While I’ve never been a person that just has to watch the game (football, baseball, basketball or soccer), I love the social aspect around watching sports. Sports are a great reason to get together with friends and family, eat delicious food and root for your team. In particular, football is one of my favorite sports to watch. It doesn’t hurt that the Seattle Seahawks have been in the Super Bowl two years in a row (Go Hawks!) =) If you’re looking for a fun project to celebrate the end of football season, these Mini Melt and Pour Football Soaps are perfect! The Guest Mini Football Mold creates four adorably small soaps that fit perfectly in the palm of your hand.

This project is straightforward; simply use the Injector Tool to fill in the lace details with white soap, then pour the brown soap on top. Filling in the details does take a little practice and a steady hand. I find spraying the mold with a thin layer of 99% isopropyl alcohol before using the Injector Tool helps small amounts of soap “spread” into the cavity details. I scented these soaps with Grass Stain and Leather Fragrance Oil for a combination that’s both fresh and slightly smoky.


I’m thinking I need to make this project again during a football party. If you have young children, you know watching football is not exactly the most entertaining activity for them. Placing the white soap into the small details would be difficult for children, but mixing and pouring the brown soap would be doable. Then, the kids and your guests have some football soap to take home with them after the game. =)

What You’ll Need:
Guest Mini Football Mold
3 oz. White Melt and Pour Soap
7 oz. Honey Melt and Pour Soap
3 mL Leather Fragrance Oil
3 mL Grass Stain Fragrance Oil
Brown Oxide Color Block
Injector Tool
99% Isopropyl Alcohol
Optional: Clean Up Tool

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: Chop and melt 3 ounces of White Melt and Pour Soap in the microwave using 5-7 second bursts. Be very careful when melting small amounts of melt and pour, as it is very easy to burn.

TWO: Once the soap is fully melted, use scissors to cut off a very tip of the Injector Tool. You want the opening to be slightly larger, but still small and precise. Lightly spray the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Spraying the mold before filling in the details helps the soap to spread into the details easily. Then, fill the Injector Tool with the melted white soap and carefully fill in the details in each mold.

THREE: Filling in the details can take a little patience and a steady hand. If the soap leaks out of the details, allow it to dry and harden, and use the Clean Up Tool to clean up any mistakes.

TIP: Have a cup of very hot water nearby when using the Injector Tool. The soap can cool and harden within the tool, which will clog it. Immediately after using the Injector Tool, clear out the tool in the hot water. 
FOUR: Chop and melt 7 ounces of the Honey Melt and Pour soap in the microwave using 15 second bursts. Once melted, add shavings of the Brown Oxide Color Block and stir until you achieve a rich brown color. Then, add 3 mL of the Leather Fragrance Oil and 3 mL of the Grass Stain Fragrance Oil and use a spoon to thoroughly mix.

FIVE: Allow the brown soap to reach a temperature of 125 ° F or below. If the soap is too hot when poured, it will melt the white details. Once the soap has cooled, spray the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help the layers stick. Pour the melted brown soap into each cavity and spritz the top with alcohol to help disperse any bubbles.

Allow the soap to fully cool and harden in the mold. To remove, press the back of each cavity with your palm to release the air lock. Enjoy! Wrap the soap in plastic wrap before use to help prevent glycerin dew. Learn more about glycerin dew and how to prevent it here.

Who will you be cheering for this coming weekend? 

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Mini Melt and Pour Football Soap Tutorial

These cute mini football soaps are a great way to celebrate your favorite sport!

Course Melt and Pour Soap

Servings 4 soaps

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Guest Mini Football Mold
• 3 oz. White Melt and Pour Soap
• 7 oz. Honey Melt and Pour Soap
• 3 mL Leather Fragrance Oil
• 3 mL Grass Stain Fragrance Oil
• Brown Oxide Color Block
• Injector Tool
• 99 % Isopropyl Alcohol
• Optional: Clean Up Tool

Instructions

• Chop and melt 3 ounces of White Melt and Pour Soap in the microwave using 5-7 second bursts. Be very careful when melting small amounts of melt and pour, as it is very easy to burn.
• Once the soap is fully melted, use scissors to cut off a very tip of the Injector Tool. You want the opening to be slightly larger, but still small and precise. Lightly spray the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Spraying the mold before filling in the details helps the soap to spread into the details easily. Then, fill the Injector Tool with the melted white soap and carefully fill in the details in each mold.
• Filling in the details can take a little patience, and a steady hand. If the soap leaks out of the details, allow it to dry and harden, and use the Clean Up Tool to clean up any mistakes.

TIP: Have a cup of very hot water nearby when using the Injector Tool. The soap can cool and harden within the tool, which will clog it. Immediately after using the Injector Tool, clear out the tool in the hot water.

