Brush Embroidery Soap Making | Soap Challenge Club

/ Holly

082019_41234wp2The brush embroidery technique was the focus of this month’s Soap Challenge Club. Brush embroidery is actually a cake decorating technique that has been adapted for soap making. I watched a lot of videos by cookie and cake decorators. It’s amazing what they can do with icing. After finding some inspiration, I decided that I really wanted to use 2 colors to decorate the soap like a cake – on 5 sides – allowing my design to flow around the soap. Well, I didn’t quite get all 5 sides done, but I was able to do at least 3 sides and managed 4 sides on one soap. I colored the soap using an oil replacement of woad infused olive oil and used titanium dioxide and indigo root for my two brush embroidery colors.  :)

I first made a batch of 8 soaps using my 10″x 2.5″x 4″ tall and skinny mold. When I started the brush embroidery, I was able to get 3 soaps completed before my blue batter thickened on me. My 4th soap, (as you can see from the photos below), is just rows of tiny leaves across the face of the soap. That’s all I could manage with the super thick soap. My soap actually behaved pretty well. I was just SO incredibly slow at this.

BASE SOAP RECIPE
Olive Oil – 40%
Coconut Oil – 23%
Lard – 15%
Shea Butter – 8%
Sunflower Oil (High Oleic) – 5%
Castor Oil – 5%
Cocoa Butter – 4%

I replaced 12% of my total oils with woad infused olive oil (subtracting that amount from the olive oil in the recipe). I normally do a 6% replacement for a blue green color, but I wanted to try a bit more this time.

Superfat – 5%
Lye Solution = 33% (water = 2 x sodium hydroxide)

Essential Oil Blend:
Frankincense – 4 parts
Lavender – 2 to 3 parts (I used 2 parts this time)
Myrrh – 1 part

PIPING SOAP RECIPE
Olive Oil – 35%
Coconut Oil – 30%
Shea Butter – 20%
Cocoa Butter – 5%
Avocado Oil – 5%
Castor Oil – 5%

Superfat – 5%
Lye Solution = 33% (water = 2 x sodium hydroxide)

White soap – 1/4 teaspoon titanium dioxide (dispersed in water) added to 1 cup of soap
Blue soap – 1/2 teaspoon indigo powder (mixed in oil) plus a few drops of activated charcoal oil (mixed in oil) added to 1 cup of soap

I brought the soap to emulsion, divided it into two parts, added my colors, then started stirring and waiting. It took about an hour or so to reach a reasonable thickness. I used small Wilton piping bags to pipe the dots onto the soap.

Here are a few photos of me working on the soap.

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After the finished soap sat for 24 hours, I took the photos below. I did end up with a bit of ash on the brush embroidery soap. I simply steamed them, and that took care of it.

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Thank you for reading my post!
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37 thoughts on “Brush Embroidery Soap Making | Soap Challenge Club”

  1. These soaps are absolutely off the chart! I love, love them. Everything about them screams elegance! I have tried decorating cakes and ended up using whipping cream and fresh flowers, no talent whatsoever!

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  10. Hi Kapia,
    I saw many of your videos I got inspired by the idea of creating your own chemical free soap. I have never made a soap and do not have any idea about it. I would like to know from you from which video I should start and also the easiest way to get all the ingredients.
    Waiting for your reply.

    Regards,
    Sakina Murtaza
    Dubai- UAE

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  13. WOOOOOW Holly 😍😍, these soap are soooo perfect!! I love the colors, the design, i love that you designed the sides as well!! They are just gorgeous as always 💕 thanks a bunch for sharing 💕 😘

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  14. Pingback: Video: Woad Infused Oil for Soap Making | Kápia Méra

  17. Omg, your soaps are so stunning! It was such a good idea to wrap the design around multiple faces, and your color choices gave you such a sophisticated result.

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  21. Can you tell me your source for woad powder? You show the jar but I can’t find the source from that info. I’ve been having terrible luck with indigo powder soaping grey or even green and want a better source for blue. Much thanks.

    Deb H.

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