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Fall Leaves Melt & Pour Soap Tutorial

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Autumn is upon us and to celebrate we’ve created this gorgeous soap project full of colorful leaves. This project takes advantage of the clarity of Bramble Berry’s House Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base to highlight the depth created by layering the soap leaves. You can even customize this project to mimic the new spring leaves come springtime.

Soap leaves are embedded into bars to create gorgeous layers. Learn how to make them in this tutorial.

What You’ll Need:

27 oz Clear Melt and Pour Base

27 oz White Melt and Pour Base

Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block

Non-Bleeding Perfect Orange Color Block

Shimmer Light Gold Color Block

Non-bleeding Perfect Red Color Block

Shimmer Cappuccino Color Block

Non-Bleeding Chrome Green Color Block

1 teaspoon Iridescent Glitter

8 ml Red Apple Fragrance Oil

0.5 oz Arabian Spice Fragrance Oil

3 mL diluted Aqua LabColor

Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold

Clean-up Tool

Fall Leaves Template (PDF)

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

ONE: Cut and melt 12 oz of Clear Melt and Pour base into small, 1 inch cubes. Melt in the microwave on 30 second bursts, add 1 teaspoon of glitter, 5 mL of Red Apple Fragrance Oil and then divide into six different containers. Each container should hold about 2 oz of melt and pour base. Then, color each container with shavings from a single color block. Remember, the color blocks are WYSIWYG, so add more or less color according to your preference.

TWO: For this step, pick two colors that are complimentary and simultaneously pour the two colors into the Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold. Move your hands as you pour to create interesting patterns, and you can even drag a chopstick or dowel through the soap to give it an extra swirl. TIP: I used three separate Glossy Silicone Square Tray Molds so we could pour all three color pairs at once, but if you are working with just one mold, you can wait 15 minutes and let the soap dry, unmold it and then pour your next set of colors.

THREE: After about 15 minutes, unmold the flat, colored layer of soap. Cut out the leaves on the free Bramble Berry Fall Leaves Template, then use a Clean Up Tool to trace the outlines onto the soapy leaves. This part takes some patience and precision, but it’s totally worth it! After you’ve traced light outlines on the soapy leaves, they are easy (but time consuming!) to cut out with a craft knife.

FOUR: Cut out about two dozen leaves and then set them aside. Then, cut and melt about 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base. Add 3 mL of Red Apple fragrance and stir, and then pour the layer into the Brownie Tray Mold. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the layer to form a thick skin, spray the soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol, and then arrange the soapy leaves in a “pile” on the clear soap.

Soap leaves are embedded into bars to create gorgeous layers. Learn how to make them in this tutorial.

FIVE: Repeat the process of cutting and melting 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base, adding fragrance, letting it dry, spraying isopropyl alcohol and arranging a new layer of leaves until you’ve filled about half the mold. I repeated this process three times, but it may be different for you depending on how many leaves you originally cut out. Be careful to pour when your clear soap is at 130 degrees or less. If you pour any hotter, you risk melting your pretty leaves!

SIX: Cut and melt 27 oz. of White Melt and Pour base. Once the soap has been fully melted, mix in 0.5 oz. of Arabian Spice FO and 3 mL of diluted Aqua Blue Lab Color. Once the soap has cooled to 130°F or below, and the soap in the Brownie Tray Mold has formed a thick skin, spray the molded soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol and pour the blue soap over it. Spray again with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubble and surface tension. Let the soap dry overnight and then unmold and cut!

Give the soap 1 – 2 hours to dry before unmolding and then cut, wrap and enjoy. Want wrapping tips? This is a great video to watch for help with your soap wrapping.

Soap leaves are embedded into bars to create gorgeous layers. Learn how to make them in this tutorial.

Want tips on wrapping your beautiful melt and pour soaps to prevent them from sweating? Check out this Soap Queen TV video on quick and easy packaging techniques!

Fall Leaves Melt & Pour Soap Tutorial
 
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These bars contain soapy leaves on the inside for a multi-layered look!
Author:
Recipe type: Melt and Pour

Ingredients
  • 27 oz Clear Melt and Pour Base
  • 27 oz White Melt and Pour Base
  • Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block
  • Non-Bleeding Perfect Orange Color Block
  • Shimmer Light Gold Color Block
  • Non-bleeding Perfect Red Color Block
  • Shimmer Cappuccino Color Block
  • Non-Bleeding Chrome Green Color Block
  • 1 teaspoon Iridescent Glitter
  • 8 ml Red Apple Fragrance Oil
  • 0.5 oz Arabian Spice Fragrance Oil
  • 3 mL diluted Aqua LabColor
  • Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold
  • Clean-up Tool
  • Fall Leaves Template (PDF)

