Last week, I introduced you to my newest project – making my cousin’s favors for her wedding. If you missed that post, check it out here. I am going to make leaf shaped mini soaps, marbled in autumn colors.

First, I’ll make sheets of soap which I’ll cut into mini soaps with cutters. Since I need to make 350 soaps, I need a large surface to create big sheets. In the past I have used my own aluminum cookie sheets, but they’ve started to warp, so needed an inexpensive alternative.

I went to a party supply store and found the perfect thing – disposable aluminum cookie sheets. They have a nice smooth surface and won’t warp when I pour hot soap onto them. At $1.50 per sheet, they were a steal! I got 6 of them.

Now I needed to figure out how much soap to pour per pan. To do this, I filled one with water to 1/4″ depth (the thickness of the soap sheet I want), then poured the water into a large Pyrex to see how much that is. In this case, it’s 2 cups. I have found that with m&p soap, the weight and liquid volume is virtually the same. So I’ll need 1 pound of soap per pan.

Next week, I’ll melt, color, scent, and pour my soap. They’ll be marbled with metallic micas, so make sure to check it out! It’s a really fun technique and can be used for lots of beautiful effects!

My cousin, Katie, is getting married next month! Unfortunately, since the wedding is in Wisconsin (I’m in San Diego) I can’t be there, but I will attend in spirit! Katie asked me if I would make her wedding favors. Knowing how significant every decision in wedding planning is, I am so flattered and honored!

When we spoke about what she would like, she just said, “I’m pretty flexible as long as it is fall-ish. Just like a leaf shape or something.” Great! I love design projects, so I started thinking.

First, I looked at her invitation. It has gorgeous, traditional autumn colors. Incorporating them with a leaf shape would be fun. Plus I have a great fragrance on hand I’ve been dying to use.

One thing I asked her was, “how many guests?” She has 175! Wow. So this would have to be an efficient process, too. No 4 cavity mold action for this project!

To incorporate the colors, I decided to use a few of the metallic micas from Brambleberry. The gold, copper, and cappucino would be perfect. I’ll use them to make a marbled sheet that I’ll cut with mini cookie cutters into leaves and acorns. Finally, I’ll scent them with Candied Apple fragrance and put 2 soaps into little organza bag for each guest (that will be 350 soaps! Gulp!).

I ran it by Katie, and she liked it!

Next – gather supplies and find trays that are large, flexible, and totally flat. Tune in next Thursday to see how I will make them! See you then!

-Debbie, Soapylove

For many kids and teens this is the last week of summer before school begins, and my son will be starting preschool for the first time! To celebrate this big step I have created these bright and happy Vivid Soap Blocks. They use a guest size soap mold, perfect for small hands, and pair up non-bleeding colorants with crystal clear Labcolors. The letters are cut by hand, but you can find small letter fondant cutters in craft stores if you prefer or use Bramble Berry’s Alphabet Mold (when they’re back in stock next wee).

1 lb clear soap base
Purple non-bleeding liquid soap colorant
Red Labcolors soap colorant
Red Apple fragrance oil
Square and Round Guest Soap Mold
Exacto Knife
Alphabet template or fondant cutters

To choose your color combination, you need to consider the bleeding factor of the Labcolors. Like watercolor paints, certain colors bleed together nicely and some do not. So in this case, choose your face color first from the non-bleeding liquid color selection, then choose a Labcolor that is the same color or a lighter color in the same family.

1) For the alphabet template, click on alphabet image and print out.

2) In a Pyrex cup, melt 4 ounces of clear base. Stir in a few drops of non-bleeding colorant, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon of fragrance oil. Pour into molds, filling each only 1/4″ full. Put in freezer for a few minutes and unmold.

3) Roughly cut letters out of template. Place on top of soap and cut through paper and soap at the same time with Exacto knife.

4) Melt 8 ounces of clear soap base. Stir in Labcolor, one drop at a time (they’re really concentrated – it’s easy to overdo it!). Pour a thin layer into your mold, then put letter soap into the hot soap, pressing down to mold surface. Spray with rubbing alchohol to remove any bubbles, then quickly top off mold with more melted soap. If you chose a letter that has an inner shape, like my letter Q, place this piece into the hot soap and press down before topping off mold.

5) Allow to set overnight or put into a freezer for a few minutes and unmold.

The color combinations I show above are:
Letters E and U: Purple non-bleed liquid and Red Labcolors.
Letters Z and Q: Blue non-bleed liquid and Brilliant Blue Labcolors.
Letter H: Red non-bleed liquid and Canary Labcolors (red looks orange when done).

To learn more about gorgeous Labcolors and the cool things you can do with them, come back on Thursday for a few helpful hints!

