DIY Ideas for Homemade Soap Labels

One of the most difficult things for me about soapmaking isn’t coming up with new recipes or ideas, it’s coming up with a design for the actual labels that go on the resulting soaps. So I thought I’d share just a few ideas for inspiration to help you with your own homemade soap labels whether you’re crafting handmade soaps to sell or to give as handmade gifts.

I created the side wrap labels for my handmade activated charcoal facial soap (pictured above) in Open Office, which is a free open source program similar to Word. First, I measured out my soap bar to figure out what size my labels needed to be then created two columns with these size guidelines in Open Office. (Don’t forget to create padding between the two columns to compensate for the width of your soap.) In the left column I typed out the ingredient list, weight and company information. I then copied and pasted this information down the entire left side of the column. Then, in the right hand column I typed in the soap name using a decorative font.

Then I placed a frame in center of the name and left it blank so I could adhere a “Handmade with Love” sticker inside the empty frame once printed. I purchased these particular stickers from Cute Tape, however you can create your own Kraft stickers and labels with Kraft sticker paper from World Label. Alternately, you could also insert a picture or drawing here in lieu of a frame.

Also, if you are creating frame around the label with an existing frame or picture, you will need to wrap the frame in the background and then arrange it by sending it to the back. Once I had my design in place for the front side of the label, I then copied and pasted the soap name and frame down the entire right side of the column so that it lined up with the ingredient list on the left. I then printed them onto a full page white sticker sheet.

Too much of a challenge? You can download the soap labels like the ones pictured above here, then use a PDF converter to edit the text with your own information.

Using the same basic concept I also created this Mountain Man Detox Soap Label using my own drawing I scanned into the computer in place of the frame.

Like the previous soap label, the ingredients, weight and business info wrap around onto the back of the soap so just the soap name and image appear on the front. Alternately, you could also place the company name on the front above the picture with the type of soap below the picture. You can use a black and white image and either leave it black and white or color it in with markers by hand for a more homemade look. Or you can simply use a color image and print the labels out in color. You can download my Mountain Range Soap Labels in black and white here. Or download in color here. You will have to use a PDF converter to edit and customize the labels.

Another simple way to label your soaps is with a cigar band label. These labels can be wide or thin. And as the only labeling requirement for true soap (created from primarily fats and an alkali) is the weight, you can make these a minimalist as you like. Rather than make a perfectly straight rectangle shaped cigar label for my Handmade Summer Festival Soap, I included some clip art I purchased for this soap label to give it some shape and dress it up a bit.

You can use images in any number of ways on these cigar band labels. However, the smaller your label, the small and simpler the image for your soap label should be. Here, I wrapped the soap first in Kraft paper and then applied a cigar band soap label that was printed onto sticker paper.

For more ideas, I suggest window shopping! There are so many amazing handmade soap artisans online, that’s it’s easy to browse products from other companies to help inspire your next soap label or packaging design! For example, Bodhi Basics (pictured above) wraps her lovely natural, organic soaps with paper cigar band labels printed on Kraft paper with a piece of cork tucked inside.

While Daily Repose dresses up her simple Kraft paper labels from her handmade soap line with a lacy paper doily edge and ribbon. I also love how she decorated her seasonal soaps for Halloween with little accents like the skull featured on this black licorice scented soap (above.)

Sunshine Garden wraps her soaps in what appears to be waxed paper or parchment. Then wraps with a cigar band label made from decorative papers. A round sticker label with her company name, fragrance and weight.

What are some of your favorite ways to wrap your own homemade soaps whether to sell or to gift?