Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more
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.
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 weekend! Today the family and I are spending as much time outside as possible before it starts to rain tomorrow. This should be easy because Jamisen is five this weekend which means, birthday party and so much fun (!). A few weeks ago the family and I walked into town and then took the bus into the heart of downtown. The kiddos loved riding the bus and were super excited every time we stopped to let someone new on. They fought over pulling the cord once we reached our destination. =)
I’m super excited about our upcoming creative projects. Be on the lookout next week for a bath truffle tutorial, as well as a cold process soap made with one of the new impression mats. =)
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I have started making my own kombucha, so of course I had to make soap with it. =) If you’d like to see how I made these Kombucha Cold Process Bars, check out the tutorial here.
Did you catch my newest video on Soap Queen TV? Check it out here. It’s a spin swirl cold process soap, made with the new Clover and Aloe Fragrance Oil.
I hope you’re having an awesome weekend so far. To keep up with soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, Katch, YouTube and Snapchat. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat. Don’t forget to tag your soapy projects on Instagram with the hashtag #SoapShare and #PureSoapmaking so I can see what you’re making! =)
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.
Happy Saturday! Earlier this week I taught a class on Creative Live. It was a great experience. I’m working on a blog post about my experience, so be on the lookout for that tomorrow. Below is a shot of the lavender cold process soap that I made during the class. Isn’t it pretty? Sometimes simple soap is the best. The recipe for this soap is available in my Creative Live class. =)
Next week on the blog we are celebrating Earth Day with several recipes and ideas on how to reuse and recycle. In the meantime, check out my favorite pins, tweets and grams from the week below.
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This Blueberry Jam Sugar Scrub is made with two different colors of jojoba beads to create the beautiful blue shade. It’s scented with the new Blueberry Jam Fragrance Oil, which is sweet and fruity.
What do you think of the yellow layer in this hanger swirled soap? I was unsure about it, but most people on Instagram seemed to like it! This project is scented with Crisp Cotton Fragrance Oil and may become a video on Soap Queen TV soon.
To keep up with soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, Katch, YouTube and Snapchat. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat. Don’t forget to tag your soapy projects on Instagram with the hashtag #SoapShare and #PureSoapmaking so I can see what you’re making! =)
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.
I jumped on the Instagram bandwagon early in 2011 (Instagram was created in 2010), and I have been posting consistently ever since. It’s one of my favorite social media outlets. It’s easy to use, and who doesn’t love perusing beautiful images? In the beginning I used Instagram sparingly, and a large majority of my posts were kid photos and family. I was still getting my footing on how best to utilize the medium. Then, all of a sudden, Instagram started taking off and with more users came more clarity about how to best use Instagram. At present, Instagram is growing faster than social networks in general, and doesn’t show signs of stopping soon.
I’ve quickly discovered how important Instagram is (and will be) for small business owners. With the amount of growth Instagram is experiencing, it’s becoming a fantastic (and free!) way to reach a large audience of potential customers. The nature of Instagram allows businesses to promote products in an unobtrusive way. Your followers can easily stay up to date with new products, sales and behind the scene peeks. Essentially, if you use Instagram for business your followers are saying, “I like your products and company! I want to stay updated. I might even buy your stuff!”
Instagram is valuable because you can insert some of your personality into your account along the way. This is especially effective for small businesses that consist of 1-2 people. After all, one of the great things about handmade products is that they are made by a “real” person. For example, on my account, I primarily show upcoming blog projects. But, I also share photos of my kids and family. That’s important to me, and I enjoy connecting with my followers on a more personal level.
If you don’t have an Instagram account for your small business, make an account today. I recommend keeping your Instagram name consistent with your company name. Avoid numbers and use hyphens or underscores only if necessary. Once you have your account up and running, check out my business Instagram tips below. If you’re looking for more general Instagram advice, check out the Instagram Tips and Tricks post.
1. Engage with other people
This tip is first for a reason. Instagram is a social media outlet, so focus on the social aspect! Interacting with other Instagram users by liking, commenting and following them is the fastest way to make connections and build your following. It helps to interact with other users in your “niche.” This means that if you’re a bath and beauty company, interact with other soapmakers or users who might be interested in your craft. These people are more likely to appreciate your account and photos. They will also be more likely to follow you.
Make sure your interaction is meaningful and not spammy. In the beginning, I would recommend scheduling about 20-30 minutes everyday to engage with other Instagram users. A great place to start is to search hashtags that are relevant to your niche (ex: #soapshare, #diy, #soaping, etc). Another good option is to reach out to people in your community by searching the hashtag of your town. Instagram is a great way to make real life connections with other small local business.
Happy weekend! The past couple weeks have been beautiful here in Bellingham, WA; it’s been mostly sunny with highs in the 70s! Below, Jamisen, Lily and Chris enjoy the sun by playing soccer in the yard. I can’t wait for the sun to stick around more consistently. =)
Next week, be on the lookout for more projects featuring fragrances in the Spring Fever Fragrance Collection. If you haven’t picked up a kit on sale yet, you have until April 15th. Then the fragrances can only be purchased separately (and, at full price). There is a scrub and a cold process project on the way using Blueberry Jam Fragrance Oil and the Clover and Aloe Fragrance Oil (my favorite from the Spring Collection!). In the meantime, check out my favorite social media links below.
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Looking for a new way to decorate your bath bombs? Check out the mica painting technique in the Painted Berry Bath Bomb Tutorial. I can’t wait to experiment more with this technique – there are so many possibilities! These bath bombs are made with the new Blooms and Berries Fragrance Oil, which is available in the Spring Fever Fragrance Collection until April 15th.
On Thursday, I shared the tutorial for these adorable Sunflower Cold Process Soaps made with the new Sunflower Fragrance Oil. I’m so happy with how these bars turned out, they make me excited for summer. They are also fairly easy to make.
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In case you missed it, check out all the gorgeous soap I received in my Soap Swap box! Check out this blog post to read about each bar. I was blown away with the variety of techniques and beautiful packaging of each bar. Check out the video below to watch me open my box.
To keep up with soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, Katch, YouTube and Snapchat. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat. Don’t forget to tag your soapy projects on Instagram with the hashtag #SoapShare and #PureSoapmaking so I can see what you’re making! =)
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.