Click here for Day One
Click here for Day Two
Click here for Day Three
Click here for Day Four
Click here for Day Five

Click here for Day One
Click here for Day Two
Click here for Day Three

Now comes the hard part: wait for our little aliens and spaceships to set-up! Don’t they look cute? All ready for lift off!

Our little Armada, popped out and ready to fly, fly away. The “window” in the taller spaceship is made by cutting the round protuberance (you’ll know it when ya’ see it) off with a knife or exacto tool. It’s just barely visible in the photo below.

Who says there aren’t pink spaceships? With her pink ribbon hair bow, she is ready to take over the entire Galaxy on behalf of SoapySpaceShips everywhere.

UFO Soap Project – Day One
UFO Soap Project – Day Two

8) Melt 1 more ounce of clear base. Stir in a pinch of soap glitter and keep stirring until the glitter doesn’t sink anymore. The glitter is optional but it really makes the “window” for our little Martian really stand out and sparkle.

9) Place the bottom of the spaceship and the little teensy top part of the spaceship back into the mold. Push down firmly to ensure that the “window” portion of the clear soap will not run under the hardened spaceship soap pieces. Lightly spray the soap in the mold with alcohol. Wiggle your Martian around to make sure that his or her placement is perfect. Pour the clear, glitter-laden soap into the cockpit cavity. Spritz with alcohol to remove any surface bubbles.

10) Allow to set at room temperature. You should be able to pop out the soap without using the freezer.

Checkout the rocket ship variation on the left – there’s a trick to making those look good. Hint: it involves an Exacto Knife.

Click here for Day One
Click here for Day Two
Click here for Day Three
Click here for Day Four
Click here for Day Five

For Day One of the UFO Soapy Aliens, click here.

4) Invert mold and push on back until soap releases.

5) Use your knife to cut the “cockpit” out of the UFO. You’ll be making one large piece that is the ship and one tiny piece that is the top tip of the ship. You won’t need the cockpit for this soap again but it’s still soap, so save it for another project.

6) Take your melon baller and scoop a cavity out of the back side of the ship body. Carve enough out so your Martian fits inside but his head sticks up into the cockpit space. Make it deep enough so his back doesn’t stick out farther than the back side of the soap.

7) Put the UFO ship body back into the mold, as well as the top tip of the ship. Position your Martian. Make sure the Martian is totally flush with the back of the soap. Scoop out place for the rest of the alien body.

Checking for fit:

Check back tomorrow for instructions on how to pour the cockpit for our little Martian to peer through.

Click here for Day One
Click here for Day Two
Click here for Day Three
Click here for Day Four
Click here for Day Five

This project was pioneered by one Ms Debbie Chialtas from SoapyLove. Check out her SoapyLove blog here and her ultra creative project, The Soap Lab here. Debbie was one of the teachers at the Soap Intensive Weekend and she was gracious enough to share this fun soap technique that she designed herself. Thanks Debbie!

Click here for Day One
Click here for Day Two
Click here for Day Three
Click here for Day Four
Click here for Day Five

Supplies for UFO Soap:

• Clear soap base (4 ounces per UFO)
• Fragrance oil, any kind (1/8 teaspoon per bar)
• Non-bleeding colored mica or non-bleeding colorant plus pearl mica
• Soap glitter
• Milky Way Spaceships soap mold
• Rubbing alcohol in spray bottle
• Melon baller, round metal measuring spoon, or round teaspoon
• Martian toys 
• 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup
• Small cup to mix mica in
• Spoon or craft sticks to stir with
• Knife and cutting board

Instructions:

Check back tomorrow for more instructions on making the UFO Soaps.

One of the beauties of crafting with Melt and Pour Soap is how great it takes color. You can get every shade of the rainbow, in any level of opacity or clarity. But if you want to combine colors in one design, like in the monogram bar above, you need to use non-bleeding colorants.

There are many types of soap colorants but oxides and ultramarines are the most stable you will find. When I first started u

sing them, I was discouraged, thinking I could only get opaque shades. But as I kept experimenting I learned that they’re extremely versatile.

You will find them in liquid or powder form. Liquids are extremely easy to use – just add them drop by drop to your soap until you get the shade you like. There are many beautiful colors available. However, some colors are only available powdered. Before you add the powder to your soap base, you need to dilute it. This is my favorite way:

1. First, take a little cup and spray a few squirts of rubbing alcohol inside.
2. Then take a little scoop of pigment (a little goes a long way) and stir until all lumps are dissolved.
3. You can then add it to your soap base.

Many crafters will create their own liquid in squeeze bottles by combining 30% pigment and 70% liquid glycerin. I’ve heard this is a good, lump free method.

So once you have diluted pigment, you can use it many ways! With just a few drops you can create sheer colors like the purple soap above. Brown oxide looks great in white soap base for pastry shades and in clear soap base for rich chocolate shades.

