Inky black soaps made from charcoal, bath bombs made from black salt, and adorable candy corn soap made from layering colors: they all scream Halloween (this couldn't be more up my street unless it lived in my house). I'm packaging up these beauties from the team at Bramble Berry, using some of my go-to tricks for packaging.
For these spooktacular little gifts, I've reached into my Halloween arsenal for one of my go-to seasonal sets: Got Candy. I'm also giving you a wee peek at some new things coming your way from Essentials by Ellen next Sunday, September 10th. See if you can spot 'em!
"My" Halloween isn't the gory sort. I like it spooky, with a side of cute, and a hint of classy: pretty old tombstones, photos of turn-of-the-century "witches," and Victorian homes with wallpaper that makes you feel like you're being watched. That's how I got to this unexpected Halloween pairing; Lawn Fawn's Goodie Bag and the Bed of Roses Die from Essentials by Ellen.
Creating the look was a breeze: cut a Bed of Roses panel and layer it over the cardstock the Goodie Bag is being cut from. Grab your bag die, place it on top of both sheets of paper (the big part of the bag die should be over the Bed of Roses panel), and run them through your die-cutting machine together. TIP: Not only will this leave a lovely de-bossed pattern you could leave as-is, but the pattern left behind is the perfect guide for adhering the Bed of Roses panel back in place after trimming off the excess left at the bottom.
Even if Halloween isn't your thing, this is an idea you can use all year long. It would be lovely made from soft colors for spring birthdays, red for Christmas treats, or use the same color for both parts for a textured, monochrome look.
Sometimes a gift can be the packaging too; the Black Salt Bath Bombs arrived in clear containers that showed off their cool color and texture. Instead of creating something to put them in, I accentuated the clear packaging with tags.
Tip: To balance the black star on the "Happy Halloween" tag, I used a black Copic marker and a ruler to create a simple black stripe. I think it would be cool to make these for Christmas with a gold star, changing the sentiment to "Merry Christmas," and adding a stripe of metallic gold at the base.
Simple wraps are one of my packaging go-tos because they're easy, quick, and pack a decorative punch. They're particularly fun when seeing what's underneath adds to the overall impact: fancy candy bars, mini loaves, bottles of wine, hostess gifts, or even a book.
We have so many awesome dies to create boxes and bags at our fingertips these days, but you can turn almost anything into a box with extra cardstock and a few score lines. (And I just happened to have a new tag die on my work table that was the perfect size and shape to transform into a tombstone. *wink wink*)
TIP: Distress Oxide Inks in Black Soot and Iced Spruce make awesome tombstones.
If you'd like to learn more about how these soaps were made, check out the Soap Queen Blog by Bramble Berry: Candy Corn Soap, Charcoal Facial Soap, Black Salt Bath Bomb.
Thanks for reading! -Heather
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