Instructions
  1. Cut and melt 12 oz of Clear Melt and Pour base into small, 1 inch cubes. Melt in the microwave on 30 second bursts, add 1 teaspoon of Glitter, 5 mL of Red Apple Fragrance Oil and then divide into six different containers. Each container should hold about 2 oz of melt and pour base. Then, color each container with shavings from a single color block. Remember, the color blocks are WYSIWYG, so add more or less color according to your preference.
  2. or this step, pick two colors that are complimentary and simultaneously pour the two colors into the Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold. Move your hands as you pour to create interesting patterns, and you can even drag a chopstick or dowel through the soap to give it an extra swirl. TIP: I used three separate Glossy Silicone Square Tray Molds so we could pour all three color pairs at once, but if you are working with just one mold, you can wait 15 minutes and let the soap dry, unmold it and then pour your next set of colors.
  3. After about 15 minutes, unmold the flat, colored layer of soap. Cut out the leaves on the free Bramble Berry Fall Leaves Template, then use a Clean Up Tool to trace the outlines onto the soapy leaves. This part takes some patience and precision, but it’s totally worth it! After you’ve traced light outlines on the soapy leaves, they are easy (but time consuming!) to cut out with a craft knife.
  4. Cut out about two dozen leaves and then set them aside. Then, cut and melt about 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base. Add 3 mL of Red Apple fragrance and stir, and then pour the layer into the Brownie Tray Mold. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the layer to form a thick skin, spray the soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol, and then arrange the soapy leaves in a “pile” on the clear soap.
  5. Repeat the process of cutting and melting 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base, adding fragrance, letting it dry, spraying isopropyl alcohol and arranging a new layer of leaves until you’ve filled about half the mold. I repeated this process three times, but it may be different for you depending on how many leaves you originally cut out. Be careful to pour when your clear soap is at 130 degrees or less. If you pour any hotter, you risk melting your pretty leaves!
  6. Cut and melt 27 oz. of White Melt and Pour base. Once the soap has been fully melted, mix in 0.5 oz. of Arabian Spice FO and 3 mL of diluted Aqua Blue Lab Color. Once the soap has cooled to 130°F or below, and the soap in the Brownie Tray Mold has formed a thick skin, spray the molded soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol and pour the blue soap over it. Spray again with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubble and surface tension. Let the soap dry overnight and then unmold and cut!
  7. Give the soap 1 – 2 hours to dry before unmolding and then cut, wrap and enjoy. Want wrapping tips? This is a great video to watch for help with your soap wrapping.

 

Leopard Spot Melt & Pour

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

After we posted our Cold Process Leopard Spot Tutorial, one of the commenters asked if we could make this out of melt and pour. Challenge accepted! You could easily whip a top to make this look even more similar to its cold process counterpart. This is a fun project that utilizes our 4-in-1 Mini Cylinder Silicone Mold to creatively make leopard inspired-spots. This is a multi-part tutorial that requires several days to complete, but we think the result is worth it. For even more animal print goodness, check out the cold process version of this tutorial.

What You’ll Need:

50 oz. Clear Melt & Pour Base

Black Oxide Color Block

Electric Bubblegum Color Block

Ultraviolet Blue Color Block

Titanium Dioxide Color Block

.7 oz. Mango Peach Salsa Fragrance Oil

4-in-1 Mini Cylinder Silicone Mold

2 lb. Wood Log Mold with Silicone Liner

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

NOTE: You may want to give yourself a few days to complete this project. After you create the spots, you’ll need to let them set up overnight. After that, assembling the rest of this recipe is a breeze!

ONE: Cut 10 oz of Clear melt and Pour into 1 x 1 inch chunks and then add chunks of the Titanium Dioxide Color Block. Melt the soap in a heat safe container on 30 second bursts and stif to mix the base and colorant.

TWO: Once the soap has been fully melted, add 3 mL of Mango Peach Salsa Fragrance Oil.

THREE: Pour the white soap into the cylinder molds. Note: the Ice Tubes mold was discontinued, so this project now includes the 4-in-1 Mini Cylinder Silicone Mold.

FOUR: Let the soap harden in the molds overnight.

FIVE: After allowing the soap to sit overnight, remove it from the mold. Use a Soap Cutter to cut the soap cylinders in half. It’s okay if shards break off unevenly, that will add character to your leopard spots!

SIX: Reassemble the cylinder molds. Fill 12 cavities with the white soap shards.

SEVEN: Cut another 10 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour and add 4 mL of Mango Peach Salsa Fragrance Oil. Then split it equally into two containers (with 5 oz. of soap each). Shave of chunks of the Ultraviolet Blue Color Block to color one container and chunks of the Electric Bubblegum Color Block to color the second. Melt the soap in heatsafe containers on 10 second bursts, stirring between each heat. Spray the white soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol, and then once the soap has cooled to 130 degress or below, pour the soap into the mold over the white chunks.

Just like before, allow the soap to sit overnight. This will make the tubes much easier to unmold.

EIGHT: Cut and melt 30 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base and color with chunks of the Black Oxide Color Block. Fragrance with .5 oz. of Mango Peach Salsa Fragrance Oil.

NINE: Pour a thin layer (about 2 – 4 oz.) of soap into the mold. Spray with isopropyl alcohol and wait 15 – 20 minutes for the soap to form a thick skin.

TEN: Once the soap has formed a thick skin, unmold your colored “spots” and place them in the mold.

ELEVEN: At this point you may need to reheat the black soap. Melt the soap on 30 second bursts, and then once it has cooled to 130 degrees or below, pour the remaining black soap over the spots.

Let the soap harden overnight and it’s ready to use right away!

Inspired by the Sea: a Melt and Pour Project

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

The seasons are changing, and one of the best indicators of that is the stormy grey skies that have blanketed Bellingham Bay. White caps may have replaced gentle waves, but that inspired us to create this ocean-hued melt and pour project. We took inspiration from sea glass, with its transparent blues and greens. To achieve these beautiful gem tones, we used Bramble Berry LabColors, which are super concentrated dyes. Using the same LabColor soap dyes, we created matching muslin bags for packaging the soap. It’s two projects in one!

What You’ll Need:

6.1 oz Clear Melt and Pour Base

4 mL Kentish Rain Fragrance Oil

Diluted Emerald LabColor

Diluted Sapphire LabColor

Shell Wax Tart Mold

Muslin Bags

Tongs

Clothes Pins

Click here to add everything you need for both projects to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! Remember, you can always remove items you don’t need.

COLOR PREP: You’ll use LabColors in both parts of this project. Unlike other colorants, LabColors must be diluted before use. If you’ve never diluted LabColors before, click here to learn how.

The Soap:

ONE: Cut the Clear Melt and Pour Base into 1-inch cubes. Melt in a heat-safe container on 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between bursts, until the soap base is fully melted.

TWO: Split the soap base into three batches: two weighing 2.3 ounces, and one weighing 1.5 ounces.

THREE: Add the Kentish Rain fragrance oil to the split batches: 1.5 mL in each of the 2.3 ounce batches, and 1 mL in the 1.5 ounce batch. Stir in well.

