# Lets wrap it up!



## NPgoats (Mar 18, 2010)

I've been reading (as always) about how some of you wrap your soaps and I have discovered there is a difference in theories on this issue so....would you please be so kind and share your reasons for wrapping your soaps the way you do? Some use plastic bags and shrink wrap (so the soap doesn't breathe) others use cloth bags, cigar bands, collars, paper, etc (where the soap can breathe). I just would like to hear the ideas so that I may choose for myself which method would be best for me.
Thanks as always for your wonderful sharing,
Linda


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I started with homemade paper cigar bands. My first store hated them, as your soap continues to cure it not only looses scent it also get smaller making your cigar bands loose and fall off. They also hated that people would take their nail and scrape the soap and then would come up to the register wanting a 'clean' bar to buy. Since I deplore what shirnk wrap looks like I settled on plastic bags, (mostly because I had about 10 days to come up with it and get the bags here, their order warpped and sent) I have boxes of them from uline so it won't be anytime soon that I switch to something else. Vicki


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## Greylady (Mar 28, 2012)

So far, I am trying out some clear bags I found that I will use a twist tie on with a hang tag. I will punch a hole for scent to come through. I also got some paper to see what they would look like wrapped. I prefer the bars to be covered so to be more"santitary" from many hands and noses.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I use a combination of paper and plastic. I love the look of cigar band wrappers but not the exposed soap or the fact that they loosen over time and that people can touch the soap, plus I cannot figure out how to make the bands with printing that is centered all the way around, so I use a paper cutter to cut bands out of cheap stacks of thin scap booking pages. I can get 5 wraps out of one sheet, and 1800 out of a large book that I buy with a coupon for around 15 to 17 dollars...making each wrap cost less than a penny if I'm doing my math right. I wrap the soap in the paper, stick a round or square label on it, and then stick the whole thing down in a clear plastic bag. I use scissors to cut a hole in the end of each bag before adding soap, about 5 or 6 at a time or more depending on how sharp the scissors are. I fold the ends of the bag over and tape them, leaving the hole un-taped so people can smell the soap. It's rather labor intensive, but looks really pretty and accomplishes what I want in a label and packaging.


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## Greylady (Mar 28, 2012)

I had wondered about cutting or poking a whole for the scent to be available! Good idea! Like your idea of the paper wrapped around and in the bag too.


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## Jenny M (Nov 21, 2009)

I am not a fan of shrink wrap, altho I use it with other products.

For soap, my wholesale customers like it wrapped so I use gusseted plastic bags from Papermart. The gusset makes it easier to wrap. Stand the soap on end & open wide the already labeled bag & slip down over the soap - you won't get as much smudge on the bag this way. Tip over & close the bag with a ribbon, raffia or twist tie. You can nip a little place on the bottom of bag so the customer can smell the soap.

The bag I use is $29 for 2000 & I tie with "wraffia", also from Papermart.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/90179537/blackberry-thyme-milk-and-shea-butter
https://www.etsy.com/listing/102569703/patchouli-soap-with-milk-and-shea-butter?ref=v1_other_2


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## Dorit (Apr 20, 2011)

I was also searching for a better way to wrap and considered many options I read about. I found most to be too labor intensive, expensive or not appealing. I shrink wrap. I even ordered the wand system and returned it. This is what I do now: I use 4x6" 100gauge shrink wrap bags. use a heat gun and hold down one end so it fits on all sides except one end. I use a x-acto knife and trim around the one end that has the surplus bag. I put one label for ingredients and one for the name. I keep looking for soemthing better but.....I really want a label that can be removed by the buyer and stick to the inside of their bathroom cabinet. So they can reorder and dont ask for 'that fresh smelling soap with pink swirls" _*WHAT WAS THAT???*_ lol Dorit


