Maker of the Month: Home Brewed Soaps
Introducing our Maker of the Month series! We're constantly inspired by the DIY bath and body community, so we want to showcase their talent here. We'll be featuring a different business owner or hobbyist each month. Learn more about how they got started creating, what inspires their work, and their advice for fellow makers. If you want a chance to be featured, share your photos with #BrambleOn!
You can spot products made by Melanie with Home Brewed Soaps right away. She started crafting because she wanted to give people meaningful handmade gifts, and she now specializes in all-natural wedding favors like soap and bath salts. They're made with beer, coffee, and tea and they have a beautiful rustic look with matching packaging. Get to know Melanie below!
How long have
you been making bath and body products, and how did you get started? How long have
you been selling your products?
I have been making
bath and body products for 12 years now. I started making soap back in 2008. I was
shopping for Christmas gifts that year and I just stopped and said, "What
am I doing? I want to gift meaningful gifts that people will actually want and find
useful." I purchased a book and the necessary equipment and
ingredients, and started making soaps out of a Crock-Pot on my kitchen
counter. I gifted the soaps and they were a hit! I am a creative
entrepreneur at heart, so whenever I make something that I love, the thought always
crosses my mind on whether or not I could sell it. I opened my Etsy store in 2010
and at that point it was more of a hobby. I was working as a waitress/bartender as
my main source of income. I mostly sold on Etsy and at craft
fairs.
How did you get started
making wedding favors?
My original soap recipe was
made with distilled water, lye, and vegetable oils. I introduced home brewed beer to
my soap recipes back in 2013. I wanted to make soap that stood out from the crowd,
soap that was rustically appealing with a real natural look and feel, but that was
creamy and luxurious also, and so beer plays an important role in this. My best
friend got married in 2015 and they wanted beer soap favors for their wedding, so
they asked me if I could make them. They were such a hit at the wedding that it
seemed like a no brainer to list them on Etsy. They took off like wildfire, and in
2016 I was able to leave my job in the service industry to focus full-time on my
growing business.
What are your
favorite favors to create? Any tips for makers who want to give it a
try?
I have now added coffee soap favors and tea soap
favors, along with my beer soap favors to add a nice variety to choose from. I am a
big coffee fan, so I love creating my coffee scrub soap favors as I just love the
aroma while I am making it and I love the finished product. The labeling at times
can be challenging when you have an order of 300 mini bars or so to wrap, but it is
always fun to see what customers come up with for their sayings to go on their
soaps! If you are wanting to make soap favors, first figure out the size you want
the soaps and order a soap cutter! I was at first cutting my soap favors by hand and
I don't even know how I was doing that! I now have some really wonderful mini soap
cutters that I purchased on Etsy and they have been so beneficial and necessary for
my process.
What do you love
most about making bath and body products?
What I love
most about making bath and body products is that it allows me my creative outlet
that I crave. I love to make things and to work with my hands. I love the process of
making soap and the feeling of accomplishment when you make products that people
love and want. I also really love that bath and body product creation is so
versatile in that you can make so many different products with the same ingredients
on hand. I love creating products that I can feel good about and that make people
feel good.
What
inspires you to create?
I am inspired by my customers
to keep creating and keep improving. I love getting emails or reviews about how much
my products have helped someone in some way and it just fuels me to keep growing. I
am inspired by life and simplicity and all things natural, and my mind is always
spinning on thoughts of creation, of what I can make next. My daughter gives me the
driving force to continue to push through on those hard days and to keep going when
life and business can become
overwhelming.
Who’s
another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
A Wild Soap
Bar! I love their unique style, branding, and beautiful soaps. They are
colorful but rustic at the same time. The brand just feels very natural and raw.
Love it!
Have you experienced a fail? How
did you work through it, and what did you learn?
I
haven't necessarily experienced a fail, but rather a setback. One of my biggest
challenges about being a maker is that I lose my focus. I get so excited about
making products and wanting to make this and that, and then I find myself stretched
too thin and off the course I was on. I work through this now by setting
clear daily, monthly, and yearly goals by writing down my daily tasks and
sticking to them. I try not to overbook myself for the day and only write down what
is practical and what I know I can accomplish. I have learned that it's
okay to take breaks, and it's okay to not have it all figured out. Just keep your
eye on your goals, believe in yourself, and just keep
going.
What plans do
you have for your business moving forward?
90% of my
sales are currently through Etsy and my website, and I am looking to expand further
and not have all of my eggs in one basket. I am working on new packaging for my
soaps and have plans to move into wholesale both locally and nationally. I also plan
to market my small favor soaps to local bed and breakfasts, inns, and guest houses
as an alternative zero waste, natural guest soap to replace the chemical toxic guest
soaps! I also often daydream of having a physical store, maybe one
day!
Melanie's top Bramble Berry picks
- Activated charcoal - I love working with this charcoal, it mixes well and makes beautiful soap!
- Organic cocoa butter wafers - Love having these wafers on hand for my body butters.
- Dried lavender - I love using this dried lavender in my CBD bath bombs!
- Eucalyptus essential oil - This oil smells amazing!
Fresh hops beer soap and beard oil
Find Home Brewed
Soaps
Online
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