FOUR: To one of the 2.3 ounce batches, add 9 drops of diluted Emerald LabColor. To the second of the 2.3 ounce batches, add 12 drops of diluted Sapphire LabColor. To the 1.5 ounce batch, add 3 drops of diluted Emerald LabColor and 5 drops of diluted Sapphire LabColor. Mix the soap well.

FIVE: Pour each colored soap batch into the Shell Wax Tart Mold. The Emerald and Sapphire soaps will each fill three cavities, while the blend of Emerald and Sapphire will fill two of the cavities.

SIX: Spray the soap with Rubbing Alcohol to eliminate any bubbles and allow the soaps to fully harden.

SEVEN: To avoid ‘sweating’ or ‘dew drops’ forming on the soap place a few finished soaps in a ziplock baggie before placing them in the muslin bags.

 

 

The Packaging: 

ONE: Fill two heat-safe containers with 8 ounces (by volume) of water, and one container with about 8 ounces (by volume) of vinegar.

TWO: Set the muslin bags in the container of vinegar to soak.

THREE: Add 40mL of diluted Emerald LabColor to one 8 ounce portion of water, and 40 mL of diluted Sapphire LabColor to the other 8 oz portion of water. Stir well. These are your dye baths. (Again, be sure you are using diluted Lab Color!)

FOUR: Microwave the dye baths for about a minute or until the liquid is warm, but not scalding hot.

FIVE: Remove the muslin bags from the vinegar soak and squeeze to remove excess vinegar.

SIX: Dye the bags by dipping them into either the Emerald dye bath, the Sapphire dye bath, or a combination of both. Three fun techniques that I used are Tie Dye, Two-Color Transition and Ombre.

Two-Color Transition: Dip half the bag into one color. Use a clothespin to keep the entire bag from falling in the dye bath. After a few minutes, remove the bag from the first color, flip and dye the other half of the bag in the second color, allowing the bag to sit in the bath just low enough for the water level to touch the line where the first dip dye ends.

Ombre: Dye 1/3 of a bag in one color, using a clothespin to keep the rest of the bag out of the bath. After a few minutes, change the bag’s position so that a bit more of the bag is submerged. Allow to sit again for a few more minutes, then submerge the entire bag.

 

Tie-Dye: Use a rubber band twisted around the bag to create a pattern. Dye the bag in a single color for a gradient look, or in two colors for a multi-faceted look.

 

Gorgeous Geode Soap Tutorial

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

We learned this neat technique from one of our fabulous customers, Marlona of The Little Things Store! These geodes will be so realistic, you’ll fool all your friends.  People won’t believe they’re not real geodes!

(P.S. If you like the gemstone look, this technique is similar to these Freeform Purple Gemstones that I did a few years ago! I first came across gemstones 15 years (!!!) ago when Annaliese Moran (one of the pioneers of melt and pour soapmaking) started sharing them with a ‘thunderegg’ design. I’ve been enamoured with it ever since.- A-M)

Ingredients:

1 lb Clear Melt & Pour Base
Iridescent Glitter
Lime Essential Oil
Amethyst Purple Mica
Activated Charcoal
Wire soap dish or cookie rack
Extra large microwaveable bowl

ONE: You’ll need 4oz of clear soap cut into small “shards” and another 4oz cut into large “shards.” You want odd-shaped triangles. Melt down 2oz of clear soap and cool until it’s comfortable to touch for the next step.

TWO: Take all those small shards, and sprinkle two pinches of iridescent glitter on them and start smooshing them into a rough ball shape. Drizzle some of the cool soap over your shmooshed soap shards to help keep them together if they’re falling apart.

THREE: Now, start shmooshing those larger shards onto your smaller ball. You may have to melt some more soap to drizzle on top to keep everything together, so take your time and don’t stop shmooshing! When you’ve gotten all the shards packed on there, give it a good all-over drizzle with clear soap and let it cool on your wire dish or cookie cooling rack.

So you thought that was messy? This will take messy to a whole new level, so don’t do this in your cutest white blouse

FOUR: Melt down 8 oz. of clear soap in a large Pyrex or glass bowl. It needs to be big enough to dip your geode and get your hands in there. Add 1/2 tablespoon of amethyst purple mica. We’re over-coloring the soap so that we can get away with fewer layers for a saturated color.

FIVE: Now add 20 drops of lime essential oil and start dipping! After you coat the entire surface, set the geode on a rack to cool before doing another dip. We did 3 dips to get a good, purple color as shown below.

SIX: To the remaining melted amethyst soap, add a full tablespoon of activated charcoal. We’ll dip the geode into this just once to get a shimmery black coat that’s a little bit sheer.

Let the geode harden and cool before cutting into it. This won’t really take long, so go make a cup of tea and come back.

SEVEN: It’s the moment of truth! Before you cut into your geode, you want to make sure of two things:

1. Your knife is fairly sharp

2. You’ve warmed your knife under hot, hot tap water.

This will ensure that the knife slices through the soap like, well, a hot knife through soap and you get a clean, drag-free slice. Otherwise, some of the packed shards in the middle may be knocked loose.

And you’re done! Enjoy and display your lovely geode soap. Experiment with different colors and glitters! And, as always, share your results with our soapmaking community on our Facebook Page.

Bicycle Melt & Pour Project

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Let’s face it: life is better on a bike (and it definitely is if you’re on the Bramble Bike). This mold captures all the fun of a sunny summer bike ride, and the intricate detailing allows you to practice and perfect your melt and pour skills. Highlight the detail on the bike with a mica painting technique and you’ve got yourself the quintessential summer soaping project.

Learn how to make these adorable Bicycle Soaps!