• Chop and melt 7 ounces of the Honey Melt and Pour soap in the microwave using 15 second bursts. Once melted, add shavings of the Brown Oxide Color Block until you achieve a rich brown color. Then, add 3 mL of the Leather Fragrance Oil and 3 mL of the Grass Stain Fragrance Oil and use a spoon to thoroughly mix.
• Allow the brown soap to reach a temperature of 125 ° F or below. If the soap is too hot when poured, it will melt the white details. Once the soap has cooled, spray the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help the layers stick. Pour the melted brown soap into each cavity and spritz the top with alcohol to help disperse any bubbles.
• Allow the soap to fully cool and harden in the mold. To remove, press the back of each cavity with your palm to release the air lock. Enjoy! Wrap the soap in plastic wrap before use to help prevent glycerin dew.

The post Mini Melt & Pour Football Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

Soap made with goat milk is popular, but did you know luxurious soap can also be made with cow milk? For this Creamy Cow Milk Cold Process Tutorial, whole cow milk is used to add extra moisture and skin-loving properties. Full of contrast, this project features black and white layers reminiscent of a cow pattern. The scent combination of Vanilla Rosewood and Grass Stain fragrance oils creates a blend that is both warm and green…similar to a barn!

Freezing the cow milk before adding the lye prevents the milk from scorching. For a step by step tutorial of this process, check out this How to Add Lye to Milk for Cold Process Soap blog post. When selecting milk for soap making, be on the lookout for the least amount of additives such as vitamins, preservatives or thickeners. These additives can cause unpredictable soaping results. It can be difficult to find milk without vitamins. This recipe uses whole milk with added vitamin D; it worked great. You can also use skim, 1% or 2% milk if you’d like.

What You’ll Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
3.5 oz. Sweet Almond Oil (10%)
8.8 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
10.5 oz. Olive Oil (30%)
8.7 oz. Palm Oil (25%)
3.5 oz. Shea Butter (10%)
4.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
11.6 oz. Whole Milk
1 oz. Vanilla Rosewood Fragrance Oil
1 oz. Grass Stain Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide Pigment
Activated Charcoal

 If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Soap Crafting. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

MILK PREP: Measure out 11.6 ounces of whole milk. Pour the milk into ice cube trays and place them into the freezer until completely hard (several hours to overnight).

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Then, disperse 2 teaspoons of the colorant into 2 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Disperse 2 teaspoons of the activated charcoal into 2 tablespoon light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

ONE: Remove the fully frozen milk from the ice cube trays and put it into a container that has been placed in an ice bath. Slowly add lye and stir until the lye is fully dissolved and the milk has become liquid. Click here to see this process and more tips on creating a lye and milk mixture. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye milk. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2.5 tsp. sodium lactate.

TWO: Melt and combine the coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, sweet almond oil and palm oils (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below, add the lye milk to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Once the batter has reached a light trace, split it evenly into two containers. Each container will hold about 3 cups. To one container, add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide. Use a whisk to fully blend in.

FOUR: To the other container, add 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons of the dispersed activated charcoal and use a whisk to fully mix in. To the black soap, add the Vanilla Rosewood Fragrance Oil. To the white soap, add the Grass Stain Fragrance Oil and use a whisk to mix in. Because the Vanilla Rosewood discolors to a deep brown, be sure not to mix the fragrances up! You can read more about fragrance discoloration in the Why Did My Soap Turn Brown post.

FIVE: The spoon-plop technique works best with a thick trace. To thicken the soap, stick blend each color for several seconds if necessary. The soap should be the texture of pudding. 

SIX: Grab a large spoon for each color.  Spoon the soap into the mold, one color at a time, layering them in three different spots within the mold.

SEVEN: Continue to plop the soap, placing the white soap onto black and vice versa. Use some large plops and some small to add visual interest.

EIGHT: Keep layering the colors until the mold is completely full. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help release any air bubbles.

NINE: Use a spoon to mound the soap toward the center. Then, twist and turn the soap in the soap to create texture. Be careful not to play with the soap too much, or the colors will blend together into a light grey tone. Spray the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol and place the soap in the freezer for 5-24 hours to help prevent gel phase. Remove the soap from the freezer and allow to sit in the mold for 4-5 days. Milk soap can be a little softer due to the extra milk fat. Patience is key =) Once cut, the black soap will deepen in color over time due to the vanilla content in the Vanilla Rosewood Fragrance Oil.

Have you ever used cow milk in soap before? I’d love to hear what you thought!

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Creamy Cow Milk Cold Process Tutorial

This Creamy Cow Milk Cold Process soap is made with whole milk for added moisture.

