Heather on Sep 25, 2015

How did you do the chair tea? I mean, did you pour the steeped tea into the soap base? How much did you add? I'd love to make this one but there are no specifics.

Riens handmade soap on Dec 30, 2014

I love the handmade looking packaging and tags. Plus these soaps are all amazing.

Kathy Hempler on Mar 31, 2014

I am a little confused about the soap base. You said you get it at Micheals. We don't have that here and when I click on the highlighted word, it does nothing. Wondering what the soap base is for sure.

marriagematerial.org on Jul 9, 2013

We love the thought of sweet and astute bridesmaids blessings that show your women exactly how much you like them. What preferable approach to thank them over sitting down for a bit to specialty up something insightful for each of your beautiful women

promstreet on Jul 14, 2012

I gave her a description of each of them, along with the dress each of the girls picked out for the wedding and she�s designing a set to match each dress AND personality!

Jessica on May 3, 2012

I am getting married in 2 months and I am so excited I just can't hardly wait! I love this Idea of making soap awesome!!!. However, in addition to my bridal party I have several people helping (volunteers) make my day super special. I want to thank them in a creative way like a handmade gift that they can use. So I thought this would be perfect. However I have men and women helping me and I was wondering did you have any ideas on how to have a soap that is "just for men" and I see you have soaps for women. I love a musky smell and a few of the men helping that is exactly what type of fragrance they wear. Do you have any ideas to what kind of spice would give me that smell and where could I get it and the others mentioned above? Thank you for sharing such a wonderful idea

pneu pas cher on Oct 11, 2011

Bon billet. Le billet est compl�mentaire au miens.

Christian Louboutin Slingback on Jun 2, 2011

I have been surfing on-line more than three hours as of late, yet I never found any fascinating article like yours I�ve desired to write something similar to this on my webpage and this has given me a concept. Cheers.

Loney Galey on Dec 29, 2010

I like to be some one bridesmaid and I like to be all the time for you and I like to be sissy male maid and be tie up be you and make me kiss your body all over well I am tie up to.

TZel on Nov 19, 2010

I love the idea of the gift soaps for your bridesmaids. I did not have any, but it would have been nice!

check it out on Oct 4, 2010

I wonder if some of this content could have been plagiarized, it's found everywhere on the web and other peoples websites, unless you're the original author?

tugba on Apr 26, 2010

bence biraz g�zel olabilir. ama ben yapsam hayatta olmaz

Kate on Apr 22, 2010

Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful idea! I am definitely making my own wedding favors!

jackie on Mar 1, 2010

i love the idea of soap making. my fiance is hardcore into beer brewing with his friends and this recently inspired me to attempt candles that smell like beer brewing (some barley and hops). I have 5 bridesmaids, including 3 high school best friends, my awesome older sister, and my college roomie. They are all talented and very artistic ladies. When we were younger we would often raid the hat box that one of their families kept and we would go to 7-11 and get slurpees wearing the craziest hats. This has inspired me as an adult (at least in body, not in spirit). At our wedding my bridesmaids, fiance, and i are setting up a picture studio where guests can take pictures with a giant cardboard cut-out of my fiance and i with a box of eccentric props that my bridesmaids and I have collected. We'll invite all our guest to take pictures with the cardboard us wearing the most creative costumes and we hope our guests will enjoy and we'll have a great album to remember it. I also love photoshop and so to invite each of my bridesmaids to be in my wedding party I photoshopped our heads onto these old 1910's type advertisement of wedding dresses. to top it all off we've rented the house where our reception will be for the whole week before the wedding and invited the whole wedding party to come early and enjoy the whole week together with our favorite people.

shelbybaby on Sep 5, 2009

i love y'all at 100layercake. so so much. d diy soap is so brilliant! u really sent me on flurry sourcing for goat's milk soap base and all tat jazz. malaysia isn't as crafty as the states so it's gonna take abit longer than usual but i'm so determined to make these for my bridesmaids.

RobbieLee on Jul 28, 2009

This is a great tutorial! My mom makes soaps and she made oatmeal soaps as Bridal Shower favors for my gals! Thanks!

RobbieLee on Jul 28, 2009

This is a great tutorial! Thanks!

Ashley on Apr 27, 2009

I am in LOVE with the idea of making soaps as favors. Does anybody know how long these puppies will last after being made? My wedding is still a few months away. I'm just worried about things going mouldy/rotten. Thoughts?

