Texture Rollers & Mats

[ScentimentallyYours]

I am curious about the experience of others with the use of silicone texture/impression mats and/or polymer clay texture rollers in CP soap.

I used a silicone impression mat of waves for the top of my Mount Saint Helens soap, and it worked great. I plan to use it again to make an ocean waves soap by putting the texture mat at the bottom of my slab mold sometime in the next week. I have another silicone texture mat that is typically used to make beeswax candles. I cut it for the bottom of my slab mold and it makes a perfect honeycomb pattern for my beeswax and honey soap.

Now I am on the hunt for a large silicone texture mat of overlapping leaves to use with mint or botanical fragrances. So far, no luck. I found this one on Etsy, but the finished impression isn’t quite what I want because it is too abstract. If I didn’t know they were supposed to be leaves I wouldn’t know that they were leaves.

As an alternative, I am wondering about texture rollers used for polymer clay. They are just wide enough that I could make a pattern to go across the top of my loaf mold, which is 3.25 inches. I’m wondering if I could roll out soap dough, then roll the texture roller over it, and end up with a pattern that a very fussy person would be happy with. This sounds very fussy to me since I would first have to make soap dough, then roll and texture, a thin layer of soap, make sure it is an exact size to fit the top of the soap mold, and hope I don’t mangle it in the process. Has anyone used this type of roller with soap dough?

Another option might be to roll the texture roller over another clay-like material, and then use that in a two-step process to make my own silicone mat that would fit inside a mold. The first pass would give me a negative image in the soap, which I do not want, but I could use it to create a cast for the second silicone pour, and that would create the actual mat to use inside the mold. I’ve done something similar years ago, and might try it as a self-challenge unless someone has a better idea.

Another option is to use a small polymer clay mat, but I would then have to piece multiples together for the soap. I can’t quite imagine how I’d make that work.

Advice, please?

 

[Susan Cote]

I am curious about the experience of others with the use of silicone texture/impression mats and/or polymer clay texture rollers in CP soap.

I used a silicone impression mat of waves for the top of my Mount Saint Helens soap, and it worked great. I plan to use it again to make an ocean waves soap by putting the texture mat at the bottom of my slab mold sometime in the next week. I have another silicone texture mat that is typically used to make beeswax candles. I cut it for the bottom of my slab mold and it makes a perfect honeycomb pattern for my beeswax and honey soap.

Now I am on the hunt for a large silicone texture mat of overlapping leaves to use with mint or botanical fragrances. So far, no luck. I found this one on Etsy, but the finished impression isn’t quite what I want because it is too abstract. If I didn’t know they were supposed to be leaves I wouldn’t know that they were leaves.

As an alternative, I am wondering about texture rollers used for polymer clay. They are just wide enough that I could make a pattern to go across the top of my loaf mold, which is 3.25 inches. I’m wondering if I could roll out soap dough, then roll the texture roller over it, and end up with a pattern that a very fussy person would be happy with. This sounds very fussy to me since I would first have to make soap dough, then roll and texture, a thin layer of soap, make sure it is an exact size to fit the top of the soap mold, and hope I don’t mangle it in the process. Has anyone used this type of roller with soap dough?

Another option might be to roll the texture roller over another clay-like material, and then use that in a two-step process to make my own silicone mat that would fit inside a mold. The first pass would give me a negative image in the soap, which I do not want, but I could use it to create a cast for the second silicone pour, and that would create the actual mat to use inside the mold. I’ve done something similar years ago, and might try it as a self-challenge unless someone has a better idea.

Another option is to use a small polymer clay mat, but I would then have to piece multiples together for the soap. I can’t quite imagine how I’d make that work.

Advice, please?

