# Packaging



## Dorit

I bought shrink wrap bags for my soap. It is a mess, the plastic shrinks in on itself and does not fuse on the fold. I can't find the cigar wrap template anywhere. I dont like plastic bags with a twist tie, I'd like to wrap in kraft paper with nice string, but then it wont show the color and texture. I've read that to totally shrink wrap the soap will make it soggy in hot weather, I dont understand the muslin wrap, don;t want to sew little bags, plus dont want the added cost. I will make New Orleans my marketing area since that is where I have contacts. There is a market, or a festival or a parade every weekend.


----------



## MF-Alpines

Do you have sample bars as well as full bars? I wrap in paper so you can't see my bars. But I also set out a sample of each soap, naked, on a piece of thicker paper that has the name and ingredients of the soap. The color paper of the sample matches the wrapped bar. Could you do that or is that not feasible at your venue? FYI: The scent will come through paper.


----------



## Dorit

Hmmmm, maybe so. thx


----------



## Guest

Shrink wrapping takes just a little practice.. don't give up.. you get better at it...
Barb


----------



## Anita Martin

The good thing with the shrink wrap is that you can leave one end open just a little for sniffing. Soaps will not get soggy in shrink wrap unless not cured and even then I've never had it happen. 

My soaps are 3 5/8 X 2 3/16ths, approx. I cut about half an inch off the open ends of 4X6 shrink wrap bags before I put my soaps in. I use a heat gun, and you do have to watch it because the bags will get holes in it if the top of the soap is uneven. (I toss quite a few shrinks). I start at the bottom and go up on both sides, lastly I hit the end I'm leaving open for sniffing. Once that's hot I quickly press it against my shirt or the counter (whichever is cleaner) and the ends will be flat and not poke people in the nose when they sniff....plus they fit in boxes a lot better.


----------



## Dorit

So a hair dryer does not get hot enough? Is that why the plastic doesnt melt but seize up instead? Is your shrink wrap smooth? Are you happy with the results?


----------



## Guest

No it doesn't with some of the shrink wraps, with others it does.. depends on the thickness or gauge of the wrap.. heat guns you can get at Walmarts cheap...


----------



## hsmomof4

Also, they now have available, when you get to that point, shrink wrap that is pin-perforated ...it has teeny tiny holes (you cannot see them) that allow some air to pass through. Enough that you can sniff the soaps, enough that there are no worries about moisture, but the soaps are still protected. I got a shrinkwrap system (with rolls of this wrap) from National Shrinkwrap: www.nationalshrinkwrap.com is the website, I think. They are very helpful on the phone, too.


----------



## Anita Martin

I once had shrink wrap I could use with a hair dryer. The next time I ordered, I had to use a heat gun. No biggie and the heat gun is much quieter than the hair dryer. cost less then $20.


----------



## Dorit

Doing better with the shrink wrap but don't like the way it looks. Having never sold any yet, what is your take on setting out "naked" bars with a tied hang tag?


----------



## tmfinley

Too many hands touching it for my taste. They will get dirty and dented and scratched especially if you sell outside at all but just in transporting they will take more of a beating.


----------



## hsmomof4

I have a store that does the naked bar thing. Other than that, I use a cigar band label and shrink wrap over that. I started out doing just the cigar band, but I found that they looked dingy pretty quickly and shrink wrapping means that once they're wrapped, I ordinarily won't have to deal with them again. That and some people literally stick the soaps right up their nose to sniff them, so this way, at least they aren't touching the soap to the inside of their nose!


----------



## NubianSoaps.com

We have very few rules in soaping being it's own catagory. But your soap is to be labeled somehow with your contact info, and the weight of the soap. Although several of my stores unwrap a bar to have out to smell, none of my stores want even cigar bands, they want them in plastic and perfer shrink wrap. I have thousands of bags left to use before I will go to shrink wrap. Vicki


----------



## tlcnubians

We use cellophane bags with twist ties. All our stores seem quite pleased with this type of packaging. Easy to see the soap and the twist tie can be undone if someone wants to smell it. Cello bags and twist ties are very inexpensive when purchased through companies like Nashville Wraps. When we go to craft shows/outdoor markets, we try to put one "naked" soap of each scent out on display but usually end up selling it by the end of the day. I've never noticed the naked soaps getting smudged or disfigured. The issue with naked soap is that when you use essential oils (and to a lesser extent fragrance oils), the fragrance is so volatile that it will dissipate quickly when the soap isn't in some kind of air tight package . . . Caroline


----------



## carlidoe

I did a soap show over the weekend and the tent we were in was VERY dusty. I was so thankful for my fully wrapped bars. To me, the problem with naked bars, is that everything sticks to it- dust, lint, fuzz. Not to mention the layer of ash on top getting scratched and scuffed. I wrap mine with scrapbook paper and people love the packaging. Adds visual interest.


