Natural soap labels

This particular type of label is very easy to do on the computer. You select a new document, set it landscape or horizontal, make it be 5 columns, and presto, you just need to add your writing and/or graphic. Your computer expertise will determine the type of label details you will make.

I've made great natural soap labels with just the clip art that is easily and readily available. Consider the corners and folds in mind in wrapping the label around the soap, which can take some editing with spaces so the label would line up on the bar. It will probably depend on what supplies you have. Let your creativity lead you.

Here is a super nice and easy way to label your soap and protect is as well. Fold the four corners around and stick together with a sticky soap label or other type of sticker. You could leave the top open to allow customers to take a peek, or close up when giving as gifts.

To the right is a good example of a professionally made label. Keep in mind that with the right printer and some computer know how, you could create natural soap labels much like this one. On a full sheet of paper, this one probably takes up one-fourth to one-fifth of a sheet. This label would also leave the ends open for visual effects as well as letting the bar continue to cure as well as letting customers smell the scent.

I've made natural soap labels like this for soap and for my other bath products such as the lotion bottles and perfume oils. I've seen other soap makers use this method and it does look nice. These do adhere to soap well. These labels come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, and you just peel one off as you need it. This would also be an environmentally friendly method as it creates less waste, being 18 labels to a sheet as opposed to 5 labels per sheet with a wrap around label. You could turn the label sheet on the left to a beautiful sheet of labels on the right.

A slightly different version of a wrap around band type of label, this one goes horizontal, as more often these types go vertical. A very inexpensive method to creating labels, easy to do on the home computer. When making natural soap labels at home with regular printer paper, use the thicker heavier paper, usually the poundage one up from the regular paper.

Rustic but well protected, as well as eco friendly. This one label encompasses approximately 3 bars worth of soap, the brown paper has no dyes and the twine is resuseable and biodegradable. The names of the soap could be on small business card sized pieces of paper tucked under the twine.

Very similar in description to the soap above this one, except that the ends are revealed to allow the customer or receiver of the soap to easier smell and see the soap. I've noticed over the years that the color of the bar adds to the appeal of the soap, and when selling soap, it is the scent alone that has the customer wanting that soap.

Wrapping your soap in cello adds to its value, even though the cello bag could cost one cent. Cello is a great way to preserve the scent of the soap and protect the bars corners from getting damaged. The cello also works as an instant wrapping for a gift. These particular bars have horizontal paper labels as well. I usually use cello bags when I bag up the smaller bars and pieces. Tie with a little ribbon or raffia and it will look great!

This example is using a soap stamp, this particular ones fits the size of the bar and this would be considered an environmentally friendly method of natural soap labels - with no labels at all. If you were to sell these bars you would have to provide an ingredient list, but that could just be printed on a business card size piece of paper, and available on request.

You could have a soap company name, or you could not have a company name and your natural soap labels could simply be state "Lavender" with an image and ingredient list on the back. Nice and simple. A soap company name could be the hardest part, unless you want to go with your name, i.e.: "Sarah's Soaps".

Names for your soap types can make a difference as well. In the "Selling" chapter I mention a man who told me he made a "Mountain Man" bug repellent soap. Now, do you want to buy a soap by a name that conjures up an image of an unwashed, smelly, hairy man? Or how about "Samurai", a great smelling citrus bar that comes with a scent description about washing up before the battle fields. Neither description creates happy soapy thoughts.

The label example on the right is a vertical type of label, easily done on a computer with a 4 - 5 column document. I make my labels this way. It goes like this: open new document + make document horizontal + select 4 or 5 or 6 columns + adjust column margins to optimize space + create first label on first column + copy and paste to other columns. Done. Although you may need to import some type of image, clip art has some good enough ones, and adjust spaces to line up the printing. Once you have this first one done, simply Save As and create the second one, just needing to change the soap name and ingredients.

Whose says you have to have a computer anyways? A roll of sticker labels and a little artwork would create great and artistic labels for any all natural soap.

Another natural soap labels idea consists of using a little soap box, often sold at soap supply stores. This method is the best way if you are wholesaling to a store, as the box is the only way to get the bar from getting damaged by high traffic. These usually come in white or kraft, with little windows to see and smell the soap, and there is room for informational labels. These could cost up to 25 cents each, plus any other labeling, which is considerably more than the 2 - 5 cents for a paper label.

When making display baskets, try to have basket cloths that match and compliment the type or color of the soap. A cloth will also protect the corners of your bars from getting dinged or flattened too much from the basket. Wicker basket strings will cut into your soap. I used to have my soaps all lined up in a straight line, I though it looked tidier but this also helps to preserve the corners of your soap. If your soap is scattered all over a basket, it's corners may be getting rounded and damaged by the basket.

This paragraph is from the Selling chapter, but it applies here as well: Find a niche with your soap. Your unique selling perspective, something locally special or some different method. Here's a few examples, such as: using water from mineral rich hot springs (test it first) or artisan wells; bars wrapped in recycled comic book pages (w/tissue), using plants locally grown, environmentally friendly no-labels.

Check out my soap gallery photos to see some soaps and some natural soap labels.

Check out the Selling soap at craft fair page for additional news.

From Natural Soap Labels to checking out the FAQ's!