Soap Makers Help!

[Backyard Buddies]

Morgaine - That's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

Morgaine, that is fantastic!!! HSD!!!

I always have soap in the car. Usually it's so I can fill internet orders the same day while I'm at work but it has come in handy for passing out samples too!

 

[cheeptrick]

I leave a bar of soap with my tips too...I stopped printing business cards...my label is the business card. Website/email is all they need. I do NOT publish my home location because of all the METH addicts...you never know!?!

DH takes soap to work every couple months...X-Mas is a big time...but we let folks dry up and force them to start using commercial soaps to remind them JUST how great my soap is....they come begging for more.

It is thrilling to hear from the store that your soaps were sold and THEY need more!

 

[MissPrissy]

I made my business card the lable/tag for my soaps. I had the back printed with my ingredients. Anything that varies from the normal soaps I add it with a sticky lable. 2000 cards usually run me about $25. That makes them a little more than a penny each.

 

[cheeptrick]

Quote:
I do the cigar band...with muslin bags...costs appx. .15 cents per bar. Rest is soap and profit. I do also put the internet orders in brown boxes with a box label(most folks order 5 or more bars because of the shipping prices)...little extra effort...which seems to make a difference.

I LOVE saving money on something the customer is going to throw away anyhow.

 

[Morgaine]

Thank you everyone! I really have to thank my husband who has been very supportive of me and has really helped push me into believing that I can do this. And I want to thank you experienced soap makers, I just love this thread, so much info in these pages.

I *might* have an in with a bed and breakfast in Brenham. One of the teachers at ds school who has been buying my soap mentioned my soap when she stayed there and she said the owner was very interested. I'm going to work on some hotel size bars this weekend and approach them on Monday. I've got to get my cost worked out too for smaller bars.

 

[NanaKat]

Oh Yeah! I have now completed reading the entire thread and have enjoyed every entry. Especially the pictures of all the lovely soaps.

I've made notecards on each of the resource links and notes about FO/EO combinations. I'll check these out later. I drew off the plans for the log mold with the hinged sides...hubby will help make those.

Here are a few suggestions I have.

I use a tool from the hardware store used to spread plaster over bedding tape to cut my soaps. I bought two different lengths...an 8 inch and a 12 inch. They are made of very thin metal and cut much smoother than a knife. Have a handle similiar to a putty knife.

I mold in flat trays that I got at Hobby Lobby for making tiles. Some are 8 inch PVC squares and I can get 6 nice sized bars from each tray. I control the thickness of the bar by how much I pour into the trays. With some recipes I cut a square of freezer paper for the bottom or a little time in the fridge help the soap block to release from the tray.

I have also used HL's 12 inch lighter weight plastic trays....have to watch when using these with milk or honey added to the mix...the temperature can heat warp the sides of these thinner trays. I can get 12 nice sized bars here.

In a pinch I have used dish washer powder boxes...the heavier weight cardboard makes a stronger box. I cut one of the big sides out and line it with a plastic bag or freezer paper.

I save the bottoms of those molded plastic comet cleanser containers for those little amounts of a pour. These make nice individual guest bars or sample bars. Several fit into a muffin tin covered with plastic wrap for easy movement.

Here's a neat trick: I put a 6 inch louffa sponge inside a PVC tube and pour thin traced soap. When gelled or cooled (depends on the mixture) I remove the soap by sliding it out of the tube and cutting it with a serrated knife. These make great exfoliating soaps. Big Lots or Dollar stores sell these for a $1 a piece.

A 4 inch PVC tube makes great half circle soaps. No fancy caps used here just several folded layers of plastic wrap rubberbanded over the end the tube. To get soaps out of the PVC pipe, my hubby cut wooden circles from plywood the same size as the inside of the pipe. I use a three inch diameter dowel to push the gelled soap out to slice.

I also like those Silicone muffin pans... work great too. I put them on a cookie sheet so I can insert them in the oven if I need to insure the gel

After sliding my plant trays under the bed to air dry and store my soaps I've moved up to metal shelves. I still use the plant trays but now I alternate the stacks and put my batch labels in the tray with the curing soap.

I made soaps back in September and October before hubbys surgery for Christmas this year. Haven't made any lately so didn't join the swap....maybe next time.

Yes...I'll try to get some pictures posted soon.

 

[cheeptrick]

Quote:

YOU answered every question in the thread! We will look forward to your pictures!

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Well I decided to be sneaky today lol. I left a bar of soap in my mailbox for my postal lady

She left me a note saying thank you and that they smell great. Hopefully I have another one hooked

 

[NanaKat]

One of my daughters made gift sacks for her office Christmas exchange with two bars in each bag.

They were a hit. She had severl people come back to ask where she bought the soaps.

Her boss, the judge, wanted to get more of the Citrus Honey Oatmeal face bar for his wife. He has been so good for our daughter, I sent her some bars to give them.

There are wonderful folks out there that just love something homemade and find that "our" (that's us Soap Sisters) soaps are not as harsh as the industrial made soaps.

Those of you selling soaps will always find lots of customers.