Jolly Dots melt and pour soap is a white shea butter loaf filled with bright blue ball embeds, with flat dots stuck to the outside so it looks polka-dotted from every side. I came up with it when I needed a fun soap for a holiday gift party. It uses two ball molds, one large and one small, and one gorgeous blue mica.
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Materials & Tools
Soap Bases
- About 18 oz premium clear melt and pour soap base for the ball embeds
- About 1 cup (8 oz) shea butter melt and pour soap base for the loaf, plus a little extra just in case
Color & Scent
- Blue Lagoon from this Stardust mica set or individual Stardust micas
- Fragrance oil (I used Yuzu Cybilla from Bramble Berry)
Tools
- Large ball silicone mold
- Small ball silicone mold
- Small silicone loaf mold (mine holds about 20 oz, or 2½ cups)
- Funnel pour cups and a spatula
- Silicone mat
- Spray bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol
- Thermometer
- Soap cutter
Fragrance Amount
Use up to 5 ml of fragrance oil per 16 oz (1 lb) of soap base. For 18 oz of clear base, that’s up to about 5.5 ml. You can always use less if you like a lighter scent, but don’t go over 5 ml per 16 oz.
How to Make Jolly Dots Melt and Pour Soap
1. Color the Clear Base
Melt the clear base and add your fragrance. Mine was at 140°F. Mix the Blue Lagoon mica with a dropper of alcohol and stir it in. It’s a beautiful greenish blue.
2. Fill the Small Ball Mold
Fill the small ball mold first. The small mold has a flat top, which is exactly what you want for this design. Pour with a funnel cup, then run a spatula across the top to push the extra into any empty cavities.
3. Fill the Large Ball Mold
Pour the rest into the large ball mold, starting in the middle and filling as high as you can. This mold is flimsy and buckles if you move it, so set it where it will stay before you pour. The spatula trick doesn’t work on this one. Let all the balls set.
4. Unmold and Trim
Pop the balls out of both molds. The large balls have a little lip around them, so trim it off. Cut some of the large balls in half so they have a flat side. These become the dots on the outside of the loaf. I ended up making three batches of the small balls, since you need more than you’d think.
5. Stick the Dots to the Loaf Mold
Spray the flat sides of the half balls with alcohol, dip them in a little warm melted soap to use as glue, then press them flat against the inside walls of the loaf mold in random spots. If a little “glue” soap pools around a dot, you can carefully scrape it away.
6. Pour the Shea Butter Base
Melt the shea butter base, add fragrance and let it cool to about 126°F. Spray the dots with alcohol and pour a thin layer into the bottom of the mold.
7. Add the Balls
Spray the small balls with alcohol (they get slippery) and drop them in, adding more shea butter as you go. The balls displace a lot of soap, so you may need less base than you expect. Press a few flat-topped balls into the top with the round side up, then drizzle a little more shea butter over them to lock them in. Let the loaf set.
8. Unmold and Cut
This loaf takes a little patience to unmold. Open the mold and keep squeezing it from the top to work the soap loose. Turn the loaf on its side to cut it, since it’s tall and a ball can pop out if you cut it upright. I cut my bars a little thicker for gifts.
Tips & What I Learned
- Use a small ball mold with a flat top. The flat side helps the balls sit nicely in the soap.
- Don’t move a flimsy mold once it’s full. It buckles and spills.
- Make more balls than you think. I needed three batches of the small ones.
- Cut tall loaves on their side. It keeps the embeds from popping out.
- Try other color combos. Red and green dots would be great for Christmas.
Troubleshooting
The dots fell off the side of the mold.
Use a little warm soap as glue and spray with alcohol before pressing them on.
The loaf is hard to unmold.
Keep squeezing the mold from the top to work the soap free.
A ball popped out when I cut it.
Turn the loaf on its side and cut slowly.
FAQ
How much fragrance oil should I use?
Up to 5 ml per 16 oz of soap base. You can always use less, but don’t use more than 5 ml per 16 oz.
Can I make this in one color?
Yes, that’s what I did here. It keeps the video simple, and the blue dots look great against the white.
Is this a good gift soap?
Yes. It’s bright, fun and easy to cut into thick, gift-sized bars.
More Holiday Soap Ideas
- Peppermint Melt and Pour Soap with Soap Frosting
- Holiday Balls Melt and Pour Soap
- Holiday Bulb Melt and Pour Soap
- Christmas Tree 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.