I have used the rollers to texture my soaps and with the right timing for hardness it worked amazingly well. As far as texture mats go, I just received 4 of them from the states, not sure if allowed to say from where? I'm making an oat and honey soap with one of them that has flowers on one side and honey comb on the other half. Will make next week. For creating your own with leaves I'd do it by making several of the little ones in a mold with plaster you could then laying them back in the mould and pouring your silicon over it. Thought of doing a similar project as I have heaps of the polymer texture sheets from my polymer phase years ago. I also have a lot of stencils that would make beautiful texture mats. I bought 3 series of the same ones to build them up . I was going to try pouring plaster over them in a silicon mould and see how it goes. Might be a very time consuming creating them but awesome having them going forward. I adore textures on cp soaps.

 

[MelissaG]

I guess it would depend on how solidified it is. It's easier to use the mats.

 

[dibbles]

I've never used a texture roller, but I have looked at them and I think they would work. Making a bas relief texture mat was one of Amy Warden's challenges a few years ago. My attempt was a fiasco, but I do think it is something you can do. I should actually try again. It was pretty fun to do. Here is a video from a very successful entry.

I used the silicone I had left over to make some sea shell embed molds (actually a couple of those shells are in my avatar photo).

You might have some luck searching for silicone resin mats instead of texture mats too.

 

[Susan Cote]

I've never used a texture roller, but I have looked at them and I think they would work. Making a bas relief texture mat was one of Amy Warden's challenges a few years ago. My attempt was a fiasco, but I do think it is something you can do. I should actually try again. It was pretty fun to do. Here is a video from a very successful entry.

I used the silicone I had left over to make some sea shell embed molds (actually a couple of those shells are in my avatar photo).

You might have some luck searching for silicone resin mats instead of texture mats too.

Brilliant thanks for posting!!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

One of the things near the top of my retirement to-do list is to start playing with silicone. I need silicone stone molds a la @Vicki C and there are a bunch of texture rollers on Etsy that I would love to have as impression mats for soap! I was really happy to see the recent impression mat challenge because I figure there will be YT how to videos to follow. I had not seen the video by Yvonne, but like everything she does, she does it well.

ETA: I just took a look on YT and see a number of DIY impression mat videos that are older, but nothing recent?

 

[Vicki C]

I am curious about the experience of others with the use of silicone texture/impression mats and/or polymer clay texture rollers in CP soap.

I used a silicone impression mat of waves for the top of my Mount Saint Helens soap, and it worked great. I plan to use it again to make an ocean waves soap by putting the texture mat at the bottom of my slab mold sometime in the next week. I have another silicone texture mat that is typically used to make beeswax candles. I cut it for the bottom of my slab mold and it makes a perfect honeycomb pattern for my beeswax and honey soap.

Now I am on the hunt for a large silicone texture mat of overlapping leaves to use with mint or botanical fragrances. So far, no luck. I found this one on Etsy, but the finished impression isn’t quite what I want because it is too abstract. If I didn’t know they were supposed to be leaves I wouldn’t know that they were leaves.

As an alternative, I am wondering about texture rollers used for polymer clay. They are just wide enough that I could make a pattern to go across the top of my loaf mold, which is 3.25 inches. I’m wondering if I could roll out soap dough, then roll the texture roller over it, and end up with a pattern that a very fussy person would be happy with. This sounds very fussy to me since I would first have to make soap dough, then roll and texture, a thin layer of soap, make sure it is an exact size to fit the top of the soap mold, and hope I don’t mangle it in the process. Has anyone used this type of roller with soap dough?

Another option might be to roll the texture roller over another clay-like material, and then use that in a two-step process to make my own silicone mat that would fit inside a mold. The first pass would give me a negative image in the soap, which I do not want, but I could use it to create a cast for the second silicone pour, and that would create the actual mat to use inside the mold. I’ve done something similar years ago, and might try it as a self-challenge unless someone has a better idea.

Another option is to use a small polymer clay mat, but I would then have to piece multiples together for the soap. I can’t quite imagine how I’d make that work.

Advice, please?

I’ve seen a video where this two step process was used - first Clay, and then that was used as a mold for plaster of Paris, and then silicone poured on the plaster of Paris. It looked cool, I have wanted to try it, and I was also looking at rollers, there are so many great designs.

