Natural colorants are a great option for cold process soap. In the Natural Rainbow Cold Process Soap Tutorial, they’re used to create the classic color palette we all know and love. One of the colors used in the tutorial is annatto seed, which creates a bright orange hue. It’s also used in the 100% Coconut Oil Soap along with bergamot and litsea essential oil.

Top, clockwise: Natural Rainbow Cold Process Soap, Lard and Loofah Cold Process Soap, DIY Charcoal Facial Soap, 100% Coconut Oil and Annatto Soap

The Tea Tree Facial Soap is colored with activated charcoal, which creates a rich black shade. You can also use fruit and vegetable purees to color soap. The Lard and Loofah Cold Process Soap is made with carrot puree and poured into recycled yogurt containers to create a cute round shape.

The Natural Soap Kit for Beginners comes with three different color and scent combinations so you can choose your favorite. It also comes with ingredients, tools, and instructions to help you make soap from scratch.  Then, pick up the refill kit to make more of your favorite or try a new option. See how to make the Relaxing Lavender option below.

Natural ingredients work in melt and pour soap as well. The Goat Milk Melt and Pour Bars are made with lemon peel powder and lemon essential oil for a fresh scent. Tea tree essential oil is another fresh scent you can add to your recipe. It’s used in the Pure Charcoal Melt and Pour Soap along with activated charcoal and White Melt and Pour Soap Base for maximum contrast. The Minty Clay Melt and Pour Bars also feature a contrasting color palette and poppy seeds to exfoliate the skin.

Top, clockwise: Minty Clay Melt and Pour Bars, Lemon Goat Milk Melt and Pour Bars, Pure Charcoal Melt and Pour Soap

Biodegradable jojoba beads also exfoliate the skin. They’re used with activated charcoal in the Cleansing Scrub, which leaves your face feeling smooth and clean. Clays also leave the skin feeling fresh because they absorb oil. Various clays are used in the emulsified face masks, which can be tailored to your skin type. Learn which clay is right for your skin here.

Left to right: Emulsified Clay Masks, Cleansing Charcoal Facial Scrub

In bath bombs, clay is added for color and firmness. The Lavender and Clay Mondo Bath Fizzies are made with pink and purple Brazilian clay. They’re scented with lavender 40/42 essential oil and topped with lavender buds.

If you need to hydrate your skin, the Frankincense Essential Oil Body Balm will get the job done. It’s made with moisturizing avocado oil and kokum butter. The Chamomile and Coconut Oil Body Balm is made with olive oil to fight dry winter skin. The Lavender Lotion Bars are made with argan oil, avocado butter, and white beeswax, and scented with lavender 40/42 essential oil.

Clockwise, left: Frankincense Essential Oil Body Balm, Chamomile and Coconut Oil Body Balm, Lavender Lotion Bars 

Looking for more natural project inspiration? The #SoapShare tag on Instagram is full of beautiful products made with natural ingredients. See a few of our favorites below.

Top row, left to right: lalinn_soap, floraandpomona, creakyshed
Middle row, left to right: latherandcompany, pixiessoapshop, mimosacostarica
Bottom row, left to right: avaandsnowgoatsoap, tousheabodyboutique, mee_hue

The post Natural Project Inspiration appeared first on Soap Queen.

If you run out of ideas for your next handmade project, there are plenty of sources for inspiration. You can check out the #SoapShare tag on Instagram, head over to Pinterest, or visit your favorite blog. Sometimes, the easiest way to get ideas is to head outside. Nature is full of beautiful color and scent combinations. Check out the floral tutorials below for inspiration on your next spring project.

Rose Quartz Cold Process Soap
Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil is a new addition to the Bramble Berry line and it’s already an office favorite. It’s a twist on a traditional rose scent with notes of bergamot, orange zest, grapefruit, and sandalwood. The bright citrus and floral notes are a perfect fit for the Rose Quartz Cold Process Soap. It has a simple pink and white swirl design and it’s topped with shimmery Snowflake Sparkle Mica and medium pink sea salt. 

