# Wrapping CP soap in Fabric



## nattynoo

Any thoughts on wrapping soap in fabric (100%cotton)?
For presentation.
I want to completely wrap the soap. No open ends or anything.
Could you forsee any problems with that or do you think it better to wrap in greaseproof first and then wrap in the fabric?
I've had some soap sitting there, wrapped in fabric for a few months with no problems , in fact the scent comes thru nicely and the soap is still in the same lovely condition it was when it was wrapped up.
I did read an article online on DOS and muslin bags, which I cannot locate to save my life, that it helped with keeping DOS away not encouraging it which was/is my primary concern. The person trialled/compared various ways of storing soap with differing results. The muslin bags coming out best.
Anyone used this method or know how the soap holds up over a long period of time or have any thoughts on it?


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## ToniD

I have never done it,   but a friend wraps hers in fabric.   It does have open corners.   She wraps a strip around the longs side, twists it on the back, brings it across the short side and ties it.   When she taught me to make soap 2 and a half  yrs ago she gave me a couple of the bars, wrapped in fabric.   I saved one of the bars  as a memory.    No DOS,   I am guessing that storage conditions would have a lot to do with it.   If it is damp/humid and the fabric is holding damp by the bars, that would not be good.


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## serfmunke

A friend of mine sent me a pic of some soap she saw and it was wrapped in fabric. It was very cute!


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## Hazel

I don't know but I'm interested in this conversation. I saw some patterned quilting strips at the store and I thought they might work for wrapping around bars. I'd like to hear other people's opinions.


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## nattynoo

Found the article.
http://smftutorials.com/drupal/dreaded- ... experiment
It was right here...laugh.

Its a good read.


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## newbie

I like the idea of it being wrapped in fabric- you can smell through it and it doesn't feel like everyone has touched your soap. I have to say, though, I like to be able to see the soap, even just a bit, because I like to see the color and texture of the bar. I don't know how important the visual part is to other people. And I'm sure overall storage conditions make the biggest difference with DOS, but with the right kind of fabric, I would bet soaps breathe better than with paper around them.


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## AmyW

Great link, that untreated uncovered bar looks nasty!


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## nattynoo

I know Amy.
I made a 100%castile ages ago and it went like this. I never knew DOS got that bad at the time and thought it was just its colour.
It was a good experience for me to see the DOS. This is how I realised I was curing in the wrrrong place. 
No amount of reading could of taught me that.
Its very clear from the experiment that the muslin/fabric held the DOS back.


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## newbie

WOW! I am amazed at the difference. I would not have guessed that simple muslin would have such protective effects. Amazing.


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## Hazel

nattynoo- 

Thanks for posting the link and it is really interesting. I'll be using muslin.   :wink:

I've got some castile that's 8 months old. I wonder if it's too late to put it in muslin.


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## KylieO

and i wonder how soon is too soon?  i have castille, about 4 weeks old, when do you think i should wrap it in muslin?


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## Hazel

KylieO said:
			
		

> and i wonder how soon is too soon?  i have castille, about 4 weeks old, when do you think i should wrap it in muslin?



Good question.


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## tryanything

Hazel said:
			
		

> KylieO said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and i wonder how soon is too soon?  i have castille, about 4 weeks old, when do you think i should wrap it in muslin?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Good question.
Click to expand...


In the article it sounds like she let them cure for 8 weeks, then wrapped them.  I'm curious about the muslin bags.  Can I make my own or buy them somewhere?  I have some 92% Bastille soap that is 4 days old.  I would definately like to try storing them in the bags!  Or if not bags, how do you secure the musling around them?

Edited to add: I found a tutorial on how to make a drawstring bag!  Yay!  now I just need to get some muslin and cord:  http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/02/18/a ... -tutorial/


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## nattynoo

I've been thinking when is the right time as well.
For me I was thinking of wrapping after they r cured. Well cured.
I think from what I understand in the article it has to do with less surface area thats exposed to light/air etc. 
Just a great experiment in general.

