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Soap Scrolls
Article cutesy of Jackie Phillips @
Soap Barn
Before we start let’s quickly go through everything you will need:
• One pack of fine glitter
• Dried flowers for their petals
• Cellophane for packaging
• Raffia and dried fruit slices for packaging
• A large non-serrated knife (meat knife)
• Small glass or plastic jugs for melting your soap
• A pair of scissors
• Sellotape on a dispenser
• Newspaper
(buy all your supplies from
the Soap Barn)
We will be working on your kitchen counter tops, so make sure they are shiny
clean and ready for rolling!
Firstly I am going to teach you to roll a basic soap scroll and then we will
move on to some more exciting scrolls like glitter scrolls and newspaper
rolls.
 We start by melting our soap. Place any one of your soaps (except the white,
save that for later) in a small glass or plastic jug and melt in the
microwave for 1 minute or till melted. Do not overdo the melting because if
the soap overheats and boils it loses its transparency and becomes murky. It
also loses its elasticity and snaps when you try to roll it. So it is very
important that you melt your soap slowly and gently making sure not to burn
it.
When the soap is melted leave it to stand for a couple of minutes so that
all the bubbles rise to the top and a thin skin forms. Remove the thin soap
skin that has caught all the bubbles and you now have a clear soap at a good
pouring temperature.
You have already prepared the surface on which you intend to work so now all
you have to do is pour, very, very quickly the soap onto the surface. Pour a
strip of about 20cm for the width of the scroll and pour back and forth
along that strip five or six times to get about a 30cm length. It is vital
that you pour very quickly and that the lines between each poured strip run
into each other immediately and are not visible. If you see gaps and lines
in the soap you have poured you can almost be sure to have cracks and other
problems when you begin rolling it.
Now you wait. You stand and wait next to your soap as it begins to set. Do
not move away! Timing here is everything. You have to wait for the soap to
set enough so that it can be rolled but not wait too long for it to set
solid and cold because then it will be impossible to roll. There is about 60
seconds difference between too early and too late. So that's why you cannot
take your eye off the soap after it has been poured.
How do you know when the soap is ready to be rolled? By feeling it. If it
feels like jelly that means it is only set on the outside but still liquid
inside and obviously not yet ready to be rolled. If is feels very hard and
cold it is already set and no longer pliable enough to roll. So, your soap
must feel very warm and rubbery and then you know it is ready to roll. Once
you have made a few scrolls you will know exactly what I am talking about.
 The edges of the soap set first so you can take a non-serrated knife and
gently lift the edge of the soap closest to you. You don't need to use the
knife again. Now turn that edge that you just lifted inwards and start
rolling the soap up around that edge all the way to the end. If the soap
sticks to the counter it is not yet set enough to roll, if the soap cracks
then you have left it too long.
Once you have rolled the entire scroll you can tie it up with some raffia to
keep it in place and prevent it from unrolling at the end. Then you can wrap
it in clear cellophane with more raffia on the outside.
There are other types of scrolls to be rolled. For example you can mix dried
herbs, petals or glitter in with your melted soap and then when you pour
your scroll it will be filled with interesting things. I have provided you
with glitter and dried flowers for that purpose. Try them; they are great
fun.
 Let's finish off this lesson with a newspaper scroll. Cut out an interesting
piece of newspaper. Comics are great fun but so too are the classified, you
choose whatever you like and whatever suits the occasion. The sheet you cut
out should be about 20cm by 30 cm. Now melt your white soap and leave it for
a few minutes to cool. Cover your newspaper with a layer of white soap,
pouring it exactly as you poured your other scrolls.
When the soap has sufficiently to roll, gently separate the soap from the
newspaper and continue rolling as before. The while soap will pick up the
print from the newspaper and your finished product will look like a
newspaper roll. These scrolls are always a favourite in my classes.
I will finish off by saying, play around, practice and have a lot of fun. If
a scroll turns out not as you would have liked, re-melt the soap and try
again.
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