Rose Clay and Charcoal Cold Process Soap
This tutorial highlights the versatility of a pink color palette. While the Rose Quartz Cold Process Soap is soft and feminine, the Rose Clay and Charcoal Cold Process Soap is rustic and natural. The base is colored with rose clay and accented with an activated charcoal pencil line, and scented with Rosehip Jasmine Fragrance Oil. Finally, it’s topped with rose petals.

Charcoal and Rose Clay Spa Bar
Rose clay and activated charcoal look great in melt and pour soap as well. The Charcoal and Rose Clay Spa Bar features a layered design and a spa-inspired blend of sandalwood, rose absolute, and red Brazilian mandarin essential oils. The bars also feel luxurious because they’re made with Shea Melt and Pour Base. Shea butter is known for its moisturizing properties, read more about it here. See how to make these luxurious bars on Soap Queen TV or click play below.

Soothing Floral Bath Salts
Bath salts are another way to enjoy a spa experience at home. Stepping into a warm bath filled with medium Dead Sea salt, fine Dead Sea salt, and Epsom salt can help you relax and unwind. The Floral Bath Salts also contain rose petals, lavender buds, and calendula, so it feels like you’re bathing in a mountain stream. To ensure the bath smells as good as it looks, the salts have a fresh blend of Orange Blossom Candle and Soap Fragrance Oil and Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil.

Heavenly Lilac Bath Truffle
If you love bath bombs in the tub, check out the Heavenly Lilac Bath Truffles. They have more cocoa and shea butter than a traditional bath bomb, which makes them extra moisturizing. The truffles have a soft pink color, Lilac Fragrance Oil, and rose petals on top. Once you pop on the free printable label, they’re ready to gift to loved ones. Make sure to keep a few for yourself for some much needed rest and relaxation.

DIY Lavender Clay Face Mask
Why let the spa experience stop after your bath? Follow it up with the DIY Lavender Clay Face Mask. It’s designed specifically for dry skin and has a moisturizing combination of argan oil, avocado oil, and evening primrose extract. The mask also contains kaolin clay, which feels silky on the skin, and purple Brazilian clay to add a soft lavender color. The perfect scent for the mask? Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil of course!

Lavender and Lemongrass Hot Process Soap
Lavender buds add a beautiful finishing touch to handmade products like the Lavender and Lemongrass Hot Process Soap. The purple lavender, green zeolite clay, and spirulina powder create a lovely spring color palette. Continuing the natural theme, the bars have lemongrass and Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil. Learn how to make them on Soap Queen TV or check out the video below. 

Chamomile and Coconut Oil Body Balm
If you’re looking for more natural options, chamomile is a great choice. It has been used in skin care for centuries. In the Chamomile Body Balm, it’s infused in coconut oil. The infused oil is then mixed with yellow beeswax and olive oil. The end result is a skin-loving balm that helps moisturize dry skin. It feels especially amazing on elbows, feet, and hands.

Rosy Red Lip Gloss
To add some moisture and shine to your lips, give the Rosy Red Lip Gloss a try. The key to creating a gloss is cera bellina wax. It has a unique gel-like texture that gives the recipe a smooth, spreadable feel. To add shine and moisture, the recipe contains castor and jojoba oil. The gloss also adds a light wash of Merlot Sparkle and Rose Pearl Mica and the fresh scent of Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil to the lips.

Sunflower Cold Process Soap
If you’re in the mood for something bright and cheerful, you’ll love the Sunflower Cold Process Soap. The Sunflower Mold creates adorable bars that fit perfectly in your hand. To complement the shape, it’s colored with Fizzy Lemonade Colorant and Yellow Oxide and scented with Sunflower Fragrance Oil. Even if it’s still snowing outside, your soaping area will feel like spring.

The post 10 Floral Projects to Make This Spring appeared first on Soap Queen.

