This tie dye melt and pour soap is made from leftover soap shavings, and the finished bars look like stained glass. After making my lavender confetti soap I had a big bowl of colorful shavings left, so I pressed them into a bar mold, filled the gaps with glittery crystal clear soap and added a thin white backing. It’s one of the easiest ways to use up scraps.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links in this post are affiliate links. They cost you nothing extra and help support Koala Soap.
Materials & Tools
Soap Bases
- Leftover colorful soap shavings (mine were purple, yellow and green from my lavender confetti soap)
- Crystal clear melt and pour soap base
- A little shea butter or goat’s milk melt and pour for the backing (optional)
Color, Scent & Glitter
- Bio glitter for the clear soap
- The shavings already carry color and scent. If yours don’t, add fragrance oil to the backing layer, not the clear soap.
Tools
- Pink 6 cavity bar mold
- Spray bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol
- Thermometer
- Wavy cutter (optional, for trimming)
Fragrance Amount
If you add fragrance, 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. My shavings were already strongly scented with lavender, so I didn’t add any.
How to Make Tie Dye Melt and Pour Soap from Leftover Shavings
1. Melt the Clear Base and Add Glitter
Melt the crystal clear base and stir in a little bio glitter. Glitter is the only thing to add here, so the soap stays as clear as possible.
2. Pour a Thin Clear Layer
Pour a very thin layer of clear soap into each cavity, just enough to cover the bottom.
3. Add the Shavings
Spray the clear layer with alcohol, then add the shavings and spray them generously with alcohol, getting it all through. Break up any clumps. Press the shavings down so nothing sticks up above the top of the mold.
4. Fill with Clear Soap
Let the clear soap cool to about 135°F. Pouring too hot will melt the shavings. Spray with alcohol once more, then pour clear soap over the shavings, getting into all the nooks and crannies.
5. Add a White Backing (Optional)
Spray the back with alcohol and pour a thin layer of shea butter or goat’s milk base on top, around 133°F. I overfilled one cavity, so it got no backing, and it turned out just as pretty. You can skip this step and use only clear soap.
6. Unmold
Let the bars set, then unmold. The shavings look like stained glass in the clear soap.
Tips & What I Learned
- Keep the clear soap plain. Only add glitter, so it stays crystal clear.
- Pour at about 135°F. Hotter soap melts the shavings and muddies the colors.
- Press the shavings down. Pieces sticking up look messy on the back.
- The backing is optional. Bars with and without a white back both look great.
Troubleshooting
The shavings melted together.
The clear soap was too hot. Let it cool to about 135°F before pouring.
There are air pockets.
Spray the shavings well with alcohol and pour slowly.
Shavings are sticking out the back.
Press them down flat before pouring, or trim the back after unmolding.
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.
What shavings can I use?
Any leftover soap shavings or scraps work. Mixed colors make the best stained glass look.
Do I need the white backing?
No. I couldn’t really tell the difference between bars with and without it.
More Ways to Use Leftover Soap
- Christmas Embed Melt and Pour Soap from Leftover Soap
- Lavender Confetti Melt and Pour Soap
- Confetti Melt and Pour Soap
- Tie Dye Melt and Pour Soap: Mica in Water vs. Alcohol
- 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.
