Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more
This week was all about bright spring colors. The Neon Geometric Melt and Pour Soap features pink, yellow, green and purple angled layers. The layers are made by propping the mold at an angle and pouring the soap in. To go with the spring colors, the soap is scented with Yuzu Cybilla Fragrance Oil. The bars are a perfect addition to an Easter basket.
To make wedding planning less stressful, the DIY projects shared this week are easy and fast. The DIY Argan and Jojoba Beard Oil only has a few ingredients and is ready to use right away. To moisturize beards, mustaches and the skin underneath, it has skin-loving oils like fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil and argan oil. For an even faster project, you can use the Beard Oil Base. It makes a great groomsman gift.
This week featured more wedding inspiration, including the Nail Polish Wedding Favors. Nail polish is a great option because it’s so easy to make. You can use it for wedding favors, bridesmaid gifts or even a fun activity for a bridal shower. The tutorial uses Gold Sparkle Mica and Rose Gold Mica, but you can add any color you like.
As a bonus, a variety of packaging materials are 15% off until March 18th with the code: WEDFAV. Sale items include clear soap boxes, candle tins, perfume bottles and more. Click here to see all the sale items.
Even though it’s still cold in some parts of the country (and rainy here in Washington state), wedding season will be here before you know it. For the next couple weeks, the blog will feature DIY wedding ideas, including the Cold Process Soap Wedding Favor Tutorial + Free Printable. It has a soft pink color from Electric Bubble Gum Colorant, shimmer from Gold Sparkle Mica and a floral scent from Lily of the Valley Cybilla Fragrance Oil. The recipe makes 72 bars, which can be used as gifts or favors.
As a bonus, a variety of packaging materials are 15% off until March 18th with the code: WEDFAV. Sale items include clear soap boxes, candle tins, perfume bottles and more. Click here to see all the sale items. You’re sure to find something to package your favors and give them a finishing touch.
This week featured plenty of green and gold inspiration for St. Patrick’s Day. The Celtic Melt and Pour Soap is made with Evergreen Mica. The shimmery evergreen soap is piped into the details of the Celtic Combo Limited Edition Mold for a festive look. To go with the green theme, the soap is scented with Green Tea and Cucumber Fragrance Oil. It’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day gifts or party favors.
This week was all about new products and techniques. For instance, French green clay, nettle leaf and comfrey leaf were recently added to the Bramble Berry line. Natural colorants look great in soap and other products. If you’d like to give them a try, the Natural Colorants Sampler Pack is the perfect way to do so. There are also new mica sampler packs, including the Green Mica Sampler Pack, Purple Mica Sampler Pack, Blue Mica Sampler Pack and the Rainbow Mica Sampler Pack. Click through the New at Bramble Berry post to see all the recent additions. You can always find new Bramble Berry Products by clicking the “What’s New” button at the top of the homepage, or click here.
There are so many ingredients from the cupboard that can be added to cold process soap. This week, there were several posts about those ingredients, including the How to Add Purees to Cold Process Soap post. Every fruit or vegetable adds certain properties to the soap. For instance, avocado puree gives the bars a luxurious feeling. Purees that contain sugar, like strawberry puree, provide great lather. Click through this post to learn how to add fruit and vegetables to your next project.
Photo by Lara Ferroni.
It was a busy week here at Bramble Berry. I recently returned from a trip to Mexico, where I attended the Indie Business Cruise. It is hosted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson and involves sun, relaxation and informative workshops. This year I gave a talk about how to set value-driven goals. There were also talks on how to connect with customers through video and the importance of building a community for your brand. Read more about my trip in the What I Learned At (on) Indie Business Cruise post.
This week continued our streak on natural cleaning (get it, streak? Punny!) including the Natural Soap Scum Cleaner. It is made with baking soda, pumice and Epsom salt. They scrub away tough grime in the bathtub. The baking soda and salt also absorb any unpleasant smells. The lemongrass essential oil and fir needle essential oil added to the recipe will make your bathroom smell crisp and clean.
This week was all about natural cleaning ingredients, like baking soda. Baking soda works on everything from shower scum to scuff marks on shoes. White vinegar is another multipurpose cleaning option. It helps remove grease from ovens and rain spots on the windows. Learn more about natural cleaning options in the Top DIY Cleaning Ingredients post.
There are so many oils to choose from when making soap. This week featured several oils that feel great in handmade recipes, including avocado oil. Avocado oil is extracted from the pulp of the avocado. It’s rich in vitamins A, B, D and E. It adds moisturizing properties to a variety of products, including soap, balms and lotion. Click through the Sunday Night Spotlight: Avocado Oil to learn more.
This week was all about Valentine’s Day gifts and inspiration. The Rose Gold and Charcoal Heart Melt and Pour Bars are perfect for the occasion. They have a heart-shaped embed and a light floral scent from White Magnolia Fragrance Oil. Instead of traditional colors, the bars feature black and pink hues from Rose Gold Mica and activated charcoal. Most importantly, they’re fun to make.
This week was all about looking back on our favorite things from 2015 and looking forward to finding new favorites in 2016. My goal is to read 1 book a week and share some of my favorites with you. My top books from 2015 include The Martian, which is about an astronaut stranded on Mars, and The Girl on the Train, a great mystery novel. Click through the Favorite Books of 2015 post to see the full list.
I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas! At our home, we’re still celebrating the day and also, dealing with the aftermath. Somehow, Santa thought that Flarp Noise Putty was an age appropriate gift for a 2 year old and the fabrics in our house will never be the same. Bramble Berry celebrated Christmas with a shopping trip to Fred Meyer. This year we partnered with Lydia Place, a local nonprofit organization, to shop for families in need. Employees shopped for toys, clothing and other wishlist items. It is such a fun time, we look forward to it every year. See pictures from the event in the Bramble Berry Takes Over Fred Meyers for Charity post.