The gift of relaxation is the perfect way to pamper mom. The LoveSpell Solid Bubble Bath DIY creates feminine bubble bars with plenty of sparkle. To use, break up the bar under running water to add big fluffy bubbles to the tub. To see this project in action, check out the How to Make Solid Bubble Bath video on Soap Queen TV.

The LoveSpell Solid Bubble Bath DIY creates big fluffy bubbles in the tub.

If you’d rather add some fizz to the tub, the Painted Berry Bath Bomb Tutorial uses a mica painting technique for an eye-catching effect. Love gold? The Midas Touch Bath Bomb is the perfect project for glitter lovers. They are scented with a delicious blend of Champagne and Orange Grove Fragrance Oil – it smells just like a mimosa! The Pikake Flower Bath Bomb Tutorial uses rose petals to add interest and a feminine feel. If you prefer to use natural ingredients, the Lavender & Clay Mondo Bath Fizzy is colored with clay and scented with lavender 40/42 essential oil.

Left to right, clockwise: Painted Berry Bath Bomb Tutorial, Midas Touch Bath Bomb, Pikake Flower Bath Bomb Tutorial

Bath teas and salts are another fantastic addition to your bathtub. They are also perfect for beginner crafters because they are easy to make. In the Soothing Floral Bath Salt DIY, a blend of dried flower petals are added to salts. The petals give the salts a springy and feminine look. Adding oil to your bath salts gives the water a luxurious feel. In the DIY Soaking Salt & Scrub Wedding Favor Tutorial, a small amount of avocado oil is mixed into the fine grained Dead Sea salt. You can also use powdered goat milk in your bath soaks, as shown in the Lavender & Chamomile Goat Milk Bath Tea.

In the Soothing Floral Bath Salt DIY, rose petals, lavender buds and marigold petals are added to a combination of salts. 

When I first started making cold process soap, my mom was my biggest cheerleader (and most loyal customer). If your mom loves to support your soapmaking addiction as well, she’ll love bars made just for her. If she is the super girly type, the Couture Confetti Cold Process Soap is right up her alley. The Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars are a feminine option that contain natural ingredients like rose clay and Hungarian lavender essential oil.

Left to right: Couture Confetti Cold Process Soap, Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars

If pink isn’t your mom’s favorite color, the Rainbow Heart Swirl Cold Process Tutorial may include her favorite hue. The Natural Colorant Rainbow Cold Process Soap features layers of vibrant colors made with natural colorants in the Natural Colorants Sampler Pack. The Currant and Cranberry Cold Process is good option if your mom prefers more sophisticated tones. The poppy seeds add a fair amount of scrubbiness that’s perfect for prepping legs for shaving.

Left to right, clockwise: Natural Colorant Rainbow Cold Process Soap, Rainbow Heart Swirl Cold Process Tutorial, Currant and Cranberry Cold Process

If you need an easy project this year (after all, Mother’s Day is only a month away!) lip products, nail polish and eye shadows are quick craft that mom will love. The Rose Gold Cosmetic Collection includes everything you need to make nail polish, eye shadow and lip shimmer. Each is made with Rose Gold Mica, which looks flattering on a wide variety of skin tones. Check out the Handmade Cosmetics Roundup for more ideas, recipes and tips.

Rose Gold Mica is used to create lip balm, eye shadow and nail polish in this tutorial. 

Don’t forget about melt and pour soap. The Mother’s Day Soap Kit includes everything you need to make and package the bars. It also comes with a downloadable PDF to print four different Mother’s Day cards. The cards are also available separately here. If your mom has a sweet tooth, she will love the Melt & Pour Soap Truffles. Just make sure she knows they are for bathing and not eating. =) Speaking of sweet treats, the Luscious Lemon Cupcakes Tutorial always impress. The layers and colors in the Neon Geometric Melt & Pour Soap create an eye-catching design.