What You’ll Need:

18 oz. Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base

6 oz. White Melt & Pour Soap Base

Perfect Red Color Block

Ultramarine Blue Color Block

Super Pearly White Color Block

Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block

Shimmer Yellow Color Block

Shimmer Black Color Block

Sparkle Gold Color Block

Electric Bubble Gum Color Block

Heavy Metal Gold Mica

Super Pearly White Mica

9 mL Tart Apple Fragrance Oil

6 mL Spiced Amber Fragrance Oil

6 mL Cucumber Melon Fragrance Oil

Bicycle Mold

Injector Soap Tool

3 droppers

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! Note that I did three different color combinations for three different bikes. You can just choose one if you want to make a bunch in one color – if you do that, remember, the ‘Add to Cart’ button above allows you to edit your shopping cart before purchasing.

ONE: Begin by melting 1 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base in the microwave on 5 second bursts. Because you’re working with such a small amount of soap, there is a higher probability that the soap will boil and become much harder to work with, so take care to only microwave it for a few seconds at a time. After the soap has been fully melted, shave off chunks of the Perfect Red Color Block. Color blocks are what-you-see-is-what-you-get, so the amount of color is up to you. Stir the colorant into the soap until it has been fully incorporated.

TWO: Use an injector tool to carefully fill in the bicycle with soap. Don’t worry if the soap runs over the mold or if things start to get messy. You can always wait for the soap to harden and clean it up later. Once the soap has hardened, use a Clean Up Tool to scrape away any soap that overflowed the mold. If you don’t have a clean up tool, a butter knife will work in a pinch.

THREE: Melt 1 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base in the microwave on 5 second bursts. After the soap has been fully melted, shave off chunks of the Shimmer Yellow Color Block. Color blocks are what-you-see-is-what-you-get, so the amount of color is up to you. Stir the colorant into the soap until it has been fully incorporated.

FOUR: Use an injector tool to carefully fill in the bicycle with soap. Don’t worry if the soap runs over the mold or if things start to get messy. You can always wait for the soap to harden and clean it up later. Once the soap has hardened, use a Clean Up Tool to scrape away any soap that overflowed the mold.

FIVE: Melt 1 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base in the microwave on 5 second bursts. After the soap has been fully melted, shave off chunks of the Electric Bubble Gum Color Block. Color blocks are what-you-see-is-what-you-get, so the amount of color is up to you. Stir the colorant into the soap until it has been fully incorporated. Obviously, I chose three different colors for the bikes. You can choose whatever colors you want; this technique works for them all! The more contrast you have with your background, the better.

Learn how to make these adorable Bicycle Soaps!

SEVEN: For the background of the yellow bike, melt 6 oz. of Cleat Melt and Pour Base on 15 second microwave bursts and split it into two containers with about 3 oz. each. In one container, shave off chunks of the Sparkle Gold Color Block. In the other, shave off chunks of the Shimmer Black Color Block. In each each container, add 3 mL of Spiced Amber Ale Fragrance Oil. Once the colorants and fragrance has been added, mix well.

EIGHT: With the gold soap in one hand and the black soap in the other, pour from opposites sides of the mold. To get the best swirl, don’t just pour all the color into the same area! Feel free to move the containers around to get a nice mixed swirl. Be sure to keep track of your temperatures when doing the double pour. Pouring too hot will cause the soap to mix and melt the soap bicycle beneath it, while pouring too cool won’t let the soap swirl much at all. Pouring at about 135 degrees is ideal. To keep the bicycles on the soap and not stuck in the mold, do this pouring layer process right away (within 10-20 minutes of pouring the first layer). Spraying a little rubbing alcohol on the bicycles before pouring the second layer also helps with adhesion.

NINE: To add extra swirl, use a chopstick or dowel to swirl the soap around in the mold. Run the tool through the soap only once as you do not want to over mix the colors. Spray with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.

TEN: For the background of the pink bike, cut 6 oz of White Melt & Pour Base and split into two container with about 3 oz. of soap each. In one container, shave off chunks of the Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block. Leave the second container uncolored. Melt the soap in 10 second bursts. Then, in each container, add 3 mL of Cucumber Melon Fragrance Oil. Once the colorants and fragrance has been added, mix well.

ELEVEN: With the green soap in one hand and the white soap in the other, pour from opposites sides of the mold. To get the best swirl, don’t just pour all the color into the same area! Feel free to move the containers around to get a nice mixed swirl. Be sure to keep track of your temperatures when doing the double pour. Pouring too hot will cause the soap to mix, while pouring too cool won’t let the soap swirl much at all. Pouring at about 135 degrees is ideal.

Use a chopstick or dowel to swirl the soap around in the mold and then spray with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.

TWELVE: For the background of the red bike, cut 9 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base and divide equally into three containers. In once container, shave off chunks of the Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block and the Super Pearly White Color Block. In in the second container, shave off chunks of the Ultramarine Blue Color Block. In the last container, shave off chunks of the Super Pearly White Color Block. Remember, color blocks are WYSIWYG so how much or how little color you add is up to you!

Microwave each container on 10 second microwave bursts. Once all the containers have been fully melted, add 3 mL Tart Apple Fragrance Oil to each.

THIRTEEN: With the green soap in one hand and the blue soap in the other, pour from opposites sides of the mold. To get the best swirl, don’t just pour all the color into the same area! Feel free to move the containers around to get a nice mixed swirl. Be sure to keep track of your temperatures when doing the double pour. Pouring too hot will cause the soap to mix, while pouring too cool won’t let the soap swirl much at all. Pouring at about 135 degrees is ideal.

FOURTEEN: Leave about a 1/4 inch of room in the mold and then pour the white soap throughout the cavity.

FIFTEEN: Wait 1 – 2 hours for the soaps to harden before unmolding them. After unmolding them, use a small paint brush to carefully paint on the mica. We used Heavy Metal Gold Mica on the yellow bike, and Super Pearly White Mica on the pink bike and the red bike.

SIXTEEN: Mica painting can be messy, and you can use a q-tip or rolled paper towel to carefully clean the mica away from small crevices.

Learn how to make these adorable Bicycle Soaps!

