The goal of the challenge this month was to create mandala designs in our soaps. The word mandala means “circle.” The mandala pattern is used across most religious traditions. For many, the mandala is used as an object for focusing attention as an aid to meditation. It symbolizes unity, wholeness, and the cyclical nature of existence. There are several different types of mandala designs, but for the sake of this challenge, we focused on making dot mandalas for the majority of our designs to simplify the translation into cold process soap.

I provided four different ways to create the mandala design in cold process soap for this tutorial. You can now get this 4-in-1 tutorial in our Tutorial Shop (along with dozens of other tutorials from previous challenges.)

Mad Micas was the perfect sponsor for this challenge, as their vast collection of colorants gave us so much inspiration for these colorful designs! They are providing $100 gift certificates for the grand prize winners in each of the competitive categories, as well as the Sponsor’s Choice prize in the bonus category. Second and third place winners in the competitive categories receive 20% off coupon codes from Mad Micas.

Mad Micas offers an exceptional range of vibrant and high-quality mica colors that bring beauty and richness to handmade products. Their true, long-lasting colors blend seamlessly into soaps, bath bombs, and cosmetics, elevating your creations to a professional level. The company’s commitment to customer satisfaction shines through their prompt shipping and thoughtful packaging, making the overall experience truly delightful!

Here are our winners:

Winners Category

Third Place

Name Hanna Achepohl

Location Oregon

Link Instagram

Prize 20% off coupon code

My Pet Rocks

Recognition Awards

Best Use of Color

Criteria Well-mixed, contrasting colors in a beautiful color palette

Name Tiziana Cherubini

Location Italy

Link Facebook

Rainbow Soap

Advanced Category

Third Place

Name Amy Bruederle

Location Illinois

Link Instagram

Prize 20% off coupon code

Thanatos

Recognition Awards

Best Use of Color

Criteria Well-mixed, contrasting colors in a beautiful color palette

Name Kandace Ballard

Location Colorado

Link Instagram

Mandala in Full Bloom

Regular Category

Third Place

Name Kristen Miller

Location Missouri

Link none

Prize 20% off coupon code

Sunburst

Recognition Awards

Best Use of Color

Criteria Well-mixed, contrasting colors in a beautiful color palette

Name Janeen Kerian

Location Nevada

Link none

Zephora

Bonus Category

Great job to all our winners, as well as everyone else who participated in the challenge this month!  If you would like to see the rest of the entries, check out these links. 

Registration opens Monday, November 25 for the final challenge of the year!! We’re bringing back Kiss Pours (first attempted as a challenge in 2021) which create beautiful wispy swirls!  Here’s the soap I made for the tutorial. Check out the Upcoming Challenges page for more information and sign up to be notified as soon as registration opens!

Kiss Pour by Amy Warden