Top left, clockwise: Mother’s Day Soap Kit, Neon Geometric Melt & Pour Soap, Melt & Pour Soap Truffles, Luscious Lemon Cupcakes Tutorial

What are you making for your mom this year?

The post Mother’s Day Project Inspiration appeared first on Soap Queen.

The Green Meadow Melt and Pour Bars contain Grass Stain Fragrance Oil for a crisp and slightly sweet scent. 

When I think of spring, flowers immediately come to mind. In the Green Meadow Melt and Pour (shown above), small soapy flowers are added to the top of each bar. It’s fragranced with Grass Stain Fragrance Oil for a fresh smell. If you’re a fan of classic floral scents, the Yellow Chamomile Cold Process Soap and the Layered Lavender Cold Process Soap feature sophisticated floral fragrances.

Left to right: Yellow Chamomile Cold Process Soap, Layered Lavender Cold Process Soap

In the Soothing Floral Bath Salts Tutorial, dried rose petals, calendula petals and lavender buds are mixed with various salts to create a relaxing bath additive. It’s made with Orange Blossom Candle and Soap Fragrance Oil. Love bathing in flowers? The Lavender and Chamomile Goat Milk Bath Tea uses Lavender 40/40 and Chamomile Essential Oil to lightly scent the bath water.

The Soothing Floral Bath Salts feature dried botanicals and a light floral scent. 

I can’t wait for the roses in my garden to start blooming. In the meantime, roses are a great inspiration for spring projects. In the Rosy Red Lip Gloss Tutorial, Rose Pearl Mica and Merlot Sparkle Mica create a sheer rosy hue. It’s scented with Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil. In the Pikake Flower Bath Bombs, dried rose petals give the fizzies decoration.

Left to right: Pikake Flower Bath Bombs, Rosy Red Lip Gloss Tutorial

If you’re starting to spruce up your garden, scrubby products keep skin smooth. Watch the Soap Queen TV video below to learn how to make melt and pour gardeners soap. The bars contain two exfoliating ingredients: walnut shells and shredded loofah. Together, they create a bar that easily removes dirt and dead skin.

If you prefer a scrub, check out the Soaks and Scrubs category for a wide range of recipe ideas. Some of my favorites include the Cranberry Sugar Scrub, Pumpkin Spice Latte Sugar Scrub and the Rose Clay Sugar Scrub. If you’re looking for a recipe using ingredients you may already have in your kitchen, the Olive Oil and Dead Sea Salt Scrub is simple to make.

Top left, clockwise: Cranberry Sugar Scrub, Rose Clay Sugar Scrub, Olive Oil and Dead Sea Salt Scrub, Pumpkin Spice Latte Sugar Scrub

With blooming gardens comes bees and butterflies. The Save the Honey Bee Melt and Pour Soap was created for a good cause. Bramble Berry donates $3.50 for every Save the Honey Bee Mold sold to the UC Davis Honey Bee Research Fund. Scented with Wildflower Honey Fragrance Oil, it’s a fun way to get crafty while making a difference. If you’re a cold process soaper, the Honey Bee Funnel Pour Cold Process features cold process frosting and melt and pour embeds.

Left to right: Honey Bee Funnel Pour Cold Process, Save the Honey Bee Melt and Pour Soap

If you prefer butterflies, the Monarch Butterfly Swirl Cold Process Soap uses classic butterfly colors of orange, yellow and black. The same colors are used in the Monarch Butterfly Melt and Pour Tutorial to create guest sized bars. Small butterfly erasers are placed in the center of the Butterfly Sparkle Surprise Bath Bombs for a fun surprise when they fizz in the tub.

Top, clockwise:Monarch Butterfly Swirl Cold Process Soap, Monarch Butterfly Melt and Pour Tutorial, Butterfly Sparkle Surprise Bath Bomb

What are you crafting for spring? Keep your eyes on the blog and Bramble Berry Newsletter to learn about new spring products and projects!

The post Spring Inspired Bath & Beauty Projects appeared first on Soap Queen.