Learn how to make these adorable Bicycle Soaps!

Bicycle Melt & Pour Project
 
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Cook time

Total time

 

Author:
Recipe type: Melt and Pour
Serves: Three 4 oz. bars

Ingredients
  • 18 oz. Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base
  • 6 oz. White Melt & Pour Soap Base
  • Perfect Red Color Block
  • Ultramarine Blue Color Block
  • Super Pearly White Color Block
  • Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block
  • Shimmer Yellow Color Block
  • Shimmer Black Color Block
  • Sparkle Gold Color Block
  • Electric Bubble Gum Color Block
  • Heavy Metal Gold Mica
  • Super Pearly White Mica
  • 9 mL Tart Apple Fragrance Oil
  • 6 mL Spiced Amber Fragrance Oil
  • 6 mL Cucumber Melon Fragrance Oil
  • Bicycle Mold
  • Injector Soap Tool
  • 3 droppers

Instructions
  1. Begin by melting 1 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base in the microwave on 5 second bursts. Because you’re working with such a small amount of soap, there is a higher probability that the soap will boil and become much harder to work with, so take care to only microwave it for a few seconds at a time. After the soap has been fully melted, shave off chunks of the Perfect Red Color Block. Color blocks are what-you-see-is-what-you-get, so the amount of color is up to you. Stir the colorant into the soap until it has been fully incorporated.
  2. Use an injector tool to carefully fill in the bicycle with soap. Don’t worry if the soap runs over the mold or if things start to get messy. You can always wait for the soap to harden and clean it up later. Once the soap has hardened, use a Clean Up Tool to scrape away any soap that overflowed the mold. If you don’t have a clean up tool, a butter knife will work in a pinch.
  3. Melt 1 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base in the microwave on 5 second bursts. After the soap has been fully melted, shave off chunks of the Shimmer Yellow Color Block. Color blocks are what-you-see-is-what-you-get, so the amount of color is up to you. Stir the colorant into the soap until it has been fully incorporated.
  4. Use an injector tool to carefully fill in the bicycle with soap. Don’t worry if the soap runs over the mold or if things start to get messy. You can always wait for the soap to harden and clean it up later. Once the soap has hardened, use a Clean Up Tool to scrape away any soap that overflowed the mold.
  5. Melt 1 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base in the microwave on 5 second bursts. After the soap has been fully melted, shave off chunks of the Electric Bubble Gum Color Block. Color blocks are what-you-see-is-what-you-get, so the amount of color is up to you. Stir the colorant into the soap until it has been fully incorporated. Obviously, I chose three different colors for the bikes. You can choose whatever colors you want; this technique works for them all! The more contrast you have with your background, the better.
  6. For the background of the yellow bike, melt 6 oz. of Cleat Melt and Pour Base on 15 second microwave bursts and split it into two containers with about 3 oz. each. In one container, shave off chunks of the Sparkle Gold Color Block. In the other, shave off chunks of the Shimmer Black Color Block. In each each container, add 3 mL of Spiced Amber Ale Fragrance Oil. Once the colorants and fragrance has been added, mix well.With the gold soap in one hand and the black soap in the other, pour from opposites sides of the mold. To get the best swirl, don’t just pour all the color into the same area! Feel free to move the containers around to get a nice mixed swirl. Be sure to keep track of your temperatures when doing the double pour. Pouring too hot will cause the soap to mix and melt the soap bicycle beneath it, while pouring too cool won’t let the soap swirl much at all. Pouring at about 135 degrees is ideal. To keep the bicycles on the soap and not stuck in the mold, do this pouring layer process right away (within 10-20 minutes of pouring the first layer). Spraying a little rubbing alcohol on the bicycles before pouring the second layer also helps with adhesion.
  7. To add extra swirl, use a chopstick or dowel to swirl the soap around in the mold. Run the tool through the soap only once as you do not want to over mix the colors. Spray with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.
  8. For the background of the pink bike, cut 6 oz of White Melt & Pour Base and split into two container with about 3 oz. of soap each. In one container, shave off chunks of the Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block. Leave the second container uncolored. Melt the soap in 10 second bursts. Then, in each container, add 3 mL of Cucumber Melon Fragrance Oil. Once the colorants and fragrance has been added, mix well.
  9. With the green soap in one hand and the white soap in the other, pour from opposites sides of the mold. To get the best swirl, don’t just pour all the color into the same area! Feel free to move the containers around to get a nice mixed swirl. Be sure to keep track of your temperatures when doing the double pour. Pouring too hot will cause the soap to mix, while pouring too cool won’t let the soap swirl much at all. Pouring at about 135 degrees is ideal.Use a chopstick or dowel to swirl the soap around in the mold and then spray with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.
  10. For the background of the red bike, cut 9 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base and divide equally into three containers. In once container, shave off chunks of the Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block and the Super Pearly White Color Block. In in the second container, shave off chunks of the Ultramarine Blue Color Block. In the last container, shave off chunks of the Super Pearly White Color Block. Remember, color blocks are WYSIWYG so how much or how little color you add is up to you! Microwave each container on 10 second microwave bursts. Once all the containers have been fully melted, add 3 mL Tart Apple Fragrance Oil to each.
  11. With the green soap in one hand and the blue soap in the other, pour from opposites sides of the mold. To get the best swirl, don’t just pour all the color into the same area! Feel free to move the containers around to get a nice mixed swirl. Be sure to keep track of your temperatures when doing the double pour. Pouring too hot will cause the soap to mix, while pouring too cool won’t let the soap swirl much at all. Pouring at about 135 degrees is ideal.
  12. Leave about a ¼ inch of room in the mold and then pour the white soap throughout the cavity.
  13. Wait 1 – 2 hours for the soaps to harden before unmolding them. After unmolding them, use a small paint brush to carefully paint on the mica. We used Heavy Metal Gold Mica on the yellow bike, Opalescent Turquoise Mica on the pink bike and Super Pearly White on the red bike.
  14. Mica painting can be messy, and you can use a q-tip or rolled paper towel to carefully clean the mica away from small crevices.

