Spring is in the air, and what better way to celebrate the season of renewal than with a fresh batch of adorable handmade soap? Whether you’re prepping for Easter baskets, farmer’s markets, or just want to add a touch of spring cheer to your self-care routine, this cold process soap project is the perfect mix of fun and functional.

In today’s tutorial, we’re creating a charming Easter-themed soap featuring little carrot embeds made from soap dough. Yes—you heard that right! Soap dough is a moldable, clay-like version of cold process soap that lets you sculpt fun, detailed shapes like these cute orange carrots.

This project is beginner-friendly with a little creativity sprinkled in, and it makes the most whimsical handmade gifts. Plus, it’s a great way to experiment with texture, color, and layering in your cold process creations.

So grab your oils, lye, and a sense of adventure—let’s hop right into making this spring-inspired soap!

To make DIY Easter soap with handmade carrot embeds, you will need to make two batches of soap. A batch of soap dough that you will make a day ahead. This tutorial will walk you through how to shape the carrots.

For the second batch, you’ll use my no-fail soap recipe that you can download free here. I call it my “no-fail” recipe because it consistently produces hard bars with a rich, bubbly lather and a luxurious 5% superfat for extra moisture.

I first created this recipe back when I was selling soap, and I made sure it would be a crowd-pleaser—yep, it’s 100% vegan-friendly! It’s beginner-approved and works perfectly with a small rectangular mold (I found a great one on Amazon—link here if you need it). If you’re just getting started with cold process soap at home, this recipe is a great one to try—you might already have most of the oils right in your kitchen pantry!

Ingredients

To create this Cold Process Soap with Handmade Carrot Embeds, you’ll start by making a batch of orange soap dough. Don’t worry—I’ve got you covered with a full tutorial, recipe, and video right here. For the main soap, you’ll need a blend of oils, lye, water, your favorite fragrance oil, mica powder, coffee grounds, colloidal oatmeal, soap scraps, and any other skin-loving additives you’d like to toss in.

• Orange Soap Dough
• Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) – 150g
• Distilled Water – 336 g
• Olive Oil – 369 g
• Coconut Oil – 567 g
• Shea Butter – 28 g
• Cocoa Butter – 28 g
• Fragrance Oil – 2 oz.
• Mica Powder
• Colloidal Oatmeal – 1/4 Cup
• Coffee Grounds – 1/3 Cup
• Soap Scraps – finely chopped – 1/2 Cup

Wondering what other oils, butters and fats you can use in your soap? Check out my breakdown of the best oils for soapmaking here. Do you want to change the ratios or fats used in this recipe? Click here to use my free online lye calculator and formulate your own recipe.

Supplies

Before you start making your Easter-themed cold process soap, make sure you have all the essential soap making supplies. The right tools not only make the process easier but also help keep you safe—especially when working with lye. Check out this blog post for my full list of soapmaking supplies.

• Scale
• Stick Blender
• Mixing Bowl
• Spatula
• PPE: Gloves, Apron, Eye Protection, Long Sleeves
• 42 Oz. Soap Mold
• Piping Bag & Tips
• Small Paint Brush

Step 1: Shape Soap Dough Carrot Embeds

Knead the soap dough until it is soft and pliable, then roll it into a log.

Roll your soap dough out so it is the same length as your soap mold.

Shape your soap log by gently flattening one side, while leaving the opposite side fuller and more rounded—this way, when you turn it on its side, it mimics the natural shape of a carrot.

Brush the outside of your soap dough with bright orange Mica, then wrap in freezer paper or plastic wrap and set aside until it’s ready to be placed in the “dirt.”

Step 2: Chop Soap Scraps

I wanted one of the layers of dirt to look like it had bits of gravel, sand and pearlite in it, so I thought the best way to achieve this would be to chop up some soap scraps I had. If you don’t have any soap scraps laying around, no big deal! you can skip this step!

Chop soap scraps finely until they resemble small bits of organic soil material.

Step 3: Prepare Your Oils and Fats

Oils and butters are the foundation of your soap. They determine how moisturizing, cleansing, and bubbly your final bars will be.