Dried herbs and flowers are a great way to add the look of spring to soap. In the Juicy Orange and Sweet Rose Cold Process Soap, rose petals and dried orange peels accent an orange in-the-pot swirl. Chamomile herbs add texture to the cheery Yellow Chamomile Cold Process Tutorial. Floral fragrances are also a fantastic way to celebrate spring. In the Modern Cherry Blossom Tutorial, the soft Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil gives a soft feminine scent. If you love the powdery and light scent of lilac, the Layered Lilac Loofah Cold Process smells incredibly realistic. If you’re new to soapmaking, here’s a FREE Beginners Guide to Soapmaking.

Top left, clockwise: Layered Lilac Loofah Cold Process, Yellow Chamomile Cold Process, Juicy Orange & Sweet Rose Cold Process, Modern Cherry Blossom

Did you know it was easy and inexpensive to make your own bath fizzies? It is! Here are some perfect spring tutorials just for you. Dried flowers are also the perfect addition to bath bombs and teas. In the Lavender & Clay Mondo Bath Fizzy, dried lavender and lavender essential oil create a calming bath experience. Looking for a tropical getaway? The Pikake Flower Bath Bombs smell of traditional Hawaiian leis. Fresh herbs infused with essential oils add scent and moisture in the Mother’s Day Bath Tea Tutorial.

Top row: Lavender & Clay Mondo Bath Fizzy
Bottom Row: Pikake Flower Bath Bombs, Mother’s Day Bath Tea

If you’re looking for more projects to show mom your love this Mother’s Day (it is coming up soon, my friends), the Gentle Gel Serum is incredibly luxurious. Made with Carrot Seed Essential Oil, the serum is great for mature skin. The Pink Salt and Shea Bath Bars uses pink sea salt and a fresh floral scent to create a wonderfully feminine melt and pour soap. If your mom enjoys cosmetics, the soft and shiny Rosy Red Lip Gloss gives a sheer tint inspired by fresh roses.

Top left to right, clockwise: Gentle Gel Serum, Rosy Red Lip Gloss, Pink Salt and Shea Bath Bars

With fresh blooms comes gardening! If you are a gardener, your hands may be in need of some extra TLC. Scrubby soap is perfect for removing dirt and dead skin build up from working outside. The Handmade Soap for Gardeners made with coffee grounds is super exfoliating. If you prefer gentle exfoliation and a beginners DIY project, the Minty Clay Melt and Pour Bar, made with poppy seeds and peppermint essential oil leaves skin soft and fresh smelling. Love a minty scent? The Cranberry Seed Foot Scrub is perfect for both feet and hands. If you’re new to melt and pour soapmaking, here’s a FREE Beginners Guide to Melt and Pour soapmaking.

Top Row: Minty Clay Melt and Pour Bars
Bottom Row: Handmade Soap for Gardeners, Cranberry Seed Foot Scrub

What kind of spring inspired projects are you making? I would love to see your photos on the Bramble Berry Facebook page!

The post Spring Project Inspiration appeared first on Soap Queen.

Top left, clockwise: Lotion tins by Alicia, Seed Packet Melt & Pour by Mandy, Garden Visitor by Sandra, Sliced Cucumber Cold Process by Yurie

We loved the diversity of these projects — from the beautiful packaging of the lotion tins to the crisp and clean lines of both melt and pour projects to the unique pattern of the cold process soap. Congrats to our favorites — you’ve earned some serious bragging rights!

