Teach Soap

Hi Ladies
As mentioned earlier, I am very new to soap making, and I think there is nothing more beautiful than a hand made bar of soap. How do you get the top of the loaf to look so rugged and natural?

There are several techniques you can use, but mostly it is trial and error, experimenting until you find what you like. You can wait until it is set up a bit, then use a spatula to create those, or some other kitchen type tool. Just remember to not use anything that will interact with the lye. You can also pipe toppings onto your soap from a frosting bag or squeeze some on from a condiment dispenser. HP soap is usually more "rugged" looking, but you can get that same effect by working with different tools and using a firmer, more set up batter. There are some other tricks too, so experiment to find what you love!

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

That's done when the soap is at a heavy trace, so the peaks stay.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

So would this work with CP? Perhaps after its poured and sets for a bit?

Thank you for your replies.

Lainey

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Ladies,
Thank you so much - I am so excited and learning to just have fun with it and not be afraid. And thanks for being so helpful to me being new as I'm sure this is all basic to you.

We were all new once Lainey! A great deal of soaping is practice and experimentation. Just be patient and enjoy the ride!

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

I am so glad I found this thread, I was about to create one. I had the same question about tops. My piping stinks (very scary) so most of my tops are very low key and plain. So doing the tops when the batter is at thick ot very thick is the trick to getting such lovely designs? My heart breaks when I see the beautiful soaps people post pictures of then I look at mine. ANY and all advice is welcome and wanted.

Yes, for some things like waves and peaks and such, thicker is much better. To do swirling of colors on top, you need thinner batter so you have time to get it squirted there and then mixed/swirled the way you want it. Practice and experimentation are key, so take a deep breath, relax and give it a whirl!

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

I hate to say it but I am a swirl addict. I make these pretties and then the tops just look so Blah.. Thank you all for being here for us!