Gina on Apr 6, 2009

Wow, this is really nice. This would also be a good idea to give as a bridal shower gift.

Bethany on Mar 29, 2009

To propose to my bridesmaids, I bought cupcake necklaces (silver with pink rhinestone frosting) and invited each girl out to the cupcake shop. The baker made the cupcakes look like the charms and set a special table for us with a girly little floral arrangement. I got there early and set up my homemade cards and cupcake charms to match the cupcakes on the table. They were all surprised because no one knew that anyone else was invited. Then I invited them to go watch Bride Wars with me. 'Twas a day of whimsy and frosting!

Amanda on Mar 29, 2009

Love this. What a good idea-I really want to try it.

two brunettes on Mar 29, 2009

For the bridesmaids I had the idea of doing a survival kit of sorts. Which is not as original as I was hoping because I saw the post on another blog recently. And its the previous post on here! However mine is a little different. I screen printed monogram bags and have filled it with a mix of handmade goodies and some essentials for the day! I purchased most of my goods from Etsy! I've kept the monogram theme with a whimsical spin to everything. I have mirrors, necklaces, the bags itself, perfume samples of each bridesmaid favorite scent, lip gloss, mints, small photo albums and handmade stationery with their initials on them. These SOAPS would be a perfect addition ;o).

Annady L on Mar 27, 2009

My sisters were my bridesmaid, the two I grew up with and the three my husband grew up with. I took a jewelry class and made each one of them a silver pendant with the words "Sisters" on them in Chinese calligraphy. I also made my Mom and Mother-In-Law pendants that said "Mother Daughter." They looked lovely dangling on the yellow ribbon necklaces.

Cynthia on Mar 27, 2009

My bridesmaids have been absolutely the best bridesmaids and friends I could ever ask for. They have been beyond supportive and helpful and are always there for me when I need another opinion, help with any sort of project {wedding related or not}, and always listen even when all I do is vent and whine! ;) I have been rattling my brain with ways to show them how much they mean to me... I am a photographer and I want to do something creative to incorporate my photography into some gifts for them. I planning on creating personalized photo books for each of them- documenting my relationship with each girl and then our relationship as a group. Each book will reflect their individual personalities. I was also thinking of getting them together and heading out somewhere fun and beautiful (maybe even a few places!) and doing a sort of "engagement" session of us all! A day of fun, girlie moments in celebration of our commitment to each other as friends- no matter where life ends up taking us. I just love this DIY project! I am a very craft-loving person and I have even been thinking about making organic soaps as favors for the wedding... but then we thought it might be too girly for all the non-female guests attending. LOL. I love everything about your soaps! The color palette. The "flavors". The packaging {I'm a self declared stationary/paper-snob!} EVERYTHING! I think these soaps would make any bridesmaid feel happy and loved :)

Elaine on Mar 27, 2009

Does anyone know where i can get a variety of dried flowers to make more scents and textures?

Ans on Mar 26, 2009

It's my bffs wedding, not mine, so I'm planning the shower. The happy is couple will honeymoon in the DR and I didn't want to have the typical game-eat-gift kind of affair. So instead we are going to a dance studio to learn a few different Afro Caribbean and Cuban dances. I thought that would be fitting considering their planned destination. We're going to have light fare along w/a few cocktails and burn a few calories so we look cute in our dresses! ^.^

Kibian on Mar 26, 2009

YAYYY!! I made my soaps today-if anyone wants to see them email me at [email protected]. I also bought the embossers so they came out extra fancy. Thanks again for this lovely idea-guess this takes me out of the competition now. LOL. But I am wondering where I could purchase the soap base wholesale? Might want to make these in bulk.

Courtenay on Mar 26, 2009

Well, since my "bridesmaids" are actually my nieces and soon to be nieces ranging from 1 1/2-9 years of age (5 of them!) I am actually having a little "tea party" for them on the Friday before my wedding. I bought them all little outfits (boas and all) to prance around in as we enjoy our tea and cookies:-) I have too many sisters and girlfriends to choose from, so in lieu of tradition, we went with the little kids as our "bridal party." I can't wait!

