Anthropologie Inspired DIY: Monogram Soap

I’m betting lots of our readers are Anthropologie fans.  How can you not be?  The store is the perfect mix of down-to-earth (latte bowls! comfy cotton t’s!) and inspiration (um, $5000+ sofas).  Alyssa and I were perusing the store just before the holidays and found so many great token gifts: small items that you leave as a just-because gift, to let people know you’re thinking of them, or to send a small Congratulations or Get Well Soon!  

One of our favorite finds was a collection of Monogram Soaps.  (If that link has expired, try this photo!)  The great thing about these tiny packages is that they are a great product (amazing soap) with a personal touch (personalized monogram suited to the name of your gift-receiver).  So I thought I’d share an Anthropologie inspired DIY for how to get the same look, with plenty of tips to suit your own style!

Let’s start with the soap itself.  I tend to think that it’s easy to find a lovely soap for any occasion.  If you aren’t too picky and going for a nice soap that smells good but won’t break the bank I like Yardley’s soaps, which are available easily in drugstores all over for around $1.  You can absolutely keep them in the box and wrap it up- the sharp edges make it super simple!  For a mid-priced option, head to your local Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.  Both stores offer plenty of bars in scents like lavender, citrus and olive oil for roughly $3-4.  For sheer luxury, head to a department store cosmetics section or Sephora– the Fresh bars listed on that page have already completed one step of the DIY process with their pretty packaging!  (The L’Occitane bar in the photo is ALSO top-notch: smells great and moisturizes like a boss.)

Paper choices are the next factor: you MUST have some pretty, coordinating paper for a successful soap presentation!  The red/pink/black soap is wrapped with scrap-booking paper (head to any craft store for great patterns at about twenty cents a page), while the kraft version has a wrapping paper base.  Some additional options for paper are: origami paper, newspaper (especially the brightly colored comics section!) and even the inside of a paper bag, attacked with a Sharpie pattern!

Anthropologie Inspired DIY: Monogram Soap

2014-01-16 19:52:16

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Ingredients

1. bar of soap
2. pretty paper (at least two kinds of coordinating prints)
3. clear tape or double sided tape
4. monogram supplies: monogram stencils, colored felt tip pens, Sharpies, glitter glue pens, washi tape, hologram tape

Instructions

1. Wrap each bar individually with your base paper.
2. Wrap a band of your second type of paper around the center of the bar, either horizontally or vertically. If you wrap vertically, make sure that your band is wide enough to comfortably accommodate the size of your intended monogram. Try to wrap the band so the back-center seam is in the same spot. (See photo below.)
3. Create your monogram!

Notes

1. For the glitter monogram: Trace a letter onto the top of your center band with a felt tip pen. Fill in using the glitter glue pen and allow to dry.
2. For the hologram tape monogram (good for any tape of tape, especially good for monogram letters with no curves): Create the monogram out of the tape itself. If you prefer rounded corners, shape the tape before affixing to your paper band.
3. An easy way to create washi letters: overlap a few layers of washi tape to create a "sheet". Use stencil and trace onto tape with a pencil. Cut out (using an X-Acto knife, if needed) and place on your paper band.

By Carla

Alyssa and Carla https://www.alyssaandcarla.com/

The key to a successful monogram is making it super special!  The glitter and shiny tape in these versions makes an eye-catching display- but I also love the idea of recreating Anthropologie’s shadow font with felt pens straight onto the surface of your center paper band. 

One last tip I think would rock: paper lace bands!  I’m on the hunt for some paper doilies I could slip between the base wrapping and the band for a frilly, pretty vibe.

Happy soap decorating!