DIY Printed Paper Gift Bags for Soaps

As a soap maker, I'm always looking for cute ideas for packaging my soaps and other personal products. I loved the idea of a cute folded paper bag I could print and make myself, so I decided to try it and have been hooked ever since! They're super cute and fairly inexpensive to do. You can print your info on the sheet of paper (I used the standard 8.5 x 11) using your favorite labeling software. I used an old favorite of mine called Label Factory Deluxe. But you could use Microsoft Word, Publisher, etc... to create your label. Mine have the name of the soap with it's weight and my logo on the front, the bottom has my company name and address, and the back has directions for use, ingredients list, and any cautions or warning that may be needed. I hope you enjoy this and decide to make some for yourself. They're great for if you sell soaps, or decide to use them as gift bags!

Gather your supplies. I used my printed paper I made with my labeling software, paper trimmer, scissors, hole punch, pen, yarn or ribbon, and my soap.

I like to trim about 1/2 inch or a tad more from all sides of my standard 8.5 x 11 paper to properly fit my soap. You’ll need to play around with what size paper works best for your project as soaps can be various sizes and shapes.

Fold over long ways and pinch the very ends. Don’t crease the entire length.

Then fold one half of your paper to those creased marks you just made, and repeat for the other side.

Now take your bar of soap and place at the top edge, then fold your bottom half of the paper up to the soap. You’ll want your soap snug in the bag which is why you do this step.

Repeat for the other end of the paper.

Take the crease you just made and fold it over to create another fold you see above and run your nail down to make a sharp crease.

Repeat this step for all 4 edges to create the bottom of your bag that will hold the soap.

Making those folds have created a nice seat for your soap to fit into. The bag is now almost complete!

Now take your soap bar and place it in the folds you just made to hold it. Check to make sure there's not too much empty space on either end of your soap. If so, you'll need to trim off a bit more paper to fit properly. If you do that, make sure to adjust your print in your software to accommodate the changes.

This is where you can get really creative! Use pretty ribbon, buttons, etc… to close up your bag. I like to punch little holes with my hole punch and use bits of yarn to tie a little bow. My being a knitter comes in handy sometimes!

So now your bag is done and you can see your handmade item from the side as seen in the photo, and your company info (if selling) or personalization if gifting is right there on the bottom.

That's it! This little bag can be made for other small items as well, so feel free to experiment and have fun!