Feb. 14 will be here too soon!

[Ruthie]

Looking for inspiration for Valentine's Day. Tried a search but didn't find much. I know I gotta get busy to both order supplies and make soap to sell in time for V.D. I'll need molds as well as color. Anything besides red and purple? And aside from ordering multiples of the same mold (or various like-themed molds), how does one deal with a large enough batch to make soaping worth the time? (Of course any time soaping is better than time spent doing anything else, except sleeping or loving on the great-grandson!) :clap:

I guess it is obvious my experience is mostly limited to log molds. What molds do you recommend? Anything besides heart shaped? I don't think I want to do cherubs. And any special scents? And I'm not particularly after "sexy" scents. Maybe florals or foods? I prefer ordering from BB or WSP.

Thanks for any ideas or inspiration you provide.

 

[jcatblum]

Ruthie, I am on the Caddo Grady county line, maybe we should get together & trade scents sometime. Perhaps I shouldn't give you all my secrets, we may end up at the same show sometime soon.
I really would like to do some edible massage oil, but my teen girls are the ones who are in the "Soap Business"-- so not appropriate for them to sell IMO.
I feel your pain with molds. We only mold lotion bars, but never have enough molds. I think log molds are the only way to combat the supply & demand issue. How about some heart shaped embeds?
Food Scents never seem to sell well for me. People like to sniff them, but not purchase them.
WSP suppose to have a huge year end sale, not sure how good it will be. May want to get your order ready to place as soon as the sale kicks off.

 

[Ruthie]

jcatblum- how I searched this forum early-on for another Oklahoma soapmaker. I guess I had given up! It would be great to get together sometime. I teach in public school, so it might be summer before it would happen.

WSP's sale has advertised that shipping may be delayed, so even though I love a bargain, I'm hoping to order before the sale.

 

[dixiedragon]

IMO, individual molds are a huge, huge hassle. I kind of have a grudge against Milky Way molds for only putting 3 molds per sheet, when there is CLEARLY room for a 4th mold. Brambleberry has a heart-shaped silicone tube mold, so could do a heart-shaped imbed in a log mold. A soap stamp might also be good.

Scentwise, I would try to have some flowers - definitatly a rose one if you have a good one. People react to scents in SUCH different ways - for example, I made camo soap scented with a fragrance called "Sexy Man" that I intended for guys and the women just snapped it up! Whereas guys seem to really like vanilla, and not as much Bay Rum, again a "man" scent.

 

[seven]

Thinking of doing some cubed soaps for v-day. Perhaps with embeds or layers.

Btw, dixie, i really like BB's heart column mold. If only i wasnt living in another continent

 

[jcatblum]

Ruthie - I honestly never looked for another Okie on the thread & was shocked to see your location. I have been soaping for about 5 yrs & lurked on this forum FOREVER!!!
I am hoping delayed shipping means it will just take a few more days to get my package, my WSP orders are usually here within 4 days max. I do totally understand, the packages we are most eager to get are the ones that take the longest!

So are you making Valentine soap or other bath & body stuff? I say in addition to purple & red you should get pink. Did you look at the valentines kits BB & WSP has? BB has a valentine color sampler too. Are you selling to friends & family or do you have a booth set up? I have a hard time soaping with scents I don't love, but people want a variety. Everyone wants you to make their favorite & if they are a regular how do you say no...... which is why I have more scents than I think I could use in the next 5 yrs!

 

[Scentapy]

Here is what I did one year and it was a big hit: I made little heart shaped soaps (when I was still doing M&P - which I will NEVER do again but you could still do it w/ CP) and I put them in a red, foam heart shaped box that I got at Michaels. I did the soaps in chocolate and vanilla scents. So it was a box of chocolate soaps. I haven't really liked doing CP in anything but log molds but thought I would share the idea anyway since it was a great success that year!

 

[jcatblum]

I saw these boxes
http://www.orientaltrading.com/two-hearts-heart-shaped-favor-boxes-a2-8_394-12-1.fltr?Ntt=heartbox
May something a tad bigger if you were to do the box of chocolates Scentapy mentioned. I have daystars Dark Vanilla & it turns your soap almost black smells like chocolate.
I think you could always do soap cupcakes, then molds are easier to come by.

 

[Ruthie]

So are you making Valentine soap or other bath & body stuff? I say in addition to purple & red you should get pink. Did you look at the valentines kits BB & WSP has? BB has a valentine color sampler too. Are you selling to friends & family or do you have a booth set up? I have a hard time soaping with scents I don't love, but people want a variety. Everyone wants you to make their favorite & if they are a regular how do you say no...... which is why I have more scents than I think I could use in the next 5 yrs!

I've been to a couple of local craft shows here, but am thinking about sales in the teacher's lounge with these. (We are raising money for a teen girl whose mom was our cook and just died of cancer recently. We want to help with those Senior Year expenses.)

I soaped and made a few bath products when we lived in Texas and went to a lot of shows there. Just started soaping again about a year ago. Yes, I understand about the scents. One lady keeps asking for something else. But she is consistently my biggest customer.

