After formulating our 100% vegan and natural Rosemary + Tea Tree Shampoo Bar, we had to decide on a packaging. As Nana+Livy is committed to being green, plastic packaging was simply out of the question. In terms of recyclable packaging, we had looked into paper box packaging first.

Because of its handmade nature, each shampoo bar will have its own unique shape and size. Boxes with a fixed size, in this case, would not be an ideal solution. We also had trouble finding a box off-the-shelf that would fit our shampoo bar size. Customization is also a problem with off-the-shelf boxes.

Then an idea lit up! How about wrapping paper?

The Design of Our Wrapping Paper

At Nana+Livy, we value minimalism and believe that needing less will get you more. Our shampoo bars are luxuriously-made with eight natural hair-loving carrier oils and two beneficial essential oils. The bar speaks for itself without any decorations. The packaging does not need to be fancy.

We love a clean design and simply wanted a white background with our black logo as a pattern. After all, our label is in black and white as well. Our wrapping paper needs not to be colorful.

With that in mind, we first tested out printing on regular printing paper. While we were satisfied with the design, we found that printing paper wrinkles and tears easily. It was not a good wrapping material.

Finding the Right Material

Then we did our search to find the right wrapping paper. We looked into the glossy wrapping paper, but we didn’t like the glossy look on our shampoo bar. Again, the bar shines by itself already so the packaging could be more matte.

We came across Jukebox Print in our search and found that they print wrapping paper. What’s more is that they use uncoated white kraft paper, which is a bonus as we rarely see kraft paper in white. The thickness was 4 pt which was also perfect for our purpose – not too thick and not too thin. We had printed from Jukebox Print before and could attest to their quality. We had decided to give it a try.

And we were right! The moment we felt the wrapping paper, we fell in love immediately. It wraps perfectly and easily around our shampoo bar. The paper has a nice thickness and is very durable. We also like how the paper allows the shampoo bar to breathe. When held against your nose, you could even smell the refreshing scent of rosemary and tea tree oil through the wrapping paper.

The Art of Handcrafting

Another reason why we wanted wrapping paper was because we wanted to add a handmade touch to our packaging. Each shampoo bar is handcrafted so no two bars will be identical. We felt that this process should apply to our packaging as well. Each bar is hand-wrapped and each final result is unique with no two looking the same.

Wrapping also makes the shampoo bar look and feel like a present. Whether you are buying our shampoo bar for yourself or as a gift, it is delightful to see it neatly packaged in wrapping paper.

An Interview with Jukebox Print

Shortly after we posted our wrapped shampoo bar on social media, Jukebox Print contacted us and asked for an interview for their blog. We accepted and had a wonderful time talking with their freelancer, Andrea Marvin. You can find our interview here at their blog site.