LauraAnn on Mar 26, 2009

The soaps you made look wonderful! I love giving people homemade gifts because a homemade gift is something from the heart and people tend to appreciate that. My bridesmaids (all 8 of them) consist of my best friends, my family, and my future sister-in- law who is already a sister and best friend to me! My bridesmaids all mean so much to me. I couldn't imagine my life without any of these girls. The night before our wedding (after the rehearsal dinner) all of my bridesmaids and my flower girl are going to head back to the hotel and we are going to have a giant sleep-over in the suite at the hotel. I couldn't imagine anything more special than hanging out with my bridesmaids the night before and then to wake up on the morning of my wedding surrounded by the ones that I love! Spending that time with my bridesmaids will be so special and something that I will never forget!

Amy Richards on Mar 26, 2009

My ladies have been my friends since grade school...almost 15 years! And I love that we are still close as ever. We all live in different places, so we won't be able to all be together until a few days before the wedding. But I think we'll be camping, dancing around a fire, and drinking wine. We are also going to be frolicking through a flower field at a local farm picking flowers the day before my wedding...and I think that will be fun. To thank them, I am embroidering canvas grocery bags to fill with New England treats, fresh made strawberry jam, and a hand made necklace.

Kim on Mar 25, 2009

After 10 years together, my fiance and I decided a big elaborate wedding seemed a bit silly. So we're taking our immediate families and wedding party to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a week of fun outdoor activities and to get married on a horse ranch. My bridesmaids are spread across the country so getting together for a bachelorette party or shower is difficult. Since I'm asking them all to travel for our wedding, I decided I would make a point of traveling to see each of them this year. I'll take 5 trips in the coming months to see my favorite girls in the world, get to spend some quality time together, visit their city, and I picked a 'crafty' project to do with each one of them that reflects their personality and talents.

Jackie on Mar 25, 2009

My fiance and I are getting married in Oklahoma, on his family's farm, which also happens to be Cherokee allotment land. It's a very spiritual place for all of us - there's an Indian cemetery on the property from the mid-19th century. We're getting married in the corner of a large pasture, under trees that have been standing on the property for what must be at least a hundred years. To acknowledge the unique and special character of our wedding place, I commissioned feather headpieces for myself and my bridesmaids - in traditional Indian weddings, the women wore feathers in their hair. Even though neither I nor my beau are of Indian heritage, it felt right to involve my bridal party in an acknowledgment of the place's history. My girls are really into it - we all feel like this one decorative element brings us closer to the spiritual power of the day.

Sandy on Mar 25, 2009

My fiance and I decided that we want to have a very private/intimate wedding; therefore, our wedding will consist of only 50 guests but, in order to make it memorable for us & them, we are having an earth-friendly, simple ceremony in a hacienda located atop a volcano in Central Americal. The hacienda was built in the early 1900's, it is surrounded by beautiful flowers (including Orchids and hydrangeas) and an array of plants and tall trees. We want our wedding to have a very natural feel and, although our wedding party consists of only two flower girsl, we want to give gifts to our parents and our siblings whom we consider our guests of honor. These beautiful soaps, which happen to have our wedding colors (green/brown), would be absolutely perfect!

Amanda R. on Mar 25, 2009

These soaps are gorgeous! For my girls, instead of buying them just any jewelry, I am ordering them freshwater pearls from Thailand. These aren't just any pearl necklaces though, they are made by girls in Thailand who have escaped a life of forced prostitution due to human trafficking. These girls now get to make jewelry and sell it as one way to regain their dignity they had once lost from being trafficked. I decided to order jewelry through them, because I think every girl should have their dignity and know they are special and have worth. I felt like this was a way I could share that with my bridesmaids, and the girls I don't even know back in Thailand.

Ruth on Mar 25, 2009

Well, my ladies (and possibly one man) are wearing the dress they like in a solid color (although I have veto power, no lime green or fuchsia please!). That way they can define their own budget. We're also having everyone (including my fiance and I) in the wedding party barefoot, so the day before, we're all going in for pedicures. We're doing parasols instead of bouquets, so my ladies will also be protected from the vicious July heat, and can hopefully avoid sunburns as our ceremony and reception are outside!

Jane on Mar 25, 2009

Hi! I LOVE your site - and I don't have any weddings or events any time soon. Regardless, I am making these asap for myself and everyone I know! Just for fun!

