# How do you wrap soap for gifts



## lenarenee (Dec 11, 2014)

We fly out next week for Christmas and I'm trying to to decide what to do with soap gifts.
Just stick bars in gift bags? Cigar back down them first?  How do you gift soap? (Keep in mind they have to fly in a suitcase)


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## Seawolfe (Dec 11, 2014)

I just wrap them in cigar bands that tell the name and ingredients etc so people know what they are getting, and then pack like scents together all flat in ziplock bags. I've done this for 6 flights and its worked for me. Just remember that if you are flying to Hawaii they might confiscate ONE scent of your shaving soaps (but nothing else) :Kitten Love:

Once you get there you can pull them out of the ziplocks and put them into nice gift bags.


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## IrishLass (Dec 11, 2014)

I wrap mine present-style in those white glassine-type sandwich wrap papers (pay no mind to my generic label. It was just something I hastily threw together for demonstration purposes):







I remember back in 2008 or thereabouts when I flew across country to visit family with something like 5 soaps in my carry-on. I got stopped at security as they rifled through my bag, took out my soaps, and took a good hard look at them. They didn't take any (thankfully) and they let me go without incident (and without explanation), but it sure did rattle me. 

IrishLass


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## boyago (Dec 11, 2014)

lenarenee said:


> We fly out next week for Christmas and I'm trying to to decide what to do with soap gifts.
> Just stick bars in gift bags? Cigar back down them first?  How do you gift soap? (Keep in mind they have to fly in a suitcase)



Last year I did gift bags. Packaged them up and sent them ahead of me.  Most of my soaps are unscented but I used sandwich bags on those with added scents.



IrishLass said:


> I remember back in 2008 or thereabouts when I flew across country to visit family with something like 5 soaps in my carry-on. I got stopped at security as they rifled through my bag, took out my soaps, and took a good hard look at them. They didn't take any (thankfully) and they let me go without incident (and without explanation), but it sure did rattle me.
> 
> IrishLass



Last year after I while going through security I was called out for hand swab, was wondering if the NaOH set off some kind of sensor.  Anybody have this happen?


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## Susie (Dec 11, 2014)

The glycerin will set off some sort of sensor from what I recall.


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## xraygrl (Dec 11, 2014)

I can think of lots of ways to wrap soaps. Scrapbook paper, holiday fabric, coffee filters (looks especially great on puck shaped soap. Labels can be easily made in MS word, open office or paint. Do a google  search for packaging for handmade soap and you will get lots of ideas. :-D


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## lenarenee (Dec 11, 2014)

Susie said:


> The glycerin will set off some sort of sensor from what I recall.



:shock: The glycerin in  the soap, or a bottle of glycerin???  

So if I have 20 bars of soap in my bag, I might be suspected of carrying explosives? Even confiscate it?


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## IrishLass (Dec 11, 2014)

I really like Boyago's method of packaging them up and sending them on ahead of you. That's a great idea!


 IrishLass


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## girlishcharm2004 (Dec 11, 2014)

lenarenee said:


> :shock: The glycerin in the soap, or a bottle of glycerin???
> 
> So if I have 20 bars of soap in my bag, I might be suspected of carrying explosives? Even confiscate it?



Haha, I doubt they'll confiscate it, but you never know. I went through airport security with bags of sand in my backpack. Under the x-ray, it looks like C-4 -- at least, according to the TSA officer who took me aside. They took a look at it, asked why I had it, then swabbed the palms of my hands and the sides of the sand bags. The swabs were tested for residue (which took 30 seconds for results). Then they let me pass. They told me they had to swab because of what it looked like under the x-ray even though they could clearly see that it was sand and I didn't look like a terrorist. 


My apologies, I didn't even answer your initial question! I have wrapped soap like IrishLass in scrap-book paper with a band and label. Also, I have put them in kraft boxes with a label and raffia ribbon around it. For flying, I might put them in organza bags, or bring the organza bags along for quick wrapping once I reach my destination. In the organza bag, I would also add a business card (instead of a label) that has the name and ingredients on it.


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## Pepsi Girl (Dec 11, 2014)

girlishcharm2004 said:


> I didn't look like a terrorist.
> http://www.soapmakingforum.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/



And what does a terrorist look like?roblem:roblem:


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## girlishcharm2004 (Dec 11, 2014)

Pepsi Girl said:


> And what does a terrorist look like?roblem:roblem:



Ha! My dad. He always gets taken aside and patted down because he "looks like a terrorist"... apparently.
http://www.soapmakingforum.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## Lbrown123 (Dec 11, 2014)

This is how I wrapped this year. Hopefully the picture will show. I put the sticker on the bottom because it's not so attractive:shh:


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## Shoshi (Dec 11, 2014)

IrishLass said:


> I wrap mine present-style in those white glassine-type sandwich wrap papers (pay no mind to my generic label. It was just something I hastily threw together for demonstration purposes):
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This wrapping is seriously professional, IrishLass! Love it. On the soap course I've just finished, at the end of each session the teacher got her big bags of goodies out and we all dug in and wrapped our soaps. I mostly wrapped them in clear cellophane with some pretty ribbon around. The gold, frankincense and myrrh soap (my favourite!) I brought home and added a band I made from some card that I painted and embossed, and matted and layered onto some gold mirror card. I'll attach some photos.

