, the soap is scented with Bramble Berry’s Made to Measure Type Fragrance Oil.
I love pink hues, floral scents and glitter, but this week the blog was all about masculine projects like the Easy Scrubby Body Wash. The recipe is made with Stephenson Suspending Body Wash. The base evenly distributes the Sierra Sky Jojoba Beads, which add color and exfoliation. The recipe is scented with Bramble Berry’s Fierce Type Fragrance Oil. It’s easy to make and perfect for Father’s Day.
This week the blog featured several Mother’s Day gift ideas, including the Heavenly Lilac Bath Truffles. They come with a free printable gift label. The truffles are colored with Party Pink Mica and Lavender Mica. The Lilac Fragrance Oil and rose petals complement the soft pink hue. The recipe also has cocoa butter and shea butter to help moisturize the skin.
Happy Earth Day! To celebrate, the blog featured several ideas on how to reuse items around the house. If you have almost empty fragrance or essential oil bottles around your house, you can use them to create bath salts, scrubs or bath bombs. To do so, pour salt directly into the bottle. The salt will absorb the last few drops of scent. Then, you can pour the salts in your tub or package them for later use. Learn more in the How to Use Every Last Drop of Fragrance Oil post.
Projects inspired by the Spring Fever Fragrance Collection continued this week. If you’d like to try the kit, don’t wait! Today is the last day to buy it. After that, the fragrances will be sold individually. The collection includes Blueberry Jam Fragrance Oil, which has notes of orange zest, spice, almond and of course, blueberries. It is used in the Blueberry Jam Sugar Scrub. The scrub uses biodegradable Jasmine Jojoba Beads and Sierra Sky Jojoba Beads to create a berry color and exfoliate the skin. For a bit of moisture and fantastic ‘slip,’ fractionated coconut oil is in the recipe as well.
This week featured several tutorials inspired by the new Spring Fever Fragrance Collection. The collection includes Blooms and Berries Fragrance Oil, which has notes of strawberry, pear, jasmine and musk. To complement the scent, the Painted Berry Bath Bombs have a green, purple and pink design on top. The design is created by mixing mica with 99% isopropyl alcohol and “painting” on top of each one. It’s a fun way to dress up bath bombs.
With temperatures in the 60s this week, you can feel the seasons changing in Washington state. So, it’s the perfect time to introduce the Spring Fever Fragrance Collection. The collection includes four new fragrance oils – Sunflower, Clover and Aloe, Blooms and Berries and Blueberry Jam. Right now you can get all four in a kit for just $15.95. Click through the Introducing the New Spring Fever Fragrance Collection post for color inspiration and notes for each scent.