Perfect Party Favors: A Melt & Pour Tutorial

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Mustaches are hot! All you need to do is check out Pinterest to be assured that this project is right on trend. Try this fun project to use as favors for a wedding, bridal shower or birthday party. They are easy to make and bring out the playful side in everyone. We used Champagne fragrance, a festive fragrance that has a bubbly, ginger ale scent.

Ingredients:

0.3 oz Champagne Fragrance Oil

12 oz Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base

Shimmer Coral Color Block

Electric Bubblegum Color Block

Black Oxide Color Block

12 cavity Rectangle Silicone Mold

Mustache and Lip Templates

Craft Knife

Skewers

Clean-up Tool

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ONE: Cut the Clear Melt and Pour Soap Base into 1 inch cubes and melt in a heat-safe container on 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between bursts.

TWO: Add 0.3 oz Champagne Fragrance Oil to the melted soap base and mix well. Split the base in half, each portion weighing 6 ounces.

THREE: Color one portion with the Black Oxide Color Block. I like to shave easily meltable bits off the color block using the clean-up tool. When working with color blocks remember that what you see is what you get! So add as much or as little color as you need to achieve your desired color. Repeat with the other portion, this time using the Shimmer Coral and Electric Bubblegum Color Blocks. For a slightly darker red, add a teensy bit of the Black Oxide Color Block.

FOUR: Pour the black soap into 6 of the cavities of the 12 bar Rectangle Silicone Mold, filling each cavity about ¼ full. Spritz with Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol to eliminate bubbles. Repeat with the red soap, filling the other 6 cavities about ¼ full and spritzing again with Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol.

FIVE: Allow the soap to fully harden. While waiting for the soap to harden, print and cut out the mustache and lip templates (downloadable here). Unmold the red and black soaps. Place a mustache template on a piece of black soap, and use a craft knife to cut around the template. Use the templates to cut mustaches from the 6 bars of black soap, and lips from the 6 bars of red soap. Also, I feel silly even saying it but craft knives are HOT. Please be cautious when using it and do not let little fingers help you with this step.

SIX: For soap on a stick, use a skewer to pierce the soap. Wrap the soap with plastic wrap or a cute cello bag and ribbon. Enjoy!

Tip for using the template: With the template on the soap, use the craft knife to make a line all the way around the template, but not an actual full cut. Remove the template and use the line to make your final cut. I found cutting was easier when I angled the soap with the widest part of the soap perpendicular to me.

Mustaches

Home Spa: Pink Salt and Shea Bath Bar

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Transport yourself to the seaside of a breezy Mediterranean village with this #HomeSpa Pink Himalayan Sea Salt tutorial. Skin-loving Shea Melt and Pour base combines with scrubby Pink Himalayan Salt to create a bar that is both moisturizing and exfoliating. One thing to be aware of, this bar does not lather well because of the high amount of salt, but it is sensual and luxurious.

What You’ll Need:

32 oz. Shea Melt & Pour

16 oz. Medium Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Super Pearly White Color Block

12-Bar Round Silicone Mold

1.3 oz. of Spring Meadow Fragrance or Essential Oil Blend

Click here to add everything you need to make this project with the Spring Meadow Blend to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

Click here to add everything you need to make this project with the Essential Oil Blend to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

 

 

ONE: Cut the Shea Melt & Pour into 1 inch cubes and place in a heat safe container. Melt in the microwave on 30 second bursts, stirring between each heat.

TWO: After the soap has been fully melted, shave off chunks of the Super Pearly White Color Block and stir vigorously to melt the color block into the soap. Since the soap is already white, the color block will add a slight shimmer to the soap.

THREE: Add the fragrance blend and stir with a whisk or spoon until the oil has been fully incorporated into the soap.

FOUR: Portion out the Medium Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and add it to the soap. The crystals will sink to the bottom of the soap. This is part of the design and is difficult to avoid because of the thin viscosity of the soap when melted versus the heavy grains of salt.

FIVE: Because the salts are heavy and will sink to to the bottom of the container, use a spoon to scoop 2 – 3 spoonfuls of sea salts into each mold cavity to enhance the evenness of the design. Yes, you are pulling the salts from the melted soap that you just put the salts into – reach your spoon all the way into the bottom of it to get a heaping spoonful. After you  have an even coat of salts, pour the melted soap over the salts and spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles. Repeat this process for each cavity. If the soap starts to harden, pop the mixture into the microwave for 15 seconds.

Allow the soaps to harden for 2 – 3 hours before unmolding!

Wrap in saran wrap (not sure how to do that? Watch Episode 11 of SoapQueen.TV), download the FREE label templates, print on label stock and stick onto your soap for a professional, finished look.

Violet Glitter Gradient Soap Tutorial

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Remember how fun jelly sandals used to be? They may have fallen out of fashion for now, but with this glitter gradient tutorial we’re bringing that awesome jelly look back into style! This tutorial is a cross between the Green Machine Melt & Pour project and the Sunset Ombre Cold Process tutorial, with the added bonus of ample glitter (and who doesn’t love glitter?). This project gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “sparkly clean.”

This Violet Glitter Gradient Soap Tutorial features lots of layers and glitter!

What You’ll Need:

45 oz. Clear Melt & Pour Base

12 mL Easter Purple Lab Color

5 1/4 teaspoons Iridescent Glitter

12 mL Violet Fragrance Oil

10″ Silicone Loaf Mold

2 – 3 Droppers

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

ONE: Cut the Clear Melt & Pour Base into small, about-equally-sized chunks and measure out 9 oz. each into five separate containers. Be sure the containers are microwave safe.

TWO: Melt one of the soap containers in the microwave on 30 second bursts, and then using a dropper, add 3 mL of Violet Fragrance Oil and mix well.

