Trying to troubleshoot shrink wrapping

[theplasticfantasty]

Hi all, I'm using shrink wrap bags for the first time to package some M&P bars I made as gifts, and I'm having a little trouble with it. I don't have a heat sealer as it's out of my budget for the moment, so I'm using a flat iron (I know.. lol), which maybe seals the bags half the time, but mostly it just sort of melts them and makes the plastic on that top half kind of soft and stretchy, so it doesn't shrink and conform properly. I'm also having issues with some of the bags puffing up while I try and shrink them, which leads to holes opening up in different spots. I'm trying different things and adjusting as I go but I feel like I'm just wasting bags and getting frustrated. Any tips?

 

[TheGecko]

Blow dryer

 

[Catscankim]

I am ordering a sealer tomorrow. But have been shrink wrapping my soaps without one.

I cut the bag so its maybe 1 1/2 inches from the edge of the soap, and it leaves a sniffy spot. Someone here changed my life by saying to prick a small hole in the bag to avoid puffing. It makes an enormous difference. I use a thin sewing needle and make a small hole on the front and back. Just dont get too close with the heat gun or the small unnoticeable hole becomes huge.

 

[theplasticfantasty]

Blow dryer

Would that work better than a heat gun? The one I'm using gets hot but I use it at a distance

 

[theplasticfantasty]

I am ordering a sealer tomorrow. But have been shrink wrapping my soaps without one.

I cut the bag so its maybe 1 1/2 inches from the edge of the soap, and it leaves a sniffy spot. Someone here changed my life by saying to prick a small hole in the bag to avoid puffing. It makes an enormous difference. I use a thin sewing needle and make a small hole on the front and back. Just dont get too close with the heat gun or the small unnoticeable hole becomes huge.

I read somewhere about leaving a "sniffy spot" and I love that idea for my scented CP soaps! But the M&P bars I'm giving out are unscented and I don't want them to look like I didn't do a good job with packaging them (they are surprise gifts for a coworker's student's for the holidays). I will try poking a tiny hole to prevent the puffing though!

 

[Catscankim]

I get ya. I just received soap from a forum member and they were so nicely packaged that I decided that I need a sealer (shameless plug @Jersey Girl ). The one I have saved in my Amazon cart is $30. Now that I have seen one in person, it really does look so much more professional and classy. But I am starting a business, so I need to eat the expense.

I will still have to figure out a sniffy spot. I know @DeeAnna has a nice tutorial on her site. I am not on my regular computer so I don't have the link offhand.

 

[DeeAnna]

Here ya go -- Packaging soap | Soapy Stuff

 

[theplasticfantasty]

I get ya. I just received soap from a forum member and they were so nicely packaged that I decided that I need a sealer (shameless plug @Jersey Girl ). The one I have saved in my Amazon cart is $30. Now that I have seen one in person, it really does look so much more professional and classy. But I am starting a business, so I need to eat the expense.

I will still have to figure out a sniffy spot. I know @DeeAnna has a nice tutorial on her site. I am not on my regular computer so I don't have the link offhand.

I do have one that's been sitting in my Amazon cart for a long while, I would love to sell my soaps in the future but I'm not quite there yet so I'm debating if all this trouble is worth putting off purchasing it. Thank you for the user rec (and thank you @DeeAnna as well), that tutorial is wonderful!