Japanese-Motif Soaps

We used to use fancy stickers (especially at Christmas time) and seal the image by dipping the soap slightly up the sides in paraffin wax. This sealed just fine. Some soaps (Camay I think) had a fancy pattern around the front side which framed the stickers beautifully. Be careful not to have the wax too hot. Try using tongs to lower and dip the soap . Thicker soap bars are easier to hold on to. I think I used a mat knife to trim the wax evenly on the sides if I got them a bit crooked.

I've always dipped the soap top (with the paper, decal, sticker, etc.) of the soap in melted paraffin to seal. You'll only want the paraffin on the top. If the soap you use has "etchings" on both sides, you can use a potato peeler to remove and smooth by rubbing with a dry cloth before putting on the decoration. I've done these for my own use, gifts, group craft projects, etc. As you use the soap, you don't notice that soap is only coming from the bottom of the bar.

Try sealing the decal with clear nail polish.

has anyone done these yet? i am working on some candles and i have had NO luck with spraying the varnish on the paper, what settings did you use on your printer?

I'm so excited about this. I ordered the papers and can't wait to make some pretty soaps for gifts. I'll pour my own soaps though, rather than hunt down some without any impressions or raised parts on them.

I'm with crewtondix....what happens to the decal when you get the soap wet? Does it stay on a long time, does it wrinkle and come off the first time it's wet?

Where did the Martha Stewart people get the patterns for the soaps shown in the photographs?

I would just like to say thank you to everybody who has provided these websites to help us find the products to make the soaps!! Very kind to share.

You can make your own soap by buying the molds (and white glycerin soap to fill the molds) at any craft store in your area (or online). You can make any size soap and it will be cheaper as well. Glycerin soap can be easily heated on a stove or microwave and poured into molds. Just use caution and follow the directions on the package,etc.

Lazertran makes water-slide decal paper and should be found in any good art retail store.

Lazertran makes water-slide decal paper and should be found in retail art stores.

Who has found a good brand of soap to use?
Thanks for all the other information, sometimes Martha leaves out essential details.

cont'd: The source listed for patterns is "Japanese Design" (DoverPictura) from amazon.com

cookiesgalore -thank you so much for sharing the website!
In the magazine in the guide, the website listed for the decal paper is beldecal.com. The bar soaps can be found at bluewick.com (groove everyday collection, they come in many scents) -however, all I found was candles, and when I searched on the website, the links for the bar soap didn't work. Krylon #1303 crystal clear acrylic coating from dickblick.com (or try a craft store, or walmart)

Thank you niceross1!! I found a whole lot of ideas at the site you listed.

http://www.decalpaper.com/category-s/6.htm
THis website sells the soap decal paper.

Can someone please tell me how they did this and where you got the soap from!

HELP, i must be missing something. This decal is going on the soap directly. what happens when it's wet?

Here is a website I found on google images with some nice patterns. Just scroll down 1/3 of the page to get to the patterns. Click on any pattern and it will give you an enlarged version.
Here's the website:
http://paperantix.com/special.html

I dont understand this last sentence: Affix patterned cutouts to the soaps, following the manufacturer's instructions. Which manufacturer? Are these instructions found on the decal papers?

Null All you need to do is go to Google image search type in Japanese patterns or art and you get tons of websites...

Where can you get soap like that? Where, or which brand?

http://beldecal.com

Click on the link for either inkjet or laser jet decal paper

where can I purchase the white water-slide decal paper?