This stained glass gemstone melt and pour soap is a cross between a gemstone soap and a stained glass soap. Red and green clear embeds are cut into angled gem shapes, dusted with shimmery gold mica and set in clear green soap, so each piece is outlined in gold like leaded glass. A sparkly gold topping finishes it off. It’s a pretty holiday soap and a great Secret Santa gift.
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Materials & Tools
Soap Base
- Premium clear melt and pour soap base for the embeds, the main pour and the topping
Color & Scent
- Red Strawberry, Tail Green, Jade Green and King Midas Gold from this Stardust mica set or individual Stardust micas
- Fragrance oil (I used Pumpkin Patch from Barnhouse, which smells like a soft cinnamon)
Tools
- Small square and ball embed molds
- A mini loaf mold
- Funnel pour cups and a spatula
- A knife for cutting the embeds
- A zip-top bag for coating the embeds in mica
- 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. You can always use less if you like a lighter scent, but don’t go over 5 ml per 16 oz.
How to Make Stained Glass Gemstone Melt and Pour Soap
1. Color the Embed Soap
Melt the clear base and split it into cups. Mine were about 140°F. Mix the micas with alcohol and stir them in: Tail Green in one and Red Strawberry in another. Add more mica if you’d like darker colors.
2. Pour the Embeds
Pour the green into a small square mold with a funnel cup. You’ll probably overfill a little, so run a spatula across the top to scrape off the extra. Pour the red into a second mold. Spray everything with alcohol and let it set.
3. Cut the Gems
Unmold the embeds and cut them at angles, diagonally or straight, bigger on one side or the other. Don’t make the pieces too big. Aim for a fairly even mix of red and green. Fill your mini loaf mold with embeds to see how many you need.
4. Coat the Embeds in Gold Mica
Melt more clear base and color it with Tail Green and a little Jade Green. Add fragrance as it cools, then pour a thin layer into the bottom of the loaf mold and let it set. Put the embeds in a zip-top bag with a spoonful of King Midas Gold and shake until they’re coated.
5. Fill the Mold
Spray the embeds with alcohol and arrange them in the mold, keeping them as flat as possible. Stir the green soap so it isn’t too thick, then pour slowly so the soap doesn’t wash the mica off the embeds. Melt a little more soap if you run short (mine was about 145°F), spray again and finish filling. Leave a little room at the top.
6. Add a Gold Topping
Mix King Midas Gold into a little clear base and let it cool to about 124°F, until it starts to skin. Score the top of the loaf, spray with alcohol, then spoon the thickening soap on top to build up some texture. Drizzle a little over any wet spots to seal them in.
7. Unmold and Cut
Small loaf molds take some patience. Keep pushing the soap out from the bottom. Cut the loaf into bars. If any loose mica rubs off the cut faces, just wipe it away.
Tips & What I Learned
- Pour slowly over mica-coated embeds. A fast pour washes the gold off.
- Pick contrasting colors. My green embeds blended into the green soap. Next time I’d use all red embeds, or a different soap color.
- Build the topping with thick soap. Spooning soap as it skins over gives the top dimension.
- Leave room for the topping. I didn’t leave enough, so my top ended up a little tall.
Troubleshooting
The embeds lost their gold outline.
The soap was poured too fast or too hot. Pour slowly around the embeds.
My embeds disappear into the base.
They’re too close in color to the base. Use contrasting colors.
Mica is rubbing off the cut bars.
Loose mica on the surface can be wiped off.
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.
Why coat the embeds in mica?
The gold creates a thin outline around each piece, like the lead lines in stained glass.
Can I make this in other colors?
Yes. Any color combo works, as long as the embeds contrast with the soap around them.
More Embed Soap Ideas
- Christmas Embed Melt and Pour Soap from Leftover Soap
- Jolly Dots Melt and Pour Soap
- Galaxy Melt and Pour Soap
- Golden Gem Serenity 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.