The rest of the entries were outstanding as well, and you can see them all below. They make for great spring and summer soapy inspiration:

Top row: Garden Soap by Jolyn, Strawberry Fields by Megan, Blue Breeze by Carla, Carnation Confetti by Brooke

Second row: Cold process by Morgan, poppy seeds by Gail, sunflowers by Lath and Luster, pine cones by The Village Soapsmith

Third row: Cold process swirls by Janet, Father’s Day soap by Elizabeth, Spring Garden Bath Petite Fours by Shelly, salt bars by Stacie

Fourth row:  Spring flowers by Audra, Ultimate Gardener’s Soap by Meadowlark Soaps, shaving soap by Amy, perfume by Mcts

Thanks to everyone who entered our Make It Month contest. If you missed out on this round, have no fear. We host Make It Month contests several times a year, and the idea behind them is to inspire creative projects using that month’s free 0.5 oz. fragrance oil sample. This month’s sample is Cucumber & Kiwi, which features sweet top notes grounded by a fresh & clean cucumber scent. Learn how to make a Sea Clay mask featuring the scent here.

Do you have a go-to summer fragrance oil? What is it?

The post #BrambleGarden Show Off appeared first on Soap Queen.

Speaking of contests, we’ve got plenty more going on. If you’re thinking ahead to Mother’s Day, there is still time for the ShowMomLove Contest. Simply post an image of a handmade gift on Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest by April 20 to enter to win a kit from the Soap Crafting Club. If going green is your thing, there’s also an Earth Day contest. Show us a photo of your recycled soap mold on our Facebook page with the hashtag ‘#BBEarthDay’ to win an Eco Chic Melt and Pour kit.

This week we shared a comprehensive list of tips, tricks and information for beginning soapers. Whether you want to start working with melt and pour or cold process, the Beginning Soaper Resource Roundup has you covered. If melt and pour is your soapy method of choice, this Carnation Cube Cuties Melt and Pour Tutorial is perfect for beginners. Featuring the unique Carnation Fragrance Oil (our sample of the month) and Jojoba Beads, this project will leave your skin smooth and smelling of fresh flowers.

Speaking of fresh flowers, our Facebook Photo of the Week from Whitetail Lane Farm was clearly inspired by spring:

Created with the Spring Meadow Fragrance Oil and 6″ Silicone Slab Mold, Jamie from Whitetail Lane Farm is a true soap artist. With beautiful daisy embeds and a hint of sparkle, this soap may be too pretty to use (Nahhhhh! Use it! She will make more). If you would like to try making your own handmade embeds, squeeze bottles and frosting bags will come in handy. Squirt bottles also make other soapy techniques a breeze, as seen in the Rainbow Squirty Swirls Tutorial.

Here is Jamie’s soap from another angle. The thick texture is beautiful and makes the flowers look so realistic. All of Jamie’s soaps show expert craftsmanship and it’s clear they are made with great care. I’m especially delighted to see a few designs from my Soap Crafting book in her repertoire. She executes with flair and precision.

Find Whitetail Lane Farm:

Official Site

On Facebook

Post pictures of your crafty creations on the Facebook page each week for a chance to be featured on the Soap Queen blog and receive a sweet soapy package from Bramble Berry. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

The post Facebook Photo of the Week (April 12th – April 18th) appeared first on Soap Queen.

What You’ll Need:

1.5 oz. Rose Water

.8 oz. Isopropyl Alcohol

.5 mL Optiphen ND

5.5 mL Polysorbate 20

Fragrance blend: 1 mL Spring Meadow Fragrance Oil and 1 mL Crisp Apple Rose Fragrance Oil

2 oz. Brushed Aluminum Bottle

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

ONE: Since you’re combining fragrance oils and water in this recipe, you need Polysorbate 20 to help combine the fragrance oil and the water.  Keep in mind that even though this room spray is not meant to go on the skin, to be on the safe side, use a skin safe fragrance – not a candle or potpourri fragrance. You never know what an end user will do with your product. =)

Combine the Polysorbate 20 and the fragrance oils first and mix well, making sure they are well mixed before adding the rose water. If your solution looks milky white, add a few more drops of Polysorbate. The mixture should be relatively clear (it’s okay if it looks a bit cloudy) before adding the additional ingredients.

TWO: Once the Polysorbate and fragrance oil mixture is clear, add the rose water.

THREE: Add the isopropyl alcohol.

