Do you know about
Fancy Flours? They sell the most amazing baking supplies including
beautiful cake and cookie stencils (and tons of other awesome stuff. Check it out!). From cute seasonal shapes like pumpkins and snowflakes to modern and fashionable designs like brocades and birdcages. Just search on their site for "stencil" and you'll find all of their styles.
First start with freshly made glycerin soaps. If you put your soaps in the freezer before unmolding, let them dry completely before using the stencil. Now get out some mica powder and a little cosmetic brush (like a blush brush) or soft paint brush. Choose a mica color that will contrast with your soap bar or else it won't be noticeable.
If you are using a jar of mica powder, you can just use the lid to get mica on your brush. Swirl brush in mica lid or dip brush lightly into mica and swirl on a little plate to evenly distribute powder on brush. I think it's best to build up color slowly so you can control the intensity of your design.
Now carefully place the stencil on the surface of your soap. Hold it still and gently apply mica powder to stencil, doing multiple applications to build up color. You can use multiple colors to create shading effects and dimension, too. Once you're done, your soaps are ready to wrap!
For another great stenciling tutorial using a different technique with glitter, check out
The Soap Queen's version, too!
(Do you like my soap shape? I used the Soapylove Scalloped Round Mold from Bramble Berry. Check out the whole line here!)
