Celebrate the holidays with a festive melt and pour soap that captures the spirit of the season! In this tutorial, we’ll create a shimmering layered soap using clear and shea butter bases, red and green mica powders, and a refreshing peppermint fragrance. This design features beautiful swirl embeds that look like festive candy shreds suspended in crystal-clear soap.
Perfect for beginners and intermediate crafters, this project teaches layering techniques, temperature control, and working with embeds — key skills for mastering professional-looking handmade soaps.
Materials List
You’ll need the following supplies:
Soap Bases
- Shea Butter Melt and Pour Base
- Crystal Clear Melt and Pour Base
Colorants & Fragrance
- Tail Green Mica (holiday green)
- Red Strawberry Mica (vibrant red)
- Peppermint Fragrance Oil (use 5 mL per pound of soap)
Tools & Equipment
- Funnel Cups
- Scale
- Pipettes
- Ruler
- Craft Knife
- Square Mold
- Rubbing Alcohol in a spray bottle
- 6 Cavity Soap Mold (individual cavity style)
- Small Cutter or Potato Peeler (for creating embeds)
- Thermometer
- Spatula
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare and Melt the Base
- Cut your shea butter melt and pour base into small cubes.
- Place in a funnel cup and melt in short bursts in the microwave until fully melted.
- Ensure the temperature is around 150 °F. Stir to eliminate any clumps.
Step 2: Add Fragrance and Color
- Add 5 mL of peppermint fragrance oil per pound of soap.
- Stir gently to blend.
- Keep this portion white—it will become your embed material.
Step 3: Pour the Embed Layer
- Pour the white soap into your small silicone molds.
- Allow it to cool completely before unmolding.
- Pro Tip: If embeds are even slightly warm in the center, they’ll melt later when you pour clear soap over them.
- Let the embeds set for several hours or chill in the refrigerator.
Step 4: Create the Soap Shreds
- Once the embeds are firm, remove them from the mold.
- Use a small cutter or potato peeler to shave or curl them.
- Cutting diagonally creates beautiful “swivel” shreds that resemble candy ribbons.
- Collect enough embeds to fill about two-thirds of your main mold.
Step 5: Prepare the Clear Layer
- Melt the crystal clear melt and pour base until smooth (around 159 °F).
- Stir in a small amount of Tail Green mica for a light translucent tint.
- Cool the mixture to 130–135 °F before pouring to avoid melting your embeds.
Step 6: Assemble the Soap
- Pour a thin green layer into the mold.
- Spritz the surface with alcohol to remove bubbles.
- Gently place your peppermint-scented embeds into the soap.
- Let this layer set until it becomes firm to the touch.
Step 7: Add the Red Layer
- Melt another portion of clear base and tint it with Red Strawberry mica.
- Cool it to about 130 °F, just before a skin begins to form.
- Spritz the first layer with alcohol to ensure bonding.
- Slowly pour the red layer over a spatula to avoid breaking through the green.
- Allow the soap to fully cool and harden before unmolding.
Pro Tips & Temperature Guidelines
- 150 °F – Ideal melting point for most melt and pour bases.
- 130–135 °F – Best temperature for pouring over embeds or layers.
- Always spray rubbing alcohol between layers to help them adhere.
- Avoid overheating clear base — it can turn cloudy or form bubbles.
- Patience is key! Rushing layering or pouring too hot will melt embeds.
Troubleshooting
Problem: Embeds melted into the clear layer.
Solution: Ensure the embed layer is completely cool and pour clear soap below 135 °F.
Problem: Layers separated after cooling.
Solution: Spray rubbing alcohol before adding each new layer and pour while the previous layer is slightly warm.
Problem: Soap turned cloudy.
Solution: Avoid overheating; clear bases lose transparency above 160 °F.
Problem: Uneven swirl or embed placement.
Solution: Pour in stages and allow each section to slightly thicken before adding more embeds.
Creative Variations
- Winter Wonderland: Use blue and white mica with peppermint or eucalyptus oil.
- Candy Cane Swirl: Alternate thin red and white layers for a striped effect.
- Frosted Pine: Add gold shimmer mica and use pine fragrance for a rustic look.
- Gift Soaps: Wrap each bar with cellophane and tie with a red ribbon for easy holiday gifts.
Final Results
Once unmolded, your Holiday Shreds Melt and Pour Soap will feature sparkling green and red shreds suspended in crystal-clear layers. The peppermint scent is crisp and energizing, perfect for festive gifting or brightening your own bath collection. Each bar looks like a handmade holiday candy — cheerful, fragrant, and uniquely handcrafted.