Bramble Berry’s non-bleeding red colorant is a staple in my toolbox. I use it every time I need red or pink.

Check out all of the great options you have. It’s like a painter’s pallette!

Tune in on August 25 for a great new tutorial featuring oxides in gorgeous saturated tones paired with glassy bright Labcolors!

Nothing says “Happy Birthday” like rainbow sprinkles, and these colorful jojoba beads are a perfect stand-in. For a soap design this sweet, Bramble Berry’s new “Hello Sweet Thang” or Cream Cheese Frosting fragrance oil makes every day a party!

What you’ll need:

3 lbs. White Melt & Pour Soap Base
Hydrated Chrome Green Oxide
Pink Oxide
Hello Sweet Thang fragrance oil
Jojoba Beads in Red, Purple, and Blue
Loaf Mold
Small mixing cup
Metal 1/2 t. measuring spoon or small melon baller
Optional: Vanilla Color Stabilizer

In a small cup, combine 1/4 teaspoon of each color Jojoba Beads. Set aside.

In a 2 cup Pyrex, melt 12 ounces of white soap base. Using a small cup, spray a few squirts of rubbing alcohol and stir in 1/8 teaspoon pink oxide. Stir until all lumps are gone and add to the soap base. Add 1/2 teaspoon of fragrance oil and pour into soap mold. If you are using Vanilla Color Stabilizer to decrease the natural browning effect of the Vanilla in the fragrance, combine it with the fragrance every time fragrance is called for at a 1:1 ratio. Allow to set until surface is solid but still warm and you can push a dent into the soap with your finger.

Take your teaspoon and scoop 3 long grooves out of the soap, like you’re scooping ice cream. Make them about 1/4″ deep, then use your finger to round off any hard edges (you want smooth curves when you slice into the soap).

Melt 8 ounces of white soap. Let cool to 120 degrees. Spray surface of pink soap with rubbing alcohol and pour soap into mold. When soap is set but scoopable, make 3 more grooves like you did in the last step.

Melt 12 ounces of white soap. Dilute 1/8 teaspoon of hydrated green oxide in a few sprays of rubbing alcohol and add to soap. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of fragrance oil. Let cool to 120 degrees, spray white soap layer with alcohol, and pour green soap into mold. Let cool until solid.

Melt 10 ounces of white soap. Let cool to 120 degrees and stir in 1/8 teaspoon of Jojoba Beads. Stir until soap is thick and beads stop floating. Spray green soap with alcohol and pour soap into mold.

To create a frosting effect, use a spoon to push melted soap back and forth. Keep pushing as it starts solidifying, creating a frosting texture. Push and push until you like the texture or it’s too thick to move anymore. Sprinkle more Jojoba Beads on top.

Let soap completely solidify. You can let it sit overnight or put in the freezer for 20 minutes. Unmold and slice with an unserrated knife.

These soaps would make excellent favors for your next birthday party!

For more information and tips on how to use oxide colorants, come back on Thursday for a full post about these great skin safe and colorfast pigments!

There are many types of exfoliants you can add to Melt & Pour soap that add textural and visual interest to your designs. Bramble Berry carries lots of great options like bamboo powder, seeds, pumice, and now almond meal, which you can find on their exfoliants page. You can also try salt, sugar, even sand. Don’t overdo it, though. Once I added coffee grounds which resulted in a bar so scratchy “it could take barnacles off a ship,” my husband observed. Oops.

My favorite exfoliant is jojoba beads. Jojoba beads are awesome because they’re gentle and come in gorgeous colors. They can be a beautiful part of your soap design. In the soap picture above I used yellow beads in a clear bar as part of a set of citrus soaps.

There are 2 challenges to using jojoba beads, though – they can melt or float if you’re not careful. In my Citrus Set, the two other bars also had jojoba beads but they totally melted, making my bars look like solid colors. That was a mistake. I should have waited until my melted soap was between 120-130 degrees before stirring them in.

To avoid floating, you should be very conservative with how much you use. The more you use, the harder it is to get them all incorporated. So start with a pinch and add more until you’re happy, but then wait until the soap starts to thicken, like a thin pudding, before you pour into your molds. Or you can get soap base with a suspension additive which takes all the guesswork out of it. This is a must if you’re adding botanicals like tea leaves which LOVE to float!

You can also use jojoba beads as a garnish for your soaps, instead of stirring them in. Here’s a picture of some Soap Tarts where I sprinkled a mixture of beads onto a pink sheet of soap while it was still hot, which I later cut into frosting shapes (see my Cameo Soap Kit for how to make your own embeds like this). You can also sprinkle them on top of a loaf soap for some cute color.

Next Monday I’ll have a new tutorial featuring Jojoba Beads, so make sure to come back and check it out! Thanks and have fun!