Lee on Mar 25, 2009

Beautiful soaps! Thank you for the instructions, it looks fun and easy. My bridesmaids all lived out of town, so when they arrived for the weekend of the wedding, I wanted to have some fun things planned for us to do. Two days before the wedding we had a yoga session at the local yoga center. The instructor was wonderful, and planned all sorts of great, relaxing poses for us. Then we had an informal get-together and dinner that night with everyone who was in town so far. The day before the wedding we had a bouquet making party and breakfast, where our florist came and helped everyone put together their bouquets. We used flowers that the florist brought, and supplemented with flowers and greenery from our own garden. Then later that day, my sister, who was my maid of honor, helped me decorate cupcakes I'd baked to serve at the reception. We had a great time, and planning these activities was a great way to spend time together around the wedding.

Loopy on Mar 25, 2009

My bridesmaids were so tough!! They each have everything they could ever want, so luckily I had a friend that makes custom jewelry. My friend had saved a bunch of fresh water pearls for me, so each each bridesmaid is getting their own custom pearl necklace!

NiceWedding (Susan) on Mar 25, 2009

I am not having bridesmaids, but each of my closest friends has a role in our wedding. My oldest friend from elementary school is giving a blessing after our wedding vows, a friend from college is the mistress of ceremonies and another is offering a toast at the reception. My friends are talented, cool, unique individuals so we wanted to choose roles that fit their strengths. Since they have unique roles in the wedding and aren't holding matchy matchy flowers while wearing matchy matchy dresses, I didn't want to get them matchy matchy gifts. BUT I did want them to have something significant to our wedding. I found three individual vendors on etsy and chose necklaces that incorporate starfish in some way (we're having coastal wedding in Mayland). Each necklace is different and unique - just like my girls. BUT each necklace has something in common - just like my girls! The necklaces will be placed inside canvas beach totes along with a beach blanket, fancy sunscreen, flip flops and sunglasses.

Damaris on Mar 24, 2009

For our bridesmaids, I decided I wanted to give them a beautiful, versatile dress for the wedding. Seeing the Butter by Nadia wrap dress (http://www.butterbynadia.com/wrap.html), I found a pattern for them and my mother is making them! Each dress will be a different color, worn in the style that suits them the best, made of bamboo lycra (super comfy!) and it is our gift to each of these wonderful girls! I can't wait to see how beautiful they all look!

Kaori on Mar 24, 2009

Yay! I love smelly goods. Thank you for sharing your DIY secrets. I can't wait to try this.

Sarah on Mar 24, 2009

My bridesmaids are flying into New Orleans (a couple of hours from the ceremony location) several days before the wedding, and I'll spend a couple of days there with them. We were all architecture majors in college, so instead of a bachelorette party, we'll walk around the French Quarter, sipping our morning margaritas, eating beignets, and enjoying the buildings and city atmosphere. It might not appeal to anybody else, but for us it will be the perfect prelude to the wedding weekend!

Lesbian Bride on Mar 24, 2009

My bride-to-be and I are both having bridesmaids (no groomsmen). Her sisters and my sisters and a cousin. We're making photo books (those printed photo books) of our childhood through to today with them. The soaps are cool -awesome shower idea!!

Victory B. on Mar 24, 2009

I'm planning a special shopping weekend to take the bridal brigade two months before our wedding to scour Atlanta's boutiques for a unique grey dress for each of them. Something they choose, that fits their body, personality and budget. Then to tie everyone together, we (including the bride!) are ordering these adorable mustard yellow bolero-style jackets. I heart my bridal brigade!

Christy on Mar 24, 2009

With six bridesmaids, I have a variety of life stages and attitudes, not to mention body styles, to consider when I do anything for my 'maids. I have started working on necklaces that follow our color scheme but are wearable again. However, even though they are all pearls in white and black, they look NOTHING alike! I'll also be making each girl a bracelet to match, and I'm hoping earrings. When I'm finished with those projects, I'm hoping to have time to make each girl a blanket to fit into her living space. Although I am getting married in June 2010, I know all of my girls love a good blanket to curl up with!

Teresa on Mar 24, 2009

I am writing each of my BMs a letter explaining to her why she is so special to me and reflecting on the memories we've shared. I'm also ordering each a special handmade pendant from etsy with her initials... these soaps would round out the gifts perfectly!

