The Little Soap Bar That Started It All
Long before Pinterest was the place to save every idea you might someday want to try, I had an accordion file.
You know the kind—stuffed with magazine clippings, recipes, craft ideas, inspirational projects, and all the things I was convinced I would eventually make.
Somewhere in that file was an article about making beautiful little bars of soap with flowers pressed inside them.
And that little clipping changed everything.
At the time, I had already started Hilltop Designs with a couple of other handmade products—knitting and rug making—but I was looking for something different. I wanted to create something people could actually use and come back to buy again.
Soap seemed like the perfect answer.
I remember seeing a very similar pressed-flower soap project from Martha Stewart around 2012 or 2013, and thinking, I could make that.
So I did.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
From a Little Extra Grocery Money to a Soap Business
I didn’t start with a huge investment or a business plan that mapped out the next fifteen years.
I had a little extra grocery money.
I had an abundance of herbs growing in my garden.
And I had an idea.
I bought some supplies, started experimenting, and began making soap.
Looking back, I can see God’s fingerprints all over those early days. What started as a small creative project became something much bigger than I could have imagined. That little bit of extra grocery money became inventory. The herbs from my garden became ingredients. And a craft I simply wanted to try became a business that would eventually be part of my life for nearly fifteen years.
Sometimes you don’t realize you’re standing at the beginning of something significant.
You just make the soap.
Why Melt-and-Pour Soap Is Such a Great Place to Start
If you’ve ever thought, I’d love to try making soap, but I don’t even know where to begin, this is where I would send you.
Melt-and-pour soap is incredibly approachable.
There is no lye to measure or handle, no complicated chemical calculations, and no need to spend hours learning the chemistry of traditional cold-process soap before you can make your first bar. You start with a prepared glycerin soap base, melt it, add your ingredients, pour it into a mold, and let it set.
One of the classic projects that inspired me was Martha Stewart’s Pressed-Flower Bar Soap. Her tutorial uses clear and white glycerin soap, dried flowers, rubbing alcohol, and a mold to create a beautiful layered bar. The flowers are placed in the mold first, covered with a thin layer of clear soap, and then finished with white soap.
Read Martha Stewart’s original Pressed-Flower Bar Soap tutorial
I honestly think it is one of the best instructional projects for someone who wants to dip their toes into melt-and-pour soap making, so why reinvent the wheel?
Instead, I’m sharing the basic idea that inspired me—and encouraging you to make it your own.
What You’ll Need
For a simple version, you’ll need:
- Melt-and-pour glycerin soap base—clear, white, or both
- A silicone soap mold
- Dried flowers, herbs, or botanicals
- A microwave-safe container for melting the soap
- Rubbing alcohol in a small spray bottle – only necessary if the little bubble that appear from pouring bother you
- A spoon or spatula for stirring
- Optional essential oils for fragrance
Martha Stewart’s original project recommends dried flowers such as lavender buds, calendula, spray roses, and other small botanicals. Smaller flowers tend to work best in the molds.
And this is where the fun really begins.
Make It Your Own
The beauty of melt-and-pour soap is that you don’t have to make the exact same bar twice.
Try lavender and white soap.
Calendula and clear glycerin.
Rose petals with a little rose essential oil.
Lemon and dried herbs.
Or whatever combination makes you happy.
You can play with colors, scents, botanicals, molds, and layers. You can make simple bars or turn them into little gifts. You can make them for yourself, for a friend, for a shower, or for a girls’ night.
That was one of my favorite things about this kind of soap making.
It was something I could teach.
I made this kind of soap with our Gems Church groups and with Girl Scouts. It was an easy, creative project that allowed everyone to make something beautiful and useful—and they got to take home something they had actually made themselves.
The Basic Process
The process is wonderfully simple.
Start by placing your dried flowers or botanicals into the bottom of your mold. Melt your clear soap base gently in short intervals, stirring between each one. Pour a thin layer over the flowers and allow it to begin setting.
A light mist of rubbing alcohol helps the layers adhere and reduces bubbles.
Then melt your second soap base, pour it over the first layer, and let the whole bar harden completely before removing it from the mold.
That’s essentially it.
Martha Stewart’s original instructions use a clear layer to hold the flowers in place before adding the white layer, and recommend allowing the finished bars to set before unmolding.
Of course, once you understand the basic process, you can start experimenting.
And believe me—you will want to experiment.
A Perfect Winter Project
Here’s my challenge to you:
Pin this idea now.
Then, when winter rolls around and you’re tired of staring at the same four walls, pull it back out.
Gather some supplies.
Turn on some music.
Invite a friend or your kids.
Make some soap.
There is something really satisfying about taking a few simple ingredients and turning them into something beautiful that you can actually use.
And who knows?
Maybe you’ll discover something more than a fun afternoon project.
Maybe you’ll discover a new creative outlet.
Maybe you’ll find the perfect handmade gift.
Maybe you’ll even discover the beginning of something bigger than you ever expected.
I certainly did.
I started with a magazine clipping, a little extra grocery money, and more herbs than I knew what to do with.
God took care of the rest.
And that little herb-filled bar of soap became the beginning of Hilltop Designs.
Sometimes the thing you’re making isn’t just the thing you’re making.
Sometimes it’s the beginning.
The Original Inspiration
My original inspiration came from a Martha Stewart pressed-flower soap project that was very similar to the tutorial linked below. The current Martha Stewart version, Pressed-Flower Bar Soap, was written by Anusha Rajeswaran and updated May 17, 2023.
Martha Stewart — Pressed-Flower Bar Soap
This Hilltop Designs post is inspired by that project and is not a reproduction of Martha Stewart’s original instructions.