There's so many amazing fabrics out there it opens up all sorts of possibilities with themes etc if you sell.
I can't see that muslin is any different to regular 100%cotton fabric. The fabric I see her use in the article looks to me like what we call calico here in au. I usually call muslin a very sheer guaze like fabric. All 100% cotton though. Different countries... different names ...but still the same


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## nattynoo

Been mucking around with this today.
I just secured the fabric in place with ribbon & the band. Bit of an overkill probably.
Pretty good photography hey   ....rofl.
Just a quickie as I thought I'd share.




Planning on doing some up coming markets that are family based.
Aiming at the kids with this one  :wink:


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## Relle

Like the MF soap wrapped Nat, I think the gimmick of the soap seems to sell it ( mine anyway). I've got tons of material I could use up that way, but I'm concerned they won't be able to see the soap with the swirls etc.
I think muslin would be a pain to sew being so fine, but calico is quick and easy.


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## dOttY

This is really cute...

http://pinterest.com/pin/3145942/


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## nattynoo

Nostalgia packaging is to die for....agreed.
Their brand is just beautiful.


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## Hazel

nattynoo said:
			
		

> Been mucking around with this today.
> I just secured the fabric in place with ribbon & the band. Bit of an overkill probably.
> Pretty good photography hey   ....rofl.
> Just a quickie as I thought I'd share.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Planning on doing some up coming markets that are family based.
> Aiming at the kids with this one  :wink:



I love it! It's very creative and I think it looks professional. It looks like something you'd find in a high scale store, KWIM. I think this would be very popular with kids (and some adults, too  :wink: )


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## Hazel

Hazel said:
			
		

> nattynoo said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Been mucking around with this today.
> I just secured the fabric in place with ribbon & the band. Bit of an overkill probably.
> Pretty good photography hey   ....rofl.
> Just a quickie as I thought I'd share.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Planning on doing some up coming markets that are family based.
> Aiming at the kids with this one  :wink:
Click to expand...


I love it! It's very creative and I think it looks professional. It looks like something you'd find in a high scale store, KWIM. I think this would be very popular with kids (and some adults, too  :wink: )

If I saw this, I'd buy it to give out as gifts plus an extra for me to use.


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## tryanything

Naty, the monkey farts is very cute!  So you didn't use anything to secure it other than ribbon and the labbel?  I think that might be a little less time consuming than making bags.  Though I don't have labels since I don't sell or anything.  Maybe just some really wide ribbon?


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## nattynoo

tryanything - I've been brain storming this for a bit, and like you, thinking making bags would be quiet time consuming so got to thinking if I could actually wrap the soap in the fabric without any repercussions....hence the thread. The fabric held in place really nicely as the soap isn't slippery, its actually really grippy. The band does hold it in place well but a thick ribbon would b good too.


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## Lynnz

Just one word.....................AWESOME    
Cotton is such a great fabric....... breathes......... so would think soap presented this way would keep well.


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## newbie

Has there been anything, perhaps drawing on this experiment, that indicates that covering rows of soap on a drying rack or shelf with muslin/cotton fabric, rather than just drying it in a cold dark room on a shelf, is better as well, as opposed to the individually wrapped bar?


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## AmyW

Great Monkey Fartz wrap!

I got to thinking about this wrapped in muslin thing. The point is to keep DOS at bay - would a soap box have the same effect? What about windowed vs unwindowed boxes? Does the muslin cloth itself actually touching the soap keep DOS away or is it that the soap is more protected from air?


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## nattynoo

Amy, I would be thinking also that its more protected from air is all.

Thanx for lovely comments for my MF wrap peoples. I think I'll go with it.


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## mostho

i think that anything that allow the soap to breathe is fine.
And so cotton, linen, and other natural fabrics are well suitable for this purpose. 
Better should two layers, first of fabric and the last of any natural tissue and this should be the best package.

Nice!


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