Catherine on Mar 24, 2009

So beautiful, and easy! If I don't win I may even attempt this myself (bear in mind I am the least creative, crafty person in the world, seriously!). I am not having bridesmaids (gasp!). This has meant that I have had to think of ways to include the girls who would otherwise have been standing up with me. My sister will be holding the rings and coordinating the ring warming, my best friend will be acting as our witness (and making our cake) and another dear girlfriend will be MC. I had planned on getting them gifts to mark the occasion and thank them for their time, love and thoughtfulness.

Kibian on Mar 24, 2009

Thank you for this post-I plan to have a soap making soiree soon just because of your post. Simply beautiful. I am an older bride-42 by wedding date- and very fortunate to be marrying my high school sweetheart whom I hadn't seen in 14 years! I have never stopped loving him although it is 23 years and one failed marriage (mine)later. I am vegetarian and all my BM's think I'm crazy-so a friend who owns a vegan restaurant has agreed to host a cooking class for us! Knowing my friends there will be a lot more laughing and craziness than cooking!

Patty on Mar 24, 2009

Nothing like handmade soaps for a lovely gift! Since my wedding is affecting my bank account in a not so small way, I'm trying to find less expensive gifts for all my amazing wedding helpers. My bridesmaids have been helping me with DIY ideas for the wedding (using their handy Illustrator skills to make design table numbers and a seating chart poster) and providing moral support. Our "craft nights" consist of replaying Taylor Swift's "Love Story", snacking on flatbread, and laughing so hard! So far, I've gotten them personalized stationary from the same place where I ordered my invitations. The colors and design are the same! However, I could only order 5 pieces of stationary each. I would love to show my appreciation for them by giving them something extra special and practical :).

janelle on Mar 24, 2009

LOVE your site. So many great ideas that are perfect for weddings, but can be easily adapted for all types of events! Keep the fabulousness coming!

danielle on Mar 24, 2009

in addition to monogramming robes for the girls to lounge in, i made my ladies bouquet charms! on the back of scrabble tiles, i mounted tiny pictures of their initials. now they'll each be able to identify the bouquet made especially for them. and afterwards, they can use the tile as a necklace pendant.

Nicole R. on Mar 24, 2009

I'm taking my bridesmaids to make their jewlery to wear on the wedding day at a fun bead store! I'm going to order a cheese/cracker tray and we'll have wine while we make our jewlery!

Emilia on Mar 24, 2009

I have just started my first DIY project for the wedding. Handmade silk flower hair pins for my "wedding warriors." I didn't want to just ask my girls over the phone if they would help me on the big day. So I'm making each girl two flower hair pins and sending them along with a handmade postcard asking them if they will be a "wedding warrior". I'm also making matching flowers in white for myself. I'm going to post the whole project on my blog once I've sent them on their way so it will be a surprise.

Holly on Mar 24, 2009

I have a serious girl-crush on all of my bridesmaids. No, for real. These women were my first loves -- the girls who stood beside me through my first kiss, parents' divorce, first (and last) broken heart, and my graduation from law school. They are my cheerleaders, so on my wedding day in my southern Indiana homeland, I plan to treat them like princesses. The first order of business was obviously choosing the dreaded BM dresses, so I made things simple: I went on Nordstrom.com, picked out three Maggy London dresses in different styles but the same malachite green color, and let them have at it. To accessorize these gorge lil' numbers, I picked out gold-themed earrings for each girl from a variety of Etsy sellers -- I wanted each set to really reflect each woman's style, so my hipster girlfriend Chona got a fabulous set of gold birds dangling from hoops, while my traditional maid of honor got a pair of hammered gold droplets from Etsy seller trystbykerry. I'm also having a local San Diego designer make peacock-inspired headpieces for each, to incorporate our color scheme/theme and bring in a little California to my whimsical heartland celebration. Finally, I'm taking all the girls to Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Indiana, for a day of boating the day before our ceremony. They'll each get a personalized mixtape from yours truly (a veritable indie music snob), with tunes handpicked to bring back some of our best times together. Did I mention I'm MAJORLY excited?!

