| Technique: Mantra Swirl | ||
| Author: Wholesale Supplies Plus Wednesday, January 10, 2018 |
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Have you tried the Crafter’s Choice Loaf Dividers yet? They can be used for a variety of different designs and swirls! This tutorial will better explain the “Mantra Swirl”, one of the many designs you can make with the loaf dividers.
1.) As with most swirl designs, you want to make sure to choose a slow-moving recipe and fragrance oil. We used a tried and true recipe with the full water amount and 60% liquid oils. If you’re worried about the recipe being soft, you can always include Sodium Lactate at 1-4% to help with unmolding. The Regular Loaf Dividers are made to fit perfectly into the Regular Silicone Loaf Mold. The dividers come with two reversible end pieces so you can choose to use two or three long dividers, making soap with three or four sections. This means you can choose anywhere from 2-4 different colors for your design. Once you’ve selected your colors, prepare them by mixing them with a little of your melted oils and get them separated into the containers you will use for mixing. Mix & pour funnel pitchers work great for neatly pouring between the dividers!
2.) While waiting for the oils and lye water to cool down, it’s time to do a little math. Divide your total amount of soap batter (oils, butters, lye, water) by the number of sections you will be pouring. This will tell you how much batter you need for each colored section and will make a finished soap with a balanced, even design. Prepare your mold by inserting the dividers and set it aside for later.
3.) The soap batter needs to stay relatively thin to achieve the best mantra swirl, so be prepared to work quickly! When you are ready to mix, bring the soap batter to a very light trace. Don’t forget to add your fragrance! Then, using a scale, measure the predetermined amount of batter into each premixed color. Hand stir each color with a spatula to avoid accelerating trace, and then if needed, use a stick blender for a few short pulses to be sure your fragrance and color is incorporated. The soap should be at a thin-medium trace when you begin pouring.
4.) At this consistency the soap batter can run under the dividers. To help avoid this, it’s best to keep one hand on top of the dividers and press them down firmly while pouring. It also helps to fill each section approximately half way full, and then repeat each color filling all the way to the top. You may have a little bit of batter remaining, save this for after the dividers have been removed.
5.) To remove the dividers, start by slowly pulling the long dividers straight up. Carefully scrape off any soap batter while slowly pulling. Repeat until you have removed all the dividers, and then continue in the same manner with the end pieces. Any remaining soap batter can now be poured on top of the corresponding colored sections. To create a mantra swirl, insert the skewer in one corner and create a figure eight pattern. Continue until you reach the other end of the mold and then pull the skewer out. Allow the soap to set for 24-48 hours and then unmold.
6.) The last and most exciting step is slicing the loaf. To best see the swirl in each slice, it won’t be cut the traditional way. Instead, start by cutting the loaf into four 2-inch chunks, and then slice each chunk in half horizontal. The final product will not dissapoint!
2.) While waiting for the oils and lye water to cool down, it’s time to do a little math. Divide your total amount of soap batter (oils, butters, lye, water) by the number of sections you will be pouring. This will tell you how much batter you need for each colored section and will make a finished soap with a balanced, even design. Prepare your mold by inserting the dividers and set it aside for later.
3.) The soap batter needs to stay relatively thin to achieve the best mantra swirl, so be prepared to work quickly! When you are ready to mix, bring the soap batter to a very light trace. Don’t forget to add your fragrance! Then, using a scale, measure the predetermined amount of batter into each premixed color. Hand stir each color with a spatula to avoid accelerating trace, and then if needed, use a stick blender for a few short pulses to be sure your fragrance and color is incorporated. The soap should be at a thin-medium trace when you begin pouring.
4.) At this consistency the soap batter can run under the dividers. To help avoid this, it’s best to keep one hand on top of the dividers and press them down firmly while pouring. It also helps to fill each section approximately half way full, and then repeat each color filling all the way to the top. You may have a little bit of batter remaining, save this for after the dividers have been removed.
5.) To remove the dividers, start by slowly pulling the long dividers straight up. Carefully scrape off any soap batter while slowly pulling. Repeat until you have removed all the dividers, and then continue in the same manner with the end pieces. Any remaining soap batter can now be poured on top of the corresponding colored sections. To create a mantra swirl, insert the skewer in one corner and create a figure eight pattern. Continue until you reach the other end of the mold and then pull the skewer out. Allow the soap to set for 24-48 hours and then unmold.
6.) The last and most exciting step is slicing the loaf. To best see the swirl in each slice, it won’t be cut the traditional way. Instead, start by cutting the loaf into four 2-inch chunks, and then slice each chunk in half horizontal. The final product will not dissapoint!