FOUR: Add the Optiphen ND.

Pour the mixture into a 2 oz. Brushed Aluminum Bottle. This recipe makes once spray bottle, but feel free to double or triple it to make multiple bottles. The Polysorbate will help bind the Rose Water and fragrance oils, but give the bottle a good shake before each use for good measure. Please note that this solution does use preservative. If you do not use preservative, you run the risk of mold and bacteria growing in the solution.

Looking for more sprays or perfumes? Check out the tutorials below:

From left clockwise: How to Make Perfume video, Bug Away Spray Bouquet, White Ginger and Amber Perfume

The post Springtime Room Spray appeared first on Soap Queen.

We also added Oat Extract to this project. Oat Extract is soothing for all types of skin and it’s especially popular in baby products. As with most extracts, add it your melt & pour soap base at 1 teaspoon per pound of soap base.

What You’ll Need:

Goat Milk Melt & Pour Base

Yellow Jelly Color (discontinued-substitute with Fizzy Lemonade Color Block)

Liquid Violet

Liquid Pink

Non-Bleeding Red (discontinued- substitute with Electric Bubblegum Color Block)

Oat Extract

Eden’s Garden Cybilla Fragrance Oil

Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil

6 Bar Oval Silicone Mold

Injector Tool

Droppers

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

ONE: Cut and melt 2 oz. of Goats Milk Melt & Pour Base and heat in the microwave on 6 second bursts. Leave it uncolored. Using the Injector Tool, drop a small amount of white into the first divot of the mold. Spray with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubbles and allow to dry for 10 – 15 minutes. NOTE: The Massage Egg Mold used in this project has been discontinued. It has been replaced with the 6 Bar Oval Silicone Mold.

Tip: The injector tool will become clogged with hardened soap if you don’t push it out immediately after you’re done. Keep a cup of warm water near by so you can rinse the tool with hot water and keep it from getting clogged in between uses.

TWO: Cut and melt another 6 oz. of Goat Milk Soap base and heat in the microwave on 6 second bursts. Divide it equally among three containers, so that each contains about 2 oz. of soap each. Add one color per container in the following amounts:

• 5 – 7 drops Liquid Pink and 1 drop Non-Bleeding Red to one container
• 4 – 6 drops Jelly Yellow to a second container
• 4 – 6 drops Liquid Violet to a third container

Keep these containers on hand because you will use them throughout the project.

THREE: Stir to incorporate the colors into the melted base. Once the white soap in the mold had dried and the colored soap has cooled to around 130 degrees, spray the mold with isopropyl alcohol and then use the injector tool to fill in the small ring around the white soap. Spray with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubbles and allow the soap the soap to dry for 15 – 20 minutes.

FOUR: By now your colored soap may have hardened, so give it a good stir and pop it into the microwave on 5 second bursts to remelt it if need be. When the melted soap has cooled to 130 degrees or below, spray the mold with isopropyl alcohol and pour a thin colored layer (about 1 centimeter) into the mold. You can choose whatever combination you’d like, but we poured purple over the pink dots, pink over the yellow dots and yellow over the purple dots.

FIVE: Cut and melt 9 oz. of Goat Milk base and heat in the microwave on 10 second bursts. Leave this portion uncolored. Stir in 2 mL Eden’s Garden Cybilla Fragrance Oil, 1 mL Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil and 3 mL Oat Extract.

SIX: When the soap has cooled to 130 degrees or below, spray the mold with isopropyl alcohol and then pour 2 – 3 oz. of white soap into each cavity. Spray with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubbles.

SEVEN: Add an additional 1 oz. to each container of colored soap. You may need to add a few more drops of color because of the added White Goat Milk base, but it’s completely up to you. Add 1 mL Oat Extract, .5 mL Eden’s Garden Cybilla and .5 mL Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil to each container and stir.

When the melted soap has cooled to 130 degrees or below, spray the mold with isopropyl alcohol and fill the cavity with the colored soap. Spray again with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubbles.

