Painted Soap

Super Soaps

Both kids and kids at heart will love these personalized soaps from Jean McBride of Weatherford, TX. Since only the painted side is sealed, the design won’t wash away. Paint her design, or another of your choice, on a purchased bar of soap—or skip the paintbrush altogether in favor of stickers or paper cutouts.

Patience is the key to success—allow several hours of drying time after sealing before decorating, as directed, for best results.

Materials

• Purchased bar soap (see notes)
• Pattern: See pattern here
• Tracing paper and pencil
• Graphite paper
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton ball
• Spray or brush-on sealer or ModPodge (see notes)
• Water container
• Paper towels
• Foam plate or palette
• Acrylic or enamel craft paints—black, blue, green, light green, orange, pink, red and white
• Green glitter paint
• Paintbrushes—small flat and liner
• Clear cellophane or plastic bag and ribbon (optional)

Notes: Use any brand or color soap. Shave off the logo with a straight-edge knife, then smooth the surface with a damp washcloth. Or use a brand with logo on one side only, like Walgreen’s brand white bar soap.

Spray sealer dries faster and harder, and won’t leave brush strokes.

Finished Size: Snowman soap shown measures about 2 inches wide x 3-1/2 inches high. Pattern can be enlarged or reduced.

Directions

1. Unwrap the bar of soap and let it dry for at least 8 hours.
2. Wipe the side to be painted with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol. Do not touch the side to be painted after wiping with the alcohol.
3. Seal the side to be painted with spray or brush-on sealer. Let dry for at least 12 hours.

Painting

Keep container of water handy to thin paints and clean painting tools.

Place dabs of each color as needed onto foam plate or palette. Apply additional coats as needed for complete coverage, letting paint dry between coats. Refer to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and photo while painting as directed.

• Use flat brush and white to paint a circle for snowman’s face. While paint is still wet, shade outer area of face with blue.
• Use flat brush and black to paint snowman’s hat. While paint is still wet, highlight hat with white.
• Dip handle end of paintbrush into black and dab on two small dots for eyes.
• Dip flat brush into pink and wipe on paper towel to remove excess paint. With a circular motion, add two small circles for cheeks.
• Use flat brush and pink to add scarf.
• Use flat brush and orange to add nose.
• Use flat brush and green to add three small holly leaves.
• Use liner and red to shade scarf and to add three tiny dots to center of holly leaf cluster.
• Use liner and black to add mouth and detail lines to carrot.
• Use liner and light green to add sprig to side of scarf.
• Dip toothpick into white and add two tiny dots to each eye.
• With flat brush add green glitter paint to holly leaves’ edges.

Let soap dry at least 24 hours before using or packaging.

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