Cherry Blossom Tree Melt and Pour Soap
Spring is just around the corner, and it's the perfect time to bring a touch of cherry blossom magic into your home! Here's a simple and delightful craft to create cherry blossom tree-inspired soaps. Using a melt and pour base, some vibrant mica, and cherry blossom fragrance oil, you can craft these beautiful soaps with ease. Enjoy the process and the lovely scents that will fill your space!
Click here to download the Step by Step PDF Guide!
Recommended Ingredients:
454g SFIC Clear Melt & Pour Base
454g SFIC Crystal Clear Melt & Pour Base
454g SFIC White Melt & Pour Base
30g Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil
250ml Isopropyl Alcohol in Spray Bottle
4 x 0.15cc scoop of Rose Quartz Mica
2 x 0.15cc scoop of Cappuccino Mica
4 x 0.15cc scoop of Spring Meadow Mica
Recommended Utensils:
Rectangle Silicone Soap Mold
3x Easy Pour Measuring Cups
4x small mixing cup
0.15 cc Plastic Scoop
Stainless Steel Heavy Gauge Soap Cutter
Cheese Grater
Scale
Sticks to stir
Gloves
Microwave or Double Boiler
Parchment paper
Directions:
- Step 1:
Measure and cut 100g each of White and Clear Melt and Pour soap bases. Place them into two measuring cups.
- Step 2:
Carefully heat both cups in the microwave in 10-second intervals to prevent overheating. Once melted, add 2g of Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil to each base.
- Step 3:
Pour half of the white base into one section of the rectangle mold.
- Step 4:
Mix Isopropyl Alcohol with 2 x 0.15cc scoops of Rose Quartz Mica, then add to the remaining white base and mix.
- Step 5:
Pour this into another section of the rectangle mold.
- Step 6:
Add 2 x 0.15cc scoops of Rose Quartz Mica to the melted clear base and mix.
- Step 7:
Pour this soap into a third section of the rectangle mold. Allow all three soaps to harden for about 30 minutes.
- Step 8:
Once hardened, remove the soaps and grate them into small pieces. Mix the colors well.
- Step 9:
Melt another 100g of Clear Melt and Pour soap base. Mix 2 x 0.15cc scoops of Cappuccino Mica with Isopropyl Alcohol and combine with the melted base.
- Step 10:
Add 2g of Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil, mix well, and pour a thin layer onto parchment paper. Let it set for about 15 minutes.
- Step 11:
Cut 130g of the white melt and pour base, melt it, then mix in a blend of 4 x 0.15cc scoops of Spring Meadow Mica with Isopropyl Alcohol and 3g of Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil.
- Step 12:
Tilt the rectangle silicone mold and add a small amount of the green soap base to form the grass layer.
- Step 13:
Take the brown soap off the parchment paper and cut it into four slices.
- Step 14:
Roll these slices into four tree trunks.
- Step 15:
Cut the Crystal Clear melt and pour soap base, melt it, and let it cool until a thin layer forms. (Don’t pour too hot or it will melt the other soap) Spray isopropyl alcohol on the grass and pour the crystal clear base into the mold until it's about halfway full. Spray again to remove bubbles.
- Step 16:
Quickly place some pink and white soap shreds at the top of each rectangle section to form tree tops.
- Step 18:
Allow a layer to form, then add 5g of Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil to the crystal clear base.
- Step 19:
Place the tree trunks on top of the shredded soap and green grass.
- Step 20:
Add more shreds to cover the tree trunk tips. Spray isopropyl alcohol to help the next layer stick.
- Step 21:
Pour the remaining crystal clear base into the sections. Spray to remove bubbles, then let the soaps harden for about 2 hours.
- Step 22:
Remove the soaps from the mold. They're ready to package or use immediately as Melt and Pour Soap does not need curing.
Common Issues:
Discoloration:
Fragrance Oils are most of the time the Culprit when a soap discolors. Some fragrance oils already have a dark color straight out of the bottle. Also you will want to check each fragrance for its Vanillin content. If the Fragrance contains Vanillin, your soap will over time turn to a tan color. Some Fragrances can even turn them to a very dark brown. Keep that in mind when wanting to make a bright or white colored soap.
Ripples:
Ripples can happen when the Soap is not fully hardened and the mold is being moved or a fan or air draft is blowing across the cooling soap.
Bubbles:
Bubbles happen when mixing fragrance and colorants into the soap, however they burst easily by being sprayed with Isopropyl Alcohol
Sweating:
If your Soap starts sweating after a few days of making it , it could be due to the humidity . It's best to package Melt and Pour Soap right away into shrink wrap or plastic wrap. Sweating does not mean that your soap is bad, it merely does not look appealing. However, sweating can also be caused by overheating the base. So be sure to not have it boil in your microwave . Even if the base starts steaming as you remove it from the microwave it's very likely burned.
If you have a lot of issues with your melt and pour sweating, try our SFIC Low Sweat White and SFIC Low Sweat Clear bases.
Botanicals:
While dried Botanicals look amazing in Soaps, they are not compatible with Melt and Pour Soap. Due to Melt and Pour Soap being Glycerin based it will rehydrate dried Botanicals and cause them to eventually mold . Lavender buds will turn the soap brown and moldy so it's best to refrain from adding them into your soap.
Layers separating:
When adding a 2nd layer to a soap you may notice it separating from the first layer, if this happens you likely poured the 2nd layer too long after pouring the first. The bottom layer has to solidify but cannot be too cold. The top layer cannot be too hot nor too cold. You can also score the first layer and be sure to spritz some Isopropyl Alcohol as it helps the layers to adhere to each other.
Low lather:
Adding too much of an additive will reduce lather. This is often seen when adding powders or additional oils.
Powders such as clays or even activated charcoal in excess will increase the volume of the soap, with more of the powder there will be less soap hence your lather will be affected.
Adding oils will also cause this low lather affect. While adding oils will increase moisture it will decrease the ability to lather, as oil by itself does not lather.
To prevent a loss in lather use small amounts of additives to your soap, just enough to give the desired affect but not too much to disrupt the ratio of soap to additive.