Allow your soaps to dry for 30 – 60 minutes and then unmold. Your soaps are ready to use!

The post Eggcellent Easter Melt & Pour appeared first on Soap Queen.

Chrome Green (top) and Hydrated Chrome Green (bottom) colorants

These colorants work well in both cold process and melt and pour soap. They’re not recommended for lotions, bath bombs, or balms because oxides and pigments are oil-soluble and can leave skin streaky with color.

Chrome Green Oxide is a deep forest green that is perfect for achieving a “natural” green color. Hydrated Chrome Green Oxide, on the other hand, is more on the teal side of the green spectrum.  Both colorants are non-bleeding and natural. Although they were created in a lab, they’re considered “nature identical” because they do not contain any artificial ingredients (unlike a dye). For a full list of other non-bleeding colorants, check out this blog post.

Oxides tend to clump together more so than micas, so it’s particularly important to disperse them in a liquid oil before you use them in cold process soap. Check out this Soap Queen TV short for a demonstration.

When using oxides in melt & pour soap, you can disperse the oxides in liquid glycerin (like we did in this SQTV short), or use ready made Color Blocks (check out this SQTV short for an example).

Chrome Green Color Block (left) and Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block (right)

Want to try these colorants in a quick and easy melt and pour project? You got it! Using these two greens as background colors help the butterflies in the new Guest 5 Butterfly Mold pop.

What You’ll Need:

13 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base

Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block

Chrome Green Color Block

Electric Bubblegum Color Block

Fizzy Lemonade Color Block

5 mL Grass Stain Fragrance Oil

Guest 5 Butterfly Mold

Injector Soap Tool

Clean Up Tool

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

ONE: Cut and melt 3 oz. of Clear Melt & Pour base in a heat-safe container. Heat in the microwave on 5 second bursts, stirring between each heat. Melt and pour is easy to scorch, and so it’s important to heat it in short intervals. Scorched melt and pour hardens very quickly, which makes it difficult to pour.

TWO: Add 1 mL of Grass Stain Fragrance Oil and stir.

THREE: Pour half the base into a second container. No need to be exact, but you want about 1.5 oz. of base in each container.

FOUR: Add shavings of the Fizzy Lemonade Color Block and the Electric Bubblegum Color Block to each container. Stir in the color blocks to melt them into the base, but if they don’t melt right away then pop the containers in the microwave on 5 second bursts.

FIVE: Using the injector tool, fill in the detail of the butterfly mold. Feel free to get creative here! We colored the butterflies with two colors, but you can make them one solid color too. Be sure to spray with 99% alcohol to disperse bubbles.

SIX:Don’t worry if you went a bit outside the lines. Allow the soap to harden and then simply use a clean up tool to scrape out any mishaps.

SEVEN: Allow the soap to harden and then spray with 99% alcohol. Then, fill in the remaining part of the butterflies with the second color. Don’t forget to spray with 99% alcohol!

EIGHT: After you’ve filled the butterflies, set the mold aside. Then, cut and melt 10 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base. Split the base into a second container. There should be about 5 oz. of base per container. Melt the base on 10 second bursts and then add 2 mL of Grass Stain Fragrance Oil to each container.

NINE: Add shavings of the Chrome Green Color Block (left) and Hydrated Chrome Green Color Block (right) to each container. Stir in the color blocks to melt them into the base, but if they don’t melt right away then pop the containers in the microwave on 5 second bursts.

TEN: Once the bases have cooled to around 125 degrees F, spray the butterflies with 99% alcohol and then pour the green backgrounds. We poured two solid Chrome Green backgrounds and two Hydrated Chrome Green backgrounds.

ELEVEN: For the last butterfly, we switched things up! We poured both colors at the same time to achieve a melt and pour swirl.

TWELVE: Spray with 99% alcohol to disperse bubbles.

Allow the soaps to harden for about an hour before unmolding. Enjoy!

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