I use shrink wrap for my gift baskets and DH tried it on soap. You just place your package/soap in the wrap and then take a heat gun or blow dryer and hold it near the wrap. The heat makes it shrink. Some hints I can give you, let the gun heat up before you place it near the wrap, this makes the wrap shrink faster, keep the gun moving, too long in one place can melt your soap!
submitted by Marti H.
I know I'm obsessed, but was washing my truck the other day. When I was cleaning out the glove box, found all these maps that were in pristine condition (I never read them or ask directions =o)). I cut them up and made cigar bands for some of my spiced soap. Labeled them “Back Roads,” “Spice roads,” “Route 66,” etc. Always looking for a wrapping idea that will appeal to the men in a crowd. The best part was that the maps were free from my AAA office.
submitted by Don M.
Anyone seen soaps that are packaged in little tiny lunch bags... about 3" x 4" by 2" deep. They are soooo cute with a label on the front.
submitted by Sue H.
We run brown paper and wrapping paper through a crimper and then tie it with raffia. This leaves the bars open for smelling and then we put the ingredient stickers on the bottom. Works for us!
submitted by Jackie H.
Use the white paper that you can get at a restaurant supply store. It is the paper they sell to wrap hot dogs and hamburgers in. If you are wrapping round soap, place the soap in the center of a square (you might need to trim the paper to fit). Gradually work your way around the soap making pleats as you go. Then you can secure the center with a special sticker. The radial pleats look so much better than just wrapping it in paper.
submitted by Ann C.
I use a two hole punch to punch my cello bags. I fold the top down about an inch or so, slide it in the punch and do sort of a "wham, wham" to get the holes punched through. It usually takes two quick punches before I get the holes. Then, my label is made of card stock and I use an 8.5 x 11 to get eight labels. It's kind of hard to describe, but I use two text boxes for each label, one is right side up and the other is upside down. The right side up label contains my logo and the upside down one contained my soap information. Then, I would cut these eight labels apart and once folded over and hole-punched I would have two right side up labels. Then, I run raffia through the hole and tie in a bow.
submitted by Teresa W.
I wrap some soap in homemade paper. It is easy and cheap to make. Don't wrap the whole bar but only run a piece (torn, not cut) around it then tie with raffia or string or whatever. Another way is to wrap the soap in a dried leaf or fern. This is really beautiful. Again, just tie something to keep it together.
submitted by Mary K.
We have only been selling for about a year, but have found most people buy the bath size which for us is 3.5 oz. We also sell 1 oz., which my daughter loves to give as a little variety pack for birthday presents to her friends. We mostly sell ovals from 3" PVC pipe that I have heated and squashed. We also have started wrapping in tissue paper and closing with a sticky label.
submitted by Maryclaire M.
You can package your soaps in just about any way. At the beginning I used strips of brown paper grocery bags, rubberstamped them, and tied with raffia. I have also punched shaped holes in them (like stars and moons... with one of those punchers for scrapbooks). That was a neat technique because you could see the soap peeking through the holes. Fabric looks nice banded on. I am now making paperband labels on the computer and printing them out on parchment... which is a really nice weight of paper for bands.
submitted by Jill F.
Packaging Mr. Frog... I made a couple with m&p to see how the detailing came out before I go on to cp soap. I was blown away, the detail is wonderful and I can't look into that upturned little frog face without smiling. I put one on a wooden crate-like soap dish and then shrink wrapped the whole thing with the closed edges on the bottom of the soap dish. I then put my label over this. That way you still keep that frog face to look at.
submitted by Iris N.
Don't wrap your cp soap in plastic, it has to breathe. Only mp soap should be wrapped in plastic. Your soap will go soft if it can't get air.
submitted by Judi T.
I make my labels on my computer. The front has my logo and company name on it with the soap name underneath that, with the description of that particular bar of soap directly underneath that. On the back I have my company description and contact information. I wrap the label around my soap leaving about 1/4 inch showing on each side. That way, my customers can both touch and smell my bars of soap and it allows the bar to continue to breathe. So far, I've had a very good response!
submitted by Kelly S.
After trying several different packaging ideas, I've settled on 1" marbled paper bands (like cigar bands??) with an Avery-type name label on the front and ingredient label on the back. The label is the width of the band, and holds the ends of the bands together. I print the labels on my computer, in color. I'm learning more about the program all the time, so my labels are getting fancier, with borders and little graphics. You can see and smell the soap, the print isn't too small to read, it looks neat, and it's not too costly or time-consuming.
submitted by Alaena H.
I make cigar bands for rectangular bars and tags for circular. I cut them out with craft scissors. Use a low temp. glue gun to stick them together and then tie with colored raffia or hemp string. You could use ribbon, too. I use MS Publish to design the different bands and labels. Just make up a basic one to begin with and then change it for your different soaps. They can be as fancy or as plain as you want them.
submitted by Jennifer M.
