Pretty Petals!

Pretty Petals!

Soap Petals and leaves are a simple and inexpensive project that just about any one can do. Soap Petals are perfect for an add-on to your existing Bath & Body or Candle Line. This is a great project for supervised school age kids, Scout Troops or Sunday School Groups! This is an excellent and easy fundraiser, gift or addition to a gift basket. There are several ways to make these one time use guest soaps detailed below.

*1 pound of MP soap will do somewhere around 400-500 petals or leaves.

Soak & Dry

You will need:

• Silk Rose Petals
• Tweezers
• M&P Soap (clear)
• Fragrance Oil (soap safe at least 3%)
• Drying Racks and or Wax Paper

Melt your MP soap in a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave and add your fragrance.

Drop rose petals into the melted soap and stir around to make sure each petal gets completely submerged.






Pick petals out with long tweezers, hemostats or needle nose pliers, one by one, and set on metal cooling racks to dry.Put wax paper under racks to catch drippings.

Dipping on Tagboard

You will need:

• Silk Rose Petals
• Foamy Tagboard
• Straight Pins
• Drawer Organizer Tray (or any rectangle dish to dip soap in, like a loaf pan)
• M&P Soap (clear)
• Fragrance Oil (soap safe at least 3%)
• Either a clothesline to hang the boards on or shelving to lay them on (Need to be able to hang over the edge so the petals don't touch)

1. Cut the tagboard in strips (about 3 inches wide) and long enough to just fit into the drawer organizer/dish.
2. Pin roses to the tagboard on one long edge. Don't push the pins all the way in because you don't want the petal to touch the tagboard. I always do this ahead of time in the evenings while watching TV.
3. Melt 1-2 lbs of clear M&P, add fragrance and pour into drawer tray/pan.
4. Dip the edge of the tagboard that the petals are attached to, making sure to completely submerge the petals. Quickly lift out and allow to drain a bit, and place on a ledge or shelf so that the petals hang freely over the edge and are not touching anything. Or you can hang the tag boards with clothespins on a make-shift clothesline. Put wax paper or old newspaper under them to catch drippings.
5. Allow to dry thoroughly, and package.

Tip: If the soap in your pan starts to skim over, you can reheat it in the microwave (just make sure you're using a microwave safe dish!). The pins will only leave a very tiny pin hole in your petals, so small it will not be seen.

Stringing on a Line

You will need:

• Silk Rose Petals
• Needle & Thread
• Hooks to hang the line of petals
• Drawer Organizer Tray (or any rectangle dish to dip soap in, like a loaf pan)
• M&P Soap (clear)
• Fragrance Oil (soap safe at least 3%)

1. Thread the needle using double thread, and run it through the edge of the rose petals, stringing them like popcorn. You will want to make your thread long enough to leave extra at each end to attach onto something to hang. Spread the petals apart on the thread so they don't stick together when you dip them.
2. Melt clear M&P, add fragrance, and pour into drawer tray or loaf pan.
3. Starting at one end of your string of petals, dip in as much as will go into the organizer, lift that out, and add another group, etc. until you have the whole string dipped. It works best if you have someone next to you to hold up the string while you finish dipping.
4. Hang the string up on hooks or nails, or whatever works best for you, so that the string hangs like a clothesline. Be sure to put wax paper or old newspaper underneath to catch the drippings.
5. Let hang until completely dry, and then package.

Packaging and Selling Ideas!

• Add a bit of Mica Powder or Cosmetic Glitter to the soap. This will make the petals sparkle! Perfect for Pretty Princess Soaps for little girls or big girl Diva's!
• Use our clear plastic votive tubes to package your petals for a unique twist. Add in a few leaves to make it look more realistic!
• Use clear cello bags and tie the tops with metallic or colored ribbon. A hang tag label lets your product shine!
• A small basket with paper shreds with leaves and greens looks great shrink wrapped!
• Find some soap dishes or pretty crystal bowls to sell with your petals!
• Try putting a handful of petals in a large sea shell inside a clear bag!
• Petals are beautiful in a clear crystal candy dish with a lid to set on the counter!
• Soap Petals look upscale when packaged in our clear tealight boxes tied with a beautiful ribbon.
• Display your petals in your shop with a pretty antique pitcher and bowl set on a stand, so you can let people try one out and wash their hands with it! Demonstrations make great sales!

In your packaging be sure to include basic instructions so your consumer understands how to use a Soap Petal. Below is an example label:

Pretty Petals Soap Petals are a one time use Guest Soap. Take one petal in your hand and run under warm water in the sink. Rub like you would a bar soap to create lather. Rinse after use and discard used petal in the trash.

Ingredients: MUST be listed. Refer to your specific soap, colorant and be sure to include fragrance! Per FDA regulations you MUST add this as you are selling a cosmetic.

Be sure to place on this your business name, address and phone number and website as well. You want to have people come back for more and it’s the law!

Most people sell their soap petals & soap leaves in packages of 25 for around $6.00 to $7.00. Depending on our packaging will determine how you label the above information. It may be on a hang tag or a label affixed to your packaging. Sky is the limit, just be sure to label everything including your information and ingredients Be sure to note if you feel people will not understand that Soap Petals do not disintegrate and are not to be washed down the drain!

Since Soap Petals are a single use product AND they smell great, they are an excellent marketing tool! Place a single petal in a tiny bag and attach to your business card. Hand these out to customers and potential customers!

Fragrance & Color Chart for Petals & Leaves:

Here are several floral scented fragrance ideas from Bitter Creek North for each color petal:

• Pink: Amber Rose Tobacco, Jasmine, Magnolia, Orchid, Plumeria, Rose Jasmine,

• Pale Pink: Amber Rose Tobacco, Jasmine, Magnolia, Orchid, Plumeria, Rose Jasmine, Victorian Rose

• Fuscia: Jasmine, Magnolia, Orchid, Plumeria, Victorian Rose

• White: Gardenia, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Magnolia, Orchid, Plumeria, Rose Jasmine, Victorian Rose

• Yellow: Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Magnolia, Orchid, Plumeria, Rose Jasmin, Ylang Ylang, Victorian Rose

• Lavender: Freesia, Heather, Hyacinth, Lavender, Lilac, Orchid, Plumeria, Victorain Rose

• Burgundy: Orchid, Rose Jasmine, Victorian Rose

• Peach: Magnolia, Orchid, Plumeria, Victorian Rose

• Red: Orchid, Victorian Rose

• Cream: Gardenia, Magnolia, Orchid, Plumeria, Rose Jasmine, Victorian Rose

• Pale Blue: Jasmine, Orchid, Plumeria

• Green Leaves: Clover Leaf, English Ivy