Weigh out your oils, fats, and butters and heat them until fully melted and combined. If using a microwave, heat in 30-60 second bursts, stirring in between. Set aside to cool to around 100°F.

Step 4: Prepare Your Lye Solution

Safety First: Handling lye requires extra care, as it is a strong alkaline substance. Wear gloves, goggles, and long sleeves. Keep children and pets away. Work in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling fumes.

Weigh out your lye and water carefully. I like to use ice made from distilled water because it lessens the time you have to wait for the lyewater to cool.

Slowly add the lye to the water (never the other way around!). Stir gently until the lye is fully dissolved. Allow the lye water to cool to around 100°F.

Step 5: Combine Oils and Lye Solution

Now it’s time to bring everything together and start the real magic of soap making!

Ensure both your oils and lye solution are between 90-120°F. Slowly pour the lye solution into the oils.

Use a stick blender to mix until you reach light trace (a thin pudding consistency).

Step 6: Make the “Dirt“

Pour the soap batter into three separate containers, reserving some in the original container. Add fragrance oil to each of the three containers, but skip it for the batter in the original container, as this will be used for topping the soap. Since some fragrance oils can discolor soap or cause it to thicken quickly, I want the top layer we’ll be piping to remain as workable as possible. Keep in mind that not all fragrances behave the same way—if you notice the soap thickening faster than expected, work quickly to avoid it hardening before you’re ready! Mix oil in soap batter thoroughly.

Add Brown Mica the three containers and combine. I wanted them to all be slightly different in color, so I added a different amount of mica in each container. Feel free to add activated charcoal or other colors of mica.

Add oatmeal to one container, the soap scraps to another, and coffee grounds to all three. Stir to combine.

I wanted to lighten the oatmeal layer slightly, so I added some white with a couple squirts of titanium dioxide.

Step 6: Pour Into Mold

Layer the brown soap batter in your mold tamping it down between each layer.

Carefully push your carrot log into the center of the soap.

Step 7: Finishing the Top

Add green mica to the remaining soap batter

Pour two thirds of the green mixture into a piping bag.

Add more green to the remaining batter and scoop into a piping bag.

By now, the green soap dough in your piping bags should be firm enough to hold its shape, much like frosting on a cake. If it’s still too runny, wait a few minutes for it to thicken, but don’t let it get too stiff.

Start by topping the carrots with green “blobs,” and add rows of smaller “vegetables” on each side. For the top, feel free to get creative—swirl the piped soap into fun designs.

To finish, I used a skewer to add little spiky details to the carrot tops, giving them a more realistic look.

Once you’re happy with the look of your soap, lightly mist it with 90% isopropyl alcohol to prevent discoloration or soda ash formation. Then, set your Easter carrot soap aside for 12 to 24 hours to allow it to fully saponify.

Step 8: Unmold and Slice

Once the soap has saponified and is firm, carefully remove the soap from the mold. If you see that it is still too sticky and wet to remove from the mold, give it more time before removing from the mold.

Slice into bars using a sharp knife or soap cutter.

If your soap is still too soft, leave it out to dry out a little longer before attempting to cut. A properly set soap will slice cleanly without sticking to the blade.

When cutting cold process soap with a high top such as this one, place the soap on it’s side. Cutting from the top down can drag the botanicals or decorations on the top through the soft soap, ruining the clean cut.

Step 9: Cure the Soap

Place your beautiful soap bars on a rack in a cool, dry place and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks for a harder, longer-lasting bar.

Curing allows excess water to evaporate, making your soap last longer in the shower. The longer the cure time, the better the lather and hardness!

I hope this Easter soap project brought a little joy and creativity to your day! Cold process soap with handmade carrot embeds is such a fun way to welcome spring and create something truly unique—whether for gifts, craft fairs, or your own soap stash. Don’t forget to share your finished creations with me—I’d love to see your carrot-topped masterpieces! Happy soap making and happy Easter!

Save this to your favorite board on Pinterest Here.