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

I wrap my soaps like a gift using scrap booking paper. I buy the huge stacks when they are 50% off. I can wrap 3 soaps with one 12x12 sheet of paper. Then I wrap with a printed cigar label. I have a template I designed for my bars of soap so I just have to go in and plop in a new name and adjust the ingredients if needed. I use a nice parchment paper for the cigar labels. This gives all my soaps a uniform look even though I use all sorts of different patterns of scrap book paper. I match the scrapbook paper to the scent but I use all sorts of different patterns. I have found that people like the way my soaps are wrapped because they are already ready for gift giving. They also like to choose the pattern of paper that their soap is wrapped in. I also like the way I wrap because the soaps stay clean when at market. I have also found that the scrap booking paper is heavy enough that it prevents humidity from getting to my soap. I can wrap pretty fast now but I can see down the road that if I got bigger I may have to change how I do things.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I do mine like Heather's only instead of a cigar band I have a label that gets stuck onto the outside...it's a partial band so it doesn't cover too much of the paper. I can only get two out of a 12x12 sheet though! Wish I could get three. My customers love the wrapping so for now I will stick with it. And I have several dc who do it well enough along with me that it goes quickly.


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## Dorit (Apr 20, 2011)

Heather, I'd love to see your finished product. Is there somewhere I can see your soap wraped? Dorit


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Another thing I use on my salt bars is to first wrap them in a sheet of white deli paper, then the pretty paper band and label. On the salt bars I don't use plastic. I have everything on the one label including company name, type of soap, ingredient list, my contact info, etc. It's "busy" packaging, but I get complimented on the packaging all the time. With the paper bands I don't get the smudging on the sides of the plastic bags like I sometimes did with the shrink wrap bags. And, I've conceded to lightly trim the edges of my soaps...but lacking my paring knife one day I was forced to use a high-end carrot peeler, and oh my goodness, what a difference that made! Much, much faster and easier...duh...I use the shreds to make laundry soap. And I don't trim for looks, I trim because I get less soap "crumbs" in the packaging so they look better longer. And yes, having a soap look pretty in a nice wrapper that won't allow the soap to get all over everything and is "gift ready" as is, helps encourage people to give them as gifts. I have hoof care clients that buy $100 of soap at a time, sometimes inviting their neighbors over when I come to trim horses so they can also buy soap while I'm there...and most of it is given as gifts.


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

This is what most of my soaps look like. Basic cigar band with no graphics. Very clean and simple. 

IMG_4796 by Heritage Heather, on Flickr

This is a limited edition fall soap. This is an older photo. I've since started using "Artisan Farmstead Soap" as my tagline on all my labels. 

IMG_4618 by Heritage Heather, on Flickr

This is a custom soap I did for a local arboretum.

IMG_4741 by Heritage Heather, on Flickr

Edited to add: I put all of my ingredients and contact info on the backs of my soap.


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## Dorit (Apr 20, 2011)

Really pretty, thanks for posting. Dorit


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

Oh! and if you are going to wrap your soaps so the are "gift ready", people totally want your home town on the label. That addition to my label was 100% customer driven.


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## Jenny M (Nov 21, 2009)

And I really think it does depend on your customer base & type of retail space. I mean, I've got feed stores, convienence (upscale with a great wine inventory & gormet food inventory) store, bookstores, art galleries, gift shops and an uber-resort (http://www.amanresorts.com/amangiri/home.aspx). I've tired to fit my packaging to each one as best as I could & still keep my cost & labor down.

For the most part, I'm finding the simpler the better. But you have to have some graphic or specific color pallet that catches customer's attention. It does not have to "in your face" - just eye catching & clean. I learned so much about packaging & marketing from the staff I worked with at Amangiri. Those folks are world class & know how to please their very picky guests.


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## Dorit (Apr 20, 2011)

Jenny, what a feather in your cap, it looks like a beautiful resort! Dorit


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

I print my wrappers with all the info, logo, name of soap, ingredients, contact info, etc. onto 65# paper and wrap like a present. I use a few different colors and try to "fit" the color to the bar. I've got the spacing just right so that the front of the bar has my logo plus the name and weight, the side has the ingredients and the back has contact info. I have a separate tab for each soap so I don't have to go in and change anything (unless for some reason I change ingredients of that particular scent). I use DesignPro from Avery.


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