How to Make a Ribbon-Decorated Soap
A Sweet Décor for Your Bathroom
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One of the things that always comes to mind when we think about the bathroom is soap, right? Over the years, I have found out that one of the most appreciated gifts I can give somebody is a ribbon-decorated soap in the colors of that person’s bathroom.
One year, I asked my teachers which colors their bathrooms were, and I custom-decorated soap for each of them as a gift during Teachers Appreciation Week. It was a ginormous success, and they still have their soaps.
The process is very simple, and today, I want to share it with you for the first time. I suppose millions of people know how to make these soaps, but I have always enjoyed thinking it is my special secret. I know, I know, silly, right?
Anyways, here comes nothing. I hope you enjoy the process and start making your own.
Supplies Needed to Make a Ribbon-Decorated Soap
- white soap
- white Satin Ribbon
- 3/8″ Blue Satin Ribbon
- Stainless Steel Straight Quilting Pins
- Pearl Head Pins
- scissors
- Bows, Silk Roses (optional)
You can use many other materials and colors to add variety and ensure your soap matches your bathroom decor. It’s just a matter of trying any combination you might like.
I normally use only 1/4-inch ribbons, but in this case I had to use a wider ribbon for the soap’s body because this particular soap had a curve, and I needed a wider ribbon to cover the corners properly. Try to buy a perfectly rectangular soap, because curved soaps like the ones I used in this project are more difficult to wrap. A perfectly rectangular soap will not only make your job easier, but the result will be prettier too.
Instructions
Unwrap your soap and check which side has the brand. Use this side for the bottom.
Take your Pearl Head Pins and start placing them at the top and bottom of your soap, keeping the same distance between them and using equal numbers of pins on both sides.
This step is crucial when you start wrapping your ribbon around the soap.
Once you finish placing the pins, take your chosen ribbon and make a knot around one of the bottom pins. (Remember to choose the side with the soap brand as your bottom.)
Secure the end of the ribbon with a stainless steel pin, close to the pearl headpin. Try to hide these pins as much as possible. The result will look prettier and better done.
Start wrapping the ribbon around the soap, from the bottom to the upper pin, following the lines of pins until you cover the entire soap. Be careful not to jump any pin, because it will show and won’t look good at the end.
You will probably need to wrap your ribbon twice around the soap’s corners to ensure that it covers them well. You don’t want any part of the soap to show.
Once you’ve covered the entire soap, tie the end of your ribbon to the bottom of the soap with a knot and a pin, exactly as you did at the beginning.
Next, tie your second ribbon with a knot to one of the pins and secure it with another pin, as shown in the picture.
This time, wrap your second ribbon around the pins on the same side. Once you finish that side, do the same with the other side.
Don’t forget to secure the end of the ribbon with a knot and a regular pin.
Once you finish wrapping your second ribbon around both sides, make a little bow with the same ribbon and pin it to the bottom of your soap to cover the knots and pins you used before. Do the same on the top of your soap, only this time make the bow a little bigger. You can also add mini silk flowers if you want.
After this step, place pearl head pins around the middle of the soap, trying to keep them evenly spaced.
I use the trick to place the pins on the four corners first. Then, place a pin in the center of each side of the soap. That helps me calculate how many pins I need between the corner and the center pin so I can place the same number of pins on either side.
Next, wrap your white ribbon around those pins exactly as you did on the top and bottom of the soap. Don’t forget to secure it with a stainless steel pin, and try to hide the pin under the ribbon.
It looks charming to make a little handle to give your soap the look of a little basket.
To make your handle, you have three options:
- Pin one or more pieces of ribbon from one end to the other, leaving enough length to look like a little handle, or
- Pin 3 pieces of ribbon on one side, make a braid with them, and pin them on the other side, or
- Pin three pieces of ribbon, crisscross two pieces around the third one, and pin them to the other end of the soap.
Options 2 and 3 make the handle stronger and are my personal favorites.
Finish each end with a pretty bow. You can add a little silk flower if you want, as I did.
Finally, display your pretty soap however you like in your bathroom.
Place it in a pretty box with tissue paper if you want to use it as a gift.
You can use only one ribbon color if you want, but it will blend all the sides, and you won’t be able to make the two different wrapping styles stand out.
The sky is the limit as far as the combination of colors, and I promise your soap will last for years on end as long as you don’t let it get wet.
Use a soft brush to clean the dust the ribbon might accumulate.
Conclusion
I have found it satisfying to make things with my hands and either display them in my home or give them away as gifts. This particular craft has been one of my favorites for many years and has always been a huge success every time I give it to somebody because it is different, and people tend to appreciate it when you take the time to make something for them.
I hope this post inspires you to make a pretty ribbon-decorated soap for your bathroom or many for your friends. Let me know if you have any questions or doubts that I can help you with. Remember that my door is always open.
Good luck, and enjoy this new adventure.
Love,
P.S. If you want to see an article about making something specific, let me know, and I will do my best to write it for you. My goal is to help you in any way I can, and I’m not too fond of anything better than posting something that you might find helpful.
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