THREE: Using a second dropper, color the layer with 6 mL of diluted Easter Purple Lab Color. If you’ve never diluted Lab Colors before, check out this post before diving in.

FOUR: Add 2 teaspoons of glitter and mix well, making sure the glitter, fragrance and Lab Color are fully incorporated into the soap.

FIVE: Pour the soap into the mold and spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.

SIX: Melt a second soap container in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Fragrance with 3 mL of Violet Fragrance Oil and add 3 mL of diluted Easter Purple Lab Color.

SEVEN: Add 1.5 teaspoons of glitter and mix well, making sure the glitter, fragrance and Lab Color are fully incorporated into the soap.

EIGHT: Spray the first layer liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol. This will help the second layer of soap adhere and prevent separation between the layers. When the first layer has formed a thick skin and when the second layer has cooled to 130 degrees or below, pour the second layer into the mold. Spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.

NINE: Melt a third soap container in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Fragrance with 3 mL of Violet Fragrance Oil, color with 2 mL of diluted Easter Purple Lab Color and add 1 teaspoon of glitter. 

TEN: Spray the second layer liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol. This will help the third layer of soap adhere and prevent separation between the layers. When the second layer has formed a thick skin and when the third layer has cooled to 130 degrees or below, pour the third layer into the mold. Spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.

ELEVEN: Melt a fourth soap container in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Fragrance with 3 mL of Violet Fragrance Oil, color with 1 mL of diluted Easter Purple Lab Color and add 1/2 teaspoon of glitter. Spray the third layer liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol. This will help the fourth layer of soap adhere and prevent separation between the layers. When the third layer has formed a thick skin and when the fourth layer has cooled to 130 degrees or below, pour the fourth layer into the mold. Spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.

TWELVE:  Melt the final soap container in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Because this layer needs to remain clear, do not add any Lab Color or fragrance oil. Add 1/4 teaspoon of glitter. Spray the fourth layer liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol. This will help the final layer of soap adhere and prevent separation between the layers. When the fourth layer has formed a thick skin and when the final layer has cooled to 130 degrees or below, pour the clear layer into the mold. Spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.

Wait 24 – 48 hours for the soap to harden before enjoying your glitter gradient soap!

This Violet Glitter Gradient Soap Tutorial features lots of layers and glitter!

Violet Glitter Gradient Soap Tutorial
 
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This Violet Glitter Gradient Soap Tutorial features lots of layers and glitter!
Author:
Recipe type: Melt and Pour
Serves: 9 Bars

Ingredients
  • 45 oz. Clear Melt & Pour Base
  • 12 mL Easter Purple Lab Color
  • 5¼ teaspoons Iridescent Glitter
  • 12 mL Violet Fragrance Oil
  • 10" Silicone Loaf Mold
  • 2 - 3 Droppers

Instructions
  1. Cut the Clear Melt & Pour Base into small, about-equally-sized chunks and measure out 9 oz. each into five separate containers. Be sure the containers are microwave safe.
  2. Melt one of the soap containers in the microwave on 30 second bursts, and then using a dropper, add 3 mL of Violet Fragrance Oil and mix well.
  3. Using a second dropper, color the layer with 6 mL of diluted Easter Purple Lab Color. If you’ve never diluted Lab Colors before, check out this post before diving in.
  4. Add 2 teaspoons of glitter and mix well, making sure the glitter, fragrance and Lab Color are fully incorporated into the soap.
  5. Pour the soap into the mold and spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.
  6. Melt a second soap container in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Fragrance with 3 mL of Violet Fragrance Oil and add 3 mL of diluted Easter Purple Lab Color.
  7. Add 1.5 teaspoons of glitter and mix well, making sure the glitter, fragrance and Lab Color are fully incorporated into the soap.
  8. Spray the first layer liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol. This will help the second layer of soap adhere and prevent separation between the layers. When the first layer has formed a thick skin and when the second layer has cooled to 130 degrees or below, pour the second layer into the mold. Spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.
  9. Melt a third soap container in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Fragrance with 3 mL of Violet Fragrance Oil, color with 2 mL of diluted Easter Purple Lab Color and add 1 teaspoon of glitter.
  10. Spray the second layer liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol. This will help the third layer of soap adhere and prevent separation between the layers. When the second layer has formed a thick skin and when the third layer has cooled to 130 degrees or below, pour the third layer into the mold. Spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.
  11. Melt a fourth soap container in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Fragrance with 3 mL of Violet Fragrance Oil, color with 1 mL of diluted Easter Purple Lab Color and add ½ teaspoon of glitter. Spray the third layer liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol. This will help the fourth layer of soap adhere and prevent separation between the layers. When the third layer has formed a thick skin and when the fourth layer has cooled to 130 degrees or below, pour the fourth layer into the mold. Spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.
  12. Melt the final soap container in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Because this layer needs to remain clear, do not add any Lab Color or fragrance oil. Add ¼ teaspoon of glitter. Spray the fourth layer liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol. This will help the final layer of soap adhere and prevent separation between the layers. When the fourth layer has formed a thick skin and when the final layer has cooled to 130 degrees or below, pour the clear layer into the mold. Spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to disperse bubbles.
  13. Wait 24 – 48 hours for the soap to harden before enjoying your glitter gradient soap!

Welcome to Summer: A Camp Bramble Berry Project

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

No summer is complete without a trip to summer camp. Sleeping under the stars, adventurous outdoor activities, pancake breakfasts and of course, the annual camp-wide talent show are all part of the fun, right? Well, we surely didn’t want to miss out!

So pack up your sleeping bags and don’t forget the bug spray, because we’re super excited to announce Camp Bramble Berry — our own soapy version of summer camp. For the next couple of weeks, we’ll deliver awesome, kid friendly projects that are not only fun to make, but fun to play with afterward too!