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 2 -3 pounds of soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 10 " Silicone Loaf Mold
• 3.5 oz. Sweet Almond Oil 10%
• 8.8 oz. Coconut Oil 25%
• 10.5 oz. Olive Oil 30%
• 8.7 oz. Palm Oil 25%
• 3.5 oz. Shea Butter 10%
• 4.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 11.6 oz. Whole Milk
• 1 oz. Vanilla Rosewood Fragrance Oil
• 1 oz. Grass Stain Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide Pigment
• Activated Charcoal

Instructions

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

MILK PREP: Measure out 11.6 ounces of whole milk. Pour the milk into ice cube trays and place them into the freezer until completely hard (several hours to overnight).

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Then, disperse 2 teaspoons of the colorant into 2 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Disperse 2 teaspoons of the activated charcoal into 2 tablespoons light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

• Remove the fully frozen milk from the ice cube trays and place into a container that has been placed in an ice bath. Slowly add lye and stir until the lye is fully dissolved and the milk has become liquid. Click here to see this process and more tips on creating a lye and milk mixture. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye milk. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2.5 tsp. sodium lactate.
• Melt and combine the coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, sweet almond oil and palm oils (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below, add the lye milk to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
• Once the batter has reached a light trace, split the batch evenly into two containers. Each container will hold about 3 cups. To one container, add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide. Use a whisk to fully blend in.
• To the other container, add 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons of the activated charcoal and use a whisk to fully mix in. To the black soap, add the Vanilla Rosewood Fragrance Oil. To the white soap, add the Grass Stain Fragrance Oil and use a whisk to mix in. Because the Vanilla Rosewood discolors to a deep brown, be sure not to mix the fragrances up! =)
• The spoon-plop technique works best with a thick trace. To thicken the soap, stick blend each color for several seconds if necessary.
• Grab a large spoon for each color. Spoon the soap into the mold, one color at a time, layering them in three different spots within the mold.
• Continue to plop the soap, placing the white soap onto black and vice versa. Use some large plops and some small to add visual interest.
• Keep layering the colors until the mold is completely full. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help release any air bubbles.
• Use a spoon to mound the soap towards the center. Then, twist and turn the soap in the soap to create texture. Be careful not to play with the soap too much, or the colors will blend together into a grey tone. Spray the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol and place the soap in the freezer for 5-24 hours to help prevent gel phase. Remove the soap from the freezer and allow to sit in the mold for 4-5 days. Milk soap can be a little softer due to the extra milk fat. Patience is key =)

The post Creamy Cow Milk Cold Process Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

This project involves three layers, one of which features a “confetti” soap technique. Hardened melt and pour is shaved and soap is poured all around it. When cut, it gives the illusion of confetti or in this case, fresh cut grass. With this layered project temperatures are key. I highly recommend having a thermometer and a spray bottle of 99% isopropyl alcohol handy at all times.

What You’ll Need:
42.5 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
13 oz. White Melt and Pour Base
Chrome Green Color Block
Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block
Fired Up Fuchsia Color Block
1 oz. Grass Stain Fragrance Oil
Tall 12″ Silicone Loaf Mold
Lotus Blossom Wax Tart Mold
Optional: Droppers, Clean-Up Tool, 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: Chop and melt 17 oz. of clear melt and pour and melt in the microwave using 30 second bursts. Add shavings of the Chrome Green Color Block until you achieve a rich green color. Add .5 oz of Grass Stain Fragrance Oil and stir to thoroughly combine.

TWO: Pour the soap into the mold, and spray the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Set aside to cool and harden.

THREE: While the base layer cools, chop and melt 8 oz. of clear melt and pour and add equal parts Chrome Green Oxide and Hydrated Chrome Green Oxide until a rich green color is achieved. Pour the soap into any mold you have handy. Once the soap fully cools and hardens, use a cheese grater to grate the soap into strips; grate 3/4 of the soap using the thick grate, and 1/4 using the fine grate.

FOUR: Once the base layer has hardened, spray with 99% rubbing alcohol. Cover the layer with the grated green soap and spray with more 99% isopropyl alcohol. 

FIVE: Chop and melt 12 oz. of white melt and pour soap in the microwave using 20 second bursts. Once the soap is between 125 ° F and 135 °F, pour the white soap over the green shavings until fully covered. During this step, temperature is important. If the soap is too hot, it will melt the shavings. If it is too cold, the white soap will not reach the green layer under the shavings. Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Set aside to cool and harden.

SIX: Chop and melt 17 oz. of clear melt and pour and melt in the microwave using 30 second bursts. Add shavings of the Chrome Green Color Block until you achieve a rich green color. Add .5 oz of Grass Stain Fragrance Oil and stir to thoroughly combine. Once the soap is below 130 °F, spray the hardened white layer with 99% isopropyl alcohol and pour the green soap on top. Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Set aside to fully cool and harden.