----------



## Dorit

A friend gave me some of her bags and the mil was thinner than what I bought, so that's one thing. I also bought a heat gun and even on the low setting it did better than my hair dryer. I am also getting a roll of shrink wrap for free so I have to use it instead of buying bags. Would you wrap the flat sheets like you would gift wrap a box ?


----------



## NubianSoaps.com

Can someone help out Dorit and send her that tutorial video on using shrink wrap?


----------



## LynninTX

[[[I am also getting a roll of shrink wrap for free so I have to use it instead of buying bags. Would you wrap the flat sheets like you would gift wrap a box ?]]]

I use the rolls & love it. I cut strips 5.5" wide and each strip will wrap 7 bars.

I leave mine open on both ends... small oval opening.

It works great for me. The soap is nicely wrapped, but people can smell it easy.


----------



## Dorit

The strips are a great idea I will try it. Next step: label with name, logo, pone number etc. under shrink wrap? glued on top of wrap? Buy printed stickers ( $$$$ high) All the pics I see on web is unwrapped. thnaks you guys for sharing


----------



## adillenal

I use rolls of shrink wrap that is a tube. I cut off the shrink wrap, insert the soap into the shrink wrap tube with a paper label on top of the soap and then shrink wrap with a heat gun. looks good, very smooth and it leaves the ends open a tad for sniffing. Been doing it like this for the past five years and it works for me. The labels are cheap since I print 10 labels to a plain sheet of paper (buff colored) and I can change the label if I need to since I print my own. I have some soaps on my website that are in the packages.
I have boxes both kraft and white and also clear. Customers never seemed to like the boxes although I plan on trying some in gift sets this year to try to get rid of some of them.


----------



## hsmomof4

http://www.nationalshrinkwrap.com/page/page/5102977.htm This has videos of how this particular system works. Some of the same stuff would apply to other ways of shrinkwrapping.


----------



## LynninTX

I use the flat shrink wrap... I can get it as needed locally... I use a rotary cutter & pad to cut on and it goes lickety split. Then I just sit with the strips and wrap while I watch a movie. 

Right now I use shipping labels (10 to a page) and stick on the back, but I don't like this. I really prefer the card UNDER the wrap... but I do not cut nicely and I would need a paper cutter or to switch to business card blanks to do the other... just have not spent the money yet. 

For now it is working, but I want to tweak it so I'd suggest you start with the nicer cards under the wrap on the back side.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com

Lynn I make my business card labels out of card stock from walmart. I use a papercutter from walmart that can't be but $7, it has an orange piece that runs down the blue measuring stick deal  and I am replacing the razor on it for only the 2nd time in all this time. I tried a professional papercutter and it was actually harder to use, and you can't really pile up to many cardstocks to cut at once or it pushes the bottom ones out of whack. And cutting them is so safe, when the grandboys want to help with very little help they do a good job, with older kids mine are just (6, 7 and 9) it's one less chore you have to do  And it's so safe you simply can't hurt yourself. V


----------



## LynninTX

Thanks Vicki! I will look.


----------



## LynninTX

LOL What department??


----------



## NubianSoaps.com

They are in the front by stationary not in crafts. Lynn Theesfeld will know she owns the store 









http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41vp-QoADmL._SL500_AA300_.jpg


----------



## Kalne

I use a cutter like that to cut my sticky labels and wax papers because my regular paper cutter tends to mess those up. They are very handy! I might have to see about letting the boys cut my cardstock labels with it. They are always asking for ways to help.  I print 'cutting guides' (just small lines) on my sheets that help get things lined up really straight.


----------



## Dorit

great ideas, but I cant find a template for business cards that works on my mac,can't believe it but true. my mac template is too complicated for me to use. Avery is not compatible with mac, learned this after talking to them. I can try to print on card stock but the problem is that I hate to cut the paper,can never get it straight and its just a 'thing' with me, I'd rather clean barns. But I thought I would throw this out if anyone is interested. You can take your original to Kinko's and let them run off copies on card stock and they use a pneumatic cutter, I think its cheap like $2 per cut even for a ream of card stock, I once figured out that it is cheaper than buying card stock and using my printer.
I was thinking of having cards printed at Office Depot, I think $20 /1K and using a sticker and handwrite the fragrance. At my old age I find that sometimes doing things at home, when considering the time you could do something else, the frustration and the final results, its better to outsource.


----------



## Faye Farms

I have a Mac and use Avery all the time. I have Design Pro from Avery loaded on my computer. Maybe I have an ancient compatible version or something?


----------



## Lynn_Theesfeld

LOL Vicki! I have just worked there forever, and everywhere "blah" It does make shopping easy though when I know where everything is  
Your cutter in my store would be in fabrics though. same area is the scissors........They have several of these in different sizes and types so pay attention to what exactly you are wanting. 

Lynn


----------



## Dorit

I give up! I made a design I liked on PS and uploaded to Vista Print. I get 1,500 for $35 I think the ink and paper and time cutting would have cost me more. thanks all


----------

