Making Soap Flowers

I like making soap flowers, I feel they add a special touch to what otherwise would be a plain soap.  (Nothing against plain soaps, though, I like those too).  Here is how to make them by hand, though a mold/mould makes it soooo much faster.

Here is a flower mold examplethat works with soap dough (among other things)

I made my own mold/mould with caulking silicone (low odor) mixed with cornstarch (there are a lot of youtube videos that explain this process).  To make the mold, I made the flowers with polymer clay.  (Polymer clay is an easy medium to make small items, if you decide to try it, the brand Premo Sculpey would be a great starting point.

Making the flowers

In this video, I show you how to make them with small soap balls.  Here is a variation of it with “rice grain” shapes instead.  I suggest you work bigger first, and as you become familiar with the process, go smaller.

Materials Needed:

• Soap dough in any colors you wish  (I have white, yellow, blue)
•  corn starch (to help with stickiness)
• Molds/moulds (optional)
• Small brush
• Water

Process:

1. Take a piece of soap dough in the color you want for the petals
2. Roll it into a snake/log
3. Cut it into smaller pieces of about the same size
4. Roll each piece between your palms to give them a tapered, soft end
5. For the core of the flower, pick a tiny piece of soap dough in the desired color
6. Shape it into a small ball
7. Arrange the “petals” around this ball.
8. Once you are happy with the arrangement, wet the end of each petal (using the brush) and press it/ push it into the center ball, the water acts as the glue
9. Repeat with all the petals and let it dry
10. You can add detail later, like these lines with a tool /blade
11. Remember to take your time. Ensure you have good soap dough to avoid frustration. The picture below is with sticky soap dough and rushing through it:Not the same!  lol!

Using a Mold/Mould

1. Take a tiny piece of soap dough in the color you want for center of the flower, roll into a ball and place it at the center (if your flower mold/mould has a center/core)
2. Shape a bigger piece of soap dough (for the petals) into a larger ball and place it on top of the smaller one.
3. Press it into the mold cavity and push it in
4. Pull back some of the soap from the edges to reveal the petals shape
5. Pull out of the mold/mould by both bending the mold and lifting the flower