SEVEN: While the top layer of green soap cools, it’s time to make the flowers! Cut and melt 1 oz. of white melt and pour soap in the microwave using 5 second bursts. Because you are melting such a small amount of soap, using extremely short bursts will prevent the soap from scorching. Add shavings of the Fired Up Fuschia Color block until you achieve a soft pink color. Using a dropper or Injector Tool, fill in the flower with pink soap and spray with 99% rubbing alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Allow to cool and harden. 
EIGHT: Once the flowers have hardened, remove them from the mold by pressing firmly on the back to release the airlock. Place them down the center of the mold. Each bar will have a flower on top, so space them accordingly. Cut and melt .5 oz of clear melt and pour soap in the microwave using 5 second bursts. Spray the top of the soap with rubbing alcohol. Drop a few small drops of clear melt and pour where you’d like to place a flower, and quickly press the flower on top to adhere. Continue this process for all the flowers. If you’d like, use a Clean Up Tool to remove any clear melt and pour from around the flowers.

NINE: Once the soap has completely cooled and hardened, pull away the side of the mold to release the airlock. Push from the bottom of the mold to remove, be careful not to disrupt the flowers on top. Cut into bars and enjoy!

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, do you have any green projects planned? 

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Green Meadow Melt & Pour

This layered Green Meadow Melt and Pour project brings to mind rich spring meadows!

Course Melt and Pour Soap

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 42.5 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
• 13 oz. White Melt and Pour Base
• Chrome Green Color Block
• Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block
• Fired Up Fuchsia Color Block
• Grass Stain Fragrance Oil
• Tall 12″ Silicone Loaf Mold
• Lotus Blossom Wax Tart Mold
• Optional: Droppers Clean-Up Tool, 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

Instructions

• Chop and melt 17 oz. of clear melt and pour and melt in the microwave using 30 second bursts. Add shavings of the Chrome Green Color Block until you achieve a rich green color. Add .5 oz of Grass Stain Fragrance Oil and stir to thoroughly combine.
• Pour the soap into the mold, and spray the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Set aside to cool and harden.
• While the base layer cools, chop and melt 8 oz. of clear melt and pour and add equal parts Chrome Green Oxide and Hydrated Chrome Green Oxide until a reach green color is achieved. Pour the soap into any mold you have handy. Once the soap fully cools and hardens, use a cheese grater to grate the soap into strips; grate 3/4 of the soap using the thick grate, and 1/4 using the fine grate.
• Once the base layer has hardened, spray with 99% rubbing alcohol. Cover the layer with the grated green soap and spray with more 99% isopropyl alcohol.
• Chop and melt 12 oz. of white melt and pour soap in the microwave using 20 second bursts. Once the soap is between 125 ° F and 135 °F, pour the white soap over the green shavings until fully covered. During this step, temperature is important. If the soap is too hot, it will melt the shavings. If it is too cold, the white soap will not reach the green layer under the shavings. Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Set aside to cool and harden.
• Chop and melt 17 oz. of clear melt and pour and melt in the microwave using 30 second bursts. Add shavings of the Chrome Green Color Block until you achieve a rich green color. Add .5 oz of Grass Stain Fragrance Oil and stir to thoroughly combine. Once the soap is below 130 °F, spray the hardened white layer with 99% isopropyl alcohol and pour the green soap on top. Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Set aside to fully cool and harden.
• While the top layer of green soap cools, it’s time to make the flowers! Cut and melt 1 oz. of white melt and pour soap in the microwave using 5 second bursts. Because you are melting such a small amount of soap, using extremely short bursts will prevent the soap from scorching. Add shavings of the Fired Up Fuschia Color block until you achieve a soft pink color. Using a dropper or Injector Tool, fill in the flower with pink soap and spray with 99% rubbing alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Allow to cool and harden.
• Once the flowers have hardened, remove them from the mold by pressing firmly on the back to release the airlock. Place them down the center of the mold. Each bar will have a flower on top, so space them accordingly. Cut and melt .5 oz of clear melt and pour soap in the microwave using 5 second bursts. Spray the top of the soap with rubbing alcohol. Drop a few small drops of clear melt and pour where you’d like to place a flower, and quickly press the flower on top to adhere. Continue this process for all the flowers. If you’d like, use a Clean Up Tool to remove any clear melt and pour from around the flowers.
• Once the soap has completely cooled and hardened, pull away the side of the mold to release the airlock. Push from the bottom of the mold to remove, be careful not to disrupt the flowers on top. Cut into bars and enjoy!

The post Green Meadow Melt & Pour appeared first on Soap Queen.