I like the cellophane because a) it protects the soap and b) you can see the soap through it - when we did the natural soaps with dried lemon slices, or cinnamon sticks on top, it was nice to be able to see this.

Shoshi




Lbrown123 said:


> This is how I wrapped this year. Hopefully the picture will show. I put the sticker on the bottom because it's not so attractive:shh:



Love these! Cellophane packaging is so great because it shows off the soap. Really pretty! Anyone would love to receive these as a gift.

Shoshi


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## JustBeachy (Dec 11, 2014)

Pepsi Girl said:


> And what does a terrorist look like?roblem:roblem:



Watch a episode of Jeff Dunham.  There's this little dude that sits besides him sometimes. They say he's a dead ringer for a terrorist.


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## lenarenee (Dec 11, 2014)

I love Jeff Dunhan!!  And there's  so many pc reasons not to....so go figure! 

Achmed (sp?) Is the little terrorist dude. I think he's got a girlfriend now...?

You all have lovely packaging for your soaps!! I don't sell, so my packaging will be....less impressive.  Probably water  color paper cigar bands held together with a Christmas sticker.

To avoid TSA hassle, I hurriedly packed up 12 pounds of soap and shipped it off to the East coast. (Just guess what that cost?  :shock: I'll label it when I get there next week)
It's worth it though to avoid TSA hassle because I need to get there in time for a college graduation and military ceremony. I was this young man's nanny for 12 years, and his family gifted me a plane ticket to come celebrate and spend Christmas!

(Ya'll think we're now on a terrorist watch list after discussing terrorists and glycerin on this thread?)


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## jules92207 (Dec 12, 2014)

I wrap them in cotton fabric and tie the ends with that straw like stuff you find in the florist section of the craft store. I suddenly can't remember what it's called. They are pretty homely. Lol!


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## Susie (Dec 12, 2014)

jules92207 said:


> I wrap them in cotton fabric and tie the ends with that straw like stuff you find in the florist section of the craft store. I suddenly can't remember what it's called. They are pretty homely. Lol!



I think that is raffia.

And it is the glycerin already in the soap.  Supposedly they have been taught better than to arrest people now.

I am not a frou-frou type person, I just took half a sheet of tissue paper, put the bar in the center, pulled all the sides up and tied it with a ribbon.  I used two recipes for all the soaps with only EO and color differences, so I made one ingredient list and tucked it into the gift bag.  Different colors of tissue papers made a festive enough looking bag.  I just hate that I was not able to crochet a washcloth, or other bath type items.  I did send some soap savers I made from a pouf with a cotton yarn drawstring, as well as Soap2Go and lip balms.  This was one the most fun Christmas gifts I have ever given.  I think that was my gift to me.


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## JustBeachy (Dec 12, 2014)

lenarenee said:


> I love Jeff Dunhan!!  And there's  so many pc reasons not to....so go figure!
> 
> Achmed (sp?) Is the little terrorist dude. I think he's got a girlfriend now...?




Yeah, I think he's hilarious. I don't worry about the whole PC thing. Most of it is just silly, in my opinion. We've become so PC these days, at times it seems like we've just forgotten what common sense is.


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## Shoshi (Dec 15, 2014)

JustBeachy said:


> Yeah, I think he's hilarious. I don't worry about the whole PC thing. Most of it is just silly, in my opinion. We've become so PC these days, at times it seems like we've just forgotten what common sense is.


I quite agree! PC, health and safety etc. etc. has gone crazy. I think the world has gone quite mad, and the main casualty of all this silliness is common sense.

I mean, for goodnes sake - on a packet of peanuts: "Warning: this product contains nuts." My hubby (a retired church minister) was told that as his church was a public building, he had to put up a "No Smoking" sign (I think they've revised that bit of silliness now because nobody smokes in church lol!) and he said if he had to, it would be under duress, and he'd put another sign up underneath saying "Warning: these premises may contain nuts." Lol!!

Shoshi
http://www.soapmakingforum.com//uk.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## girlishcharm2004 (Dec 15, 2014)

That reminds me of how _everything_ is labeled with, "WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm."  I had an out-of-state visitor who was floored that such a sign would be on an apartment building.  I told her it was on every building.

Makes me think living in California is cancerous...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_65_(1986)


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## Jstar (Dec 21, 2014)

Love Achmed, but Walter is my fave

And then there's Jeff Foxworthy with his 'do not eat' warnings for stupid people.

The little package of dampness pellets in the speakers that say 'Do Not Eat'

Stupid Person says: "Oh cool! I got music and gum! {chicklets}


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