Today’s Soap Crayon project is just one example of the awesome tutorials you can expect when you sign-up for the Bramble Berry Newsletter.

To get in on all the action, all you have to do is sign up for our email newsletter. Simply visit the Bramble Berry website and enter your email address on the right hand side. Don’t forget to click through the confirmation email you’ll receive to activate your subscription, and be sure to check your spam filter for emails from info(at)brambleberry(dot)com.

When Camp has ended, you’ll continue to receive our regular monthly newsletter which features coupons, an exclusive project and other special deals. It’s just one more way to stay update to date with the latest Bramble Berry news. Now, onto the crayons!

What You’ll Need:

13.5 oz. White Melt and Pour Base

Peach Lab Color

Periwinkle Lab Color

Green Apple Lab Color

Easter Purple Lab Color

Teal Lab Color

 Creamsicle Fragrance Oil

 Cucumber Melon Fragrance Oil

 Strawberry Fragrance Oil

Pearberry Fragrance Oil

Blueberry Fragrance Oil

9 Ball Sphere Mold

 

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

 

ONE:  Cut the White Melt and Pour soap base into similarly-sized chunks, each no bigger than about an inch. In a heat-safe container, melt the soap on short, 30 second bursts in the microwave and stir between each burst.

TWO: Divide the soap into five heat safe containers, with 3 oz. of soap in four containers and 1.5 oz. of soap in the fifth container.

THREE: Next,  add one fragrance oil per cup. Be sure to keep track of which fragrance oil goes in which cup or else your fragrances and colors will be mismatched.

These are fragrance and color mates we used:

3 mL Peach with  1 mL Creamsicle Fragrance Oil

3 mL Green Apple with 1 mL Cucumber Melon Fragrance Oil

2 mL Easter Purple with 1 mL Strawberry Fragrance Oil

2 mL Teal with  1 mL Pearberry Fragrance Oil

2 mL Periwinkle with 1 mL Blueberry Fragrance Oil

FOUR: Add in your colorants. Undiluted Lab Colors can be difficult to mix into soap, so heat the colors (particularly the blues and greens) in the microwave on 5 second bursts. After heating, make sure the cap is on tight and shake vigorously. Add one colorant per cup to its corresponding fragrance.

Tip: Be especially careful with the Teal because it tends to clump. You may even want to stir the colorant with a mini mixer so you don’t end up with spots of concentrated color in your finished soaps.

FIVE:  Now pour your soap into the mold. Each cavity will hold 1.5 oz. of soap, so you’ll get two soap crayons per color. One of your cups should only contain 1.5 oz of soap, so that will fill the remaining cavity. Spray with isopropyl alcohol to release surface tension and prevent bubbles.  Allow the soaps to sit for at least 5 hours before unmolding.

SIX: Test the soap crayons in a discrete area on your tub before unleashing your child’s creativity. Rinse away with a washcloth and warm water.

And there you go! Looks like you’ve earned your first Camp BB project badge =) Jamisen definitely had a ton of fun with these soapy crayons creations.

 

 

Circular Soapy Geometry (Tutorial)

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Lately I’ve been thinking about how I could use column molds in new ways to get even more versatility out of the molds. The Vertical Wood Mold and the Heavy Duty Column Mold are wonderful for making swirls and layers in soap (and yes, for melt and pour, you need to line that vertical wooden mold or else it leaks), but there’s more to soaping than just swirling. While browsing through old Soap Queen posts, I came across this Soapy Geometry idea using a loaf mold and then remembered the fantastic SoapyLove e’zine project here and presto, this soaperific project was born. This project turned out super high contrast and playing with the colors and amounts of soap you pour for each layer can result in infinite combinations (pastel, black and white, summer combos etc…). If you try this project, I’d love to see your results on our Facebook page =)

[Read more…]

Intergalactic Planetary Melt and Pour Soap Tutorial

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

A great project for kids of all ages (and I’m totally counting myself in this ‘kid’ category), this theme will particularly appeal to those who enjoy their time with a sci-fi edge. Swirling multiple colors of melt and pour base into sphere molds creates a planetary feel while shimmery black mica paired with silver glitter sends the planets on an adventure through a star-filled sky.

Intergalactic Planetary Soap Tutorial [Read more…]

Feelin’ the Love

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Brand new and hot off the press, Debbie Chialtas’ newest Let’s Get Soapy e-zine is now available! This 24-page full color PDF is packed with tutorials for making soaps with water-soluble paper, achieving ombre coloring and working with neon colors for bright soaps that are ready for summer.

Let's Get Soapy Issue 9 [Read more…]

Super Bouncy Ball Soap DIY

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

These Bouncy Ball Soaps look just like the classic toy!

Raise your hand if you have childhood memories of begging your parents for change so you could buy a rubber bouncy ball from the quarter machine (me!!)? This soap is super nostalgic and reminiscent of those bouncy balls that weren’t in the quarter machine. These are the ones that were always sitting in plastic jugs on the counter and cost a couple of dollars. These are the SUPER BOUNCY BALLS.

Their swirls and sparkles were always mesmerizing as they sat on the high-up shelf. I wanted to recreate that look, using our new 4 Sphere mold and of course, some shimmery mica and glitter! Eventually the embeds will bleed and create an even more swirly effect. If only I could figure out a way to make them actually bounce like the real thing. Kids love these bouncy ball soaps during bath time!

[Read more…]

How to Roll Melt & Pour Soap

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

In this Soap Queen Short I show the basics of soap sculpting. This quick little video was inspired by the soap sculpting challenge. I wanted to show how easy it is to manipulate and roll Melt & Pour soap when you know the trick!

It’s easy to roll up Melt & Pour soap when you add a little glycerin. For ideas on how to use sculpted soap check out this video where I embed a soap roll in soap and this video where I make soapy pinwheels and fortune cookie shaped soap.

How to Roll Melt & Pour Soap from Soap Queen on Vimeo.

To make the soap in this video you will need:

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