So far I'm just making the soap, but thought I might add some sugar scrubs. Trying to keep it simple but still get the most bang for my buck.

By pink you must mean a hot pink? Otherwise it would just be less red. I looked at the color samplers but will go look more closely. Thanks!

 

[Ruthie]

Here is what I did one year and it was a big hit: I made little heart shaped soaps (when I was still doing M&P - which I will NEVER do again but you could still do it w/ CP) and I put them in a red, foam heart shaped box that I got at Michaels. I did the soaps in chocolate and vanilla scents. So it was a box of chocolate soaps. I haven't really liked doing CP in anything but log molds but thought I would share the idea anyway since it was a great success that year!

Scentapy, that is one thing I am considering. But I'm just not sure I want to mess with making little soaps. Still considering it, though. The idea is so cute!! TFS!

 

[Ruthie]

IMO, individual molds are a huge, huge hassle. I kind of have a grudge against Milky Way molds for only putting 3 molds per sheet, when there is CLEARLY room for a 4th mold. Brambleberry has a heart-shaped silicone tube mold, so could do a heart-shaped imbed in a log mold. A soap stamp might also be good.

Scentwise, I would try to have some flowers - definitatly a rose one if you have a good one. People react to scents in SUCH different ways - for example, I made camo soap scented with a fragrance called "Sexy Man" that I intended for guys and the women just snapped it up! Whereas guys seem to really like vanilla, and not as much Bay Rum, again a "man" scent.

Dixiedragon, I agree about the hassle. If they didn't look so cute! But with limited time, I do think the embed is the direction I'll take. I have a rose scent which is wonderful. Looking for at least a chocolate and maybe an amber or a new men's scent. The stamp is something I had not thought about- intriguing!!

Milky Way molds! I have a set I've never used. Alphabet letters on a square base. That is another possibility! Could spell out LOVE" and maybe some other words?

 

[Ruthie]

Thinking of doing some cubed soaps for v-day. Perhaps with embeds or layers.

Btw, dixie, i really like BB's heart column mold. If only i wasnt living in another continent

Seven, are you using a log mold and then cutting in cubes? Or are you using a cube shaped mold?

 

[seven]

Seven, are you using a log mold and then cutting in cubes? Or are you using a cube shaped mold?

Ruthie, i am using a silicone cube mold. I think mine has 12 cavities in it. It makes a cute looking soap esp with embeds on top. And i saw an old soapqueen tutorial the other day for wrapping cube soaps milk carton style. Came with a free printable template. I think i'm gonna try that one

 

[jcatblum]

So far I'm just making the soap, but thought I might add some sugar scrubs. Trying to keep it simple but still get the most bang for my buck.

By pink you must mean a hot pink? Otherwise it would just be less red. I looked at the color samplers but will go look more closely. Thanks!

I have 2 teen girls, so hot pink is a part of daily life. I love sugar scrubs, but if you don't already have the preservative you are adding another $20 in supplies. My DH loves Almond & Honey from WSP. Black Raspberry Vanilla & Coconut Lime always do well for me too.
I don't know what grade you teach, I keep trying to think of something that could be an affordable classroom gift. Even something other teachers could order from you in advance to give their class as a gift. So far all I have come up with is lipbalm.

 

[dixiedragon]

Thinking of doing some cubed soaps for v-day. Perhaps with embeds or layers.

Btw, dixie, i really like BB's heart column mold. If only i wasnt living in another continent

If I had the $, I would open a soaping supplies store in Europe! Seems to be a market and not a lot of supply. Aussie soapers seem to do okay. Not sure about South America.

 

[dixiedragon]

check out the Dollar Tree. In my area, they often carry holiday/seasonal silicone ice cube trays. I have gotten a few heart trays there in the past, also pumpkins, skulls, Christmas trees etc.

 

[seven]

If I had the $, I would open a soaping supplies store in Europe! Seems to be a market and not a lot of supply. Aussie soapers seem to do okay. Not sure about South America.

Aussie is a soap heaven that's closest to me. I can't wait till i go there again. In my whole country, there is only 1 guy i found so far who sells decent imported FOs. If i have to rely on local FOs, forget fancy designs, and a big warm welcome to... Ricing... Grrrrrr..

 

[QueenBeeSoap]

One of my favourite Valentine's Day soap ideas is chocolate dipped strawberry soap. In a log mold, you just pour a layer of chocolate scented soap (can be coloured with cocoa powder) over a layer of strawberry coloured and scented soap.

 

[TVivian]

here are my finds for my valentines soaps I got a silicone heart "loaf" embed mold at Michaels 50% off today and tomorrow! And some heart silicone mats at Cost Plus world market.. Also on sale! Going to cut them in half and place on the bottom of my loaf molds. .. For anyone interested who lives near a Michael's, I've attached the Michaels coupon to use with a smartphone because they will scan a screen photo

 

[seven]

^^ dang! and it's valid for US only *cry*