Soap Curls Epic Failure

[SoulsticeSoaps]

Yep, just like the title reads, I have recently tried attempting soap curls and achieved an epic failure. If anyone has experience making soap curls out of cp soap, please hand over some tips, tricks and guidelines to help me. Primarily I am concerned with how long after you unmold the soap should you attempt making the soap curls? Should it be a few days, a month, never cause the darn things aren't curling like they show on youtube videos? Thanks for the help all you fabulous soapers out there.

 

[KristaY]

Do you want larger curls to decorate the tops or smaller ones you fold into the soap batter? I've never attempted the larger ones so I'm useless there, lol. When I want smaller curls or shreds to fold in, I usually do it as soon as there's no more zap so the soap is softer. I also use a salad shooter to grate it (thanks to Susie for that tip!). They come out in a really nice, little curl. I had some drying on a tray recently and a friend came by and asked why I had ramen noodles laying out, lol. I haven't used any yet as a top decoration but I think they'd look really nice.

 

[cmzaha]

You can use a planer or a veggie peeler and is best done with fresh soap that is still pliable. Cured bars will not work

 

[MorpheusPA]

If your bars are old, cut 'em into tiny pieces, call it Confetti Soap, and tell everybody you meant to do that.

 

[SoulsticeSoaps]

I do want the larger curls that I can decorate the top of the soaps with... although, you have my mind churning over little soap curls inside the soap. I have recently refocused my soap direction to be absolutely 100% natural with no artificial colorants, therefore, soap embeds and creative techniques are going to have to trump bright colors. Natural colorants are fabulous, but sticking with all shades of yellow, green and pink are making me go mad.

@MorpheusPA. Great idea and I had to chuckle at "tell everybody you meant to do that". I defaulted to that statement after another epic failure of mine and folks absolutely loved my failure. I have some soap chunks I think I will try that with. Thanks for the tip!

 

[MorpheusPA]

You're welcome! In a craft with as many variables and "natural variations" as soap has, I use the statement, "I meant to do that" a lot. It's usually untrue, but they don't have to know!

 

[claryza]

I wondered when do you put the small curls into the mold? I try before and the soap seems to be dissolving when I cut them lol

 

[dixiedragon]

I've been wanting to do BIG curls so I can have a spiral inside of a bar, but no luck so far. I used very fresh - like 12 hours old - soap. I think it was TOO fresh. I think it needs to be a bit firmer.

 

[navigator9]

Haven't made them for a while, but if I remember, I used soap a few days old. I use a vegetable peeler, run it down the long, narrow side of the soap bar, and voila, curls. You didn't mention what you used to attempt the curls, maybe you need to ask your friends to let you try out their veggie peelers to see if a different model would work better for you. Mine's an old fashioned potato peeler.

 

[Susie]

Natural colorants are fabulous, but sticking with all shades of yellow, green and pink are making me go mad.

You can make a whole range of orange/yellow from anatto or paprika infused oil. I use 1 oz(roughly) spice to 8 oz(again, roughly) oil in a glass jar, simmer in a pot of water for half an hour, then let it cool. I just started using coconut oil for this, as it is easier to get the smaller amounts correct by weighing. You don't even have to strain the spice out. Let it sit until all of the spice settles, then gently pour off the liquid oil without disturbing the spice.

You can also use coffee as the water substitute to give a cafe au lait color. Or cocoa powder to get a nice, rich brown.

Then there is activated charcoal for grey.

There are LOTS of options when using only natural colorants, you just need to be experimental.