Bubble Grape melt and pour soap is packed with little neon purple and yellow soap balls set in creamy white shea butter. It smells like grape soda, and kids love it. Neon micas keep the colors bright against the white base.
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Materials & Tools
Soap Base
- Shea butter melt and pour soap base for the embeds and the white base
Color & Scent
- Neon yellow and neon Purple Orchid mica from a Stardust mica set, also sold individually
- Grape Soda fragrance oil. It’s yellow, so go easy in the white base.
Tools
- Small ball soap mold (I filled it twice per color)
- Rigid square soap mold (20–22 oz)
- A flexible plastic scraper or spatula for squeegeeing the ball mold
- Soap cutter
- Pipettes
- Spray bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol
- Thermometer
- Pour cups
Fragrance Amount
Use up to 5 ml of fragrance oil per 16 oz (1 lb) of soap base. You can always use less if you like a lighter scent, but don’t go over 5 ml per 16 oz.
How to Make Bubble Grape Soap
1. Color the Embed Soap
Melt some shea butter base and mix in the neon yellow mica with a little alcohol. Add fragrance once it’s cooled a bit.
2. Fill the Ball Mold
Pour the soap over the ball mold, then squeegee it across with a flexible scraper so it fills all the little holes. Remelt any leftover and top off the cavities. Repeat with the purple.
3. Unmold the Balls
Once set, pop the balls out. Pick off any thin shavings from squeegeeing and save them for another project. Mix the colors together in a bowl.
4. Pour the White Base
Melt more shea butter and add a little fragrance. Pour about half the mold full of white base. Wait until it cools to 135°F or lower. Mine was about 126°F.
5. Add the Balls
Spray the balls generously with alcohol and press them into the white soap until the mold is full. Adding balls to the base, instead of pouring soap over the balls, helps avoid air pockets.
6. Unmold and Cut
Let it set completely before cutting. If it still feels warm, wait longer. Push the loaf up and over in the cutter and cut through the balls.
Tips & What I Learned
- Use neon micas. They stay bright against a white base.
- Squeegee the ball mold. It’s much faster than filling each hole.
- Add balls to the base. It avoids trapped air bubbles.
- Pour at 135°F or lower. Hotter soap melts the embeds.
- Fill the mold halfway first. That’s just enough base to hold all the balls.
Troubleshooting
There are air pockets. Pour the base first and press the balls in, rather than pouring over them.
The embeds melted. The base was too hot. Wait until it’s 135°F or cooler.
The white turned yellow. Some fragrances are yellow. Use less in the white base.
FAQ
How many balls do I need?
For a 20–22 oz square mold, I filled a small ball mold twice for each color.
Can I use clear base for the white?
Yes, but the embeds show up best in an opaque white base.
More Embed Soap Ideas
- Sphere Embed Melt and Pour Soap
- Recycled Soap Embeds Melt and Pour Soap
- Neon Confetti Melt and Pour Soap
- Circle Embed Melt and Pour Soap
- All my melt and pour soap tutorials on YouTube
If you make this, I’d love to see it! Tag me on Instagram or Pinterest, and subscribe on YouTube for new soap tutorials.