One of the things near the top of my retirement to-do list is to start playing with silicone. I need silicone stone molds a la @Vicki C and there are a bunch of texture rollers on Etsy that I would love to have as impression mats for soap! I was really happy to see the recent impression mat challenge because I figure there will be YT how to videos to follow. I had not seen the video by Yvonne, but like everything she does, she does it well.

ETA: I just took a look on YT and see a number of DIY impression mat videos that are older, but nothing recent?

Silicone is great fun. I’m trying to remember what I watched - probably the same vids you are seeing.
How long until retirement? Is it this year? WOO HOO! SOAPMKING ALL THE TIME!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I retired at the end of 2024, but then was sick for almost a month starting mid-January. Now I’m trying to get into a bit of a routine so will I have time for the things I want to do. So far there doesn’t seem to be enough time to do it all!

@ScentimentallyYours - to redeem myself from going off topic, I just tried the one texture roller I have in hand on a bar of soap I made yesterday using leftover batter. I bought this particular roller because it has a peace sign stamp on one end. The roller design is nothing special and it seemed too heavy to use on soap, but look, it worked! As you might imagine, the heavy pattern caused a little cracking on the sides of the bar at the top edges, but there’s nothing obvious after I pushed those areas back in place and smoothed them over a bit with my finger. I put a piece of cling wrap on the top of the soap before I rolled.

 

[dibbles]

ETA: I just took a look on YT and see a number of DIY impression mat videos that are older, but nothing recent?

I'm not home and able to search, but I am pretty sure Yvonne made a mat for the challenge. Her soap was solid pink on the top with texture lines. Lisa (I Dream in Soap) should also have a video and I'm pretty sure she made her mat, but haven't had a chance to watch her video yet. Look for a soap with wolf heads - it's pretty cool. The difference in the two challenges is the first one required making the mat and the one last month a purchased mat was allowed.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thanks @dibbles I will check for those.

 

[Susan Cote]

I retired at the end of 2024, but then was sick for almost a month starting mid-January. Now I’m trying to get into a bit of a routine so will I have time for the things I want to do. So far there doesn’t seem to be enough time to do it all!

@ScentimentallyYours - to redeem myself from going off topic, I just tried the one texture roller I have in hand on a bar of soap I made yesterday using leftover batter. I bought this particular roller because it has a peace sign stamp on one end. The roller design is nothing special and it seemed too heavy to use on soap, but look, it worked! As you might imagine, the heavy pattern caused a little cracking on the sides of the bar at the top edges, but there’s nothing obvious after I pushed those areas back in place and smoothed them over a bit with my finger. I put a piece of cling wrap on the top of the soap before I rolled.

View attachment 81446

That looks lovely!

 

[dibbles]

As an alternative, I am wondering about texture rollers used for polymer clay. They are just wide enough that I could make a pattern to go across the top of my loaf mold, which is 3.25 inches. I’m wondering if I could roll out soap dough, then roll the texture roller over it, and end up with a pattern that a very fussy person would be happy with. This sounds very fussy to me since I would first have to make soap dough, then roll and texture, a thin layer of soap, make sure it is an exact size to fit the top of the soap mold, and hope I don’t mangle it in the process. Has anyone used this type of roller with soap dough?

I completely forgot to reply to the soap dough option. You absolutely can do this too. Roll the soap dough as thinly as possible, texture it with the roller and cut to fit. I would recommend using individual bar sizes as it is easier to work with and place than a large slab size of soap dough, but that will work also. You will have a bit of waste, but not too much. Have all the soap dough cut and ready to go before you make your soap, and have a toothpick or skewer ready to help you move the soap dough sheet if necessary. This soap was for the Peek-a-Boo technique challenge and you might be able to find some YouTube videos for that.

 

[Becky1024]

Tagging along on this post. Has anyone tried using a 3D printer to make a roller, or make a casting that could be used to make a silicone mat? The Maker Lab at my local library has one, and when I get the time this summer want to give it a try.

 

[Hope Elisabeth 68]

Not a mat, which I use and love, but I purchased a pasta roller to use to make criss cross patterns after I saw someone do it and it was beautiful.