Allison on Mar 24, 2009

AWESOME - thanks for the recipe! yay! Another thing to add to the bridesmaid goody bags..... For now... I am knitting them each a shawl. I have 18 months til the wedding. I bought the yarn to force myself to do it. Hopefully I'll pull it off. Otherwise I'll have 15 skeins of midnight colored laceweight yarn lying around! Of course my sister, my MOH picked this insane elaborate THING that she really wants me to knit for her. The other girls (6) don't get a choice :) If I am really inspired I might make something for the jr bridesmaids (fiance's nieces). Maybe. I think I might have a screw loose though to be planning this. This is what a happens when you have a 2 1/2 year engagement....the DIY projects are just piling up and getting more and more elaborate. It's fun though :)

Rachel on Mar 24, 2009

I am going to have to hope my bridesmaids don't read this! I have 3 bridesmaids - two sisters and one sister-in-law-to-be, In England, the bride pays for the bridesmaids outfits. So, my parents bought their dresses and shoes and I have made their earrings. Then I have made each of them a tote bag with their initial on the outside. In it is a pashmina, a purse for the day made out of a vintage leather coat (thanks Brit Boutique via Etsy) and an umbrella. I am making them each a lavender eye mask and then I am getting perspex photo cubes and adding a print by Peonies & polaroids and a photo of the 2 of us, one of all 4 of us at the hen party (when it happens) and a thank you note. There is one side remaining for them to add their own photo. Having seen the soap idea I am tempted to have a go myself if I do not win! Also, where does one get that tag punch - I could really do with one. Thanks.

Michelle on Mar 24, 2009

My bridesmaids and I are going on a girl's trip/bachelorette party weekend in Jamaica in April, a month before my wedding. We are trying to get into the habit of yearly or every other year trips together to stay connected. Because this one is to celebrate my pending nuptials, I got each friend a pair of my favorite brand of flip flops and made some really funky DIY tags with their name and a big thank you. I love useful gifts and I look forward to seeing my friends wear their flip flops for the rest of the summer.

Wendy on Mar 24, 2009

I'm hosting a martini night. Well, it'll start during the day so they can help me with last minute DIYs. Then, we'll party it up! I think this might be the time I'll give them their gifts! =)

Rachel on Mar 24, 2009

I knew that I wanted my ladies to love their dresses and be able to wear them again, so I brought them in on the decision-making early on. After months and thousands of emails producing only one real candidate dress (which would have required my two currently-pregnant ladies to try to guess what their post-baby size would be!), I completely switched gears: I've asked each of my ladies to wear a "little black dress" of their choosing. As part of their gift, I'm making them all matching shawls (it is late september in the midwest, after all!). The rest of their gift will be largely handmade (by me, or others) as well. Some handmade soaps would be a perfect addition! (after all, what new mom, or single-gal-on-the-go couldn't use some papering!?)

Amy M on Mar 24, 2009

Gorgeous soaps! Here was my original idea for my Matron of Honor (Oldest Sister) and Bridesmaid (Second Oldest Sister): I had three white hoodies embroidered on the lower backs. "I ? Cliff" in YELLOW (Matron's hubby's name and her wedding color). "I ? Nick" in PINK (Bridesmaid's hubby's name and her wedding color). Finally mine read "I ? Tyler" in GREEN (my hubby's name & wedding color). They were a hit! We wore them all around the hotel, to dinner and our spa appointment the night before the wedding! That was this past January 2009.

Amy A on Mar 24, 2009

I love these soaps! So cute! I'm making scrapbooks for my bridesmaids after the wedding as an additional surprise to their gifts. :) I hope they love them!!

BEL on Mar 24, 2009

I knew that I would be seeing my bridesmaids over the Christmas holidays so I bought them each a notebook, decorated it with their initials and some tags and filled in the first page with a letter to them. I wanted each of them to know how much they mean to me and why I wanted them to be part of our day. For my sister (my maid of honour), I made her a photobook of the funniest/silliest photos I had of her and I or her and my fiance and why I needed her beside me on my wedding day. I'm not sure how "unique" these ideas are, but I'm so happy I did them so that asking them to be in the wedding party was a little more special.

Shannon on Mar 24, 2009

I haven't gotten married yet (the big day is September 5), but I'm planning lots of fun things for my bridesmaids. First off, I created a "bridesmaid inspiration board" that I sent to each of them, asking if they would be in my wedding. Since I didn't want them to spend lots of $$ on a dress they'd never wear again, I had them all give me ideas of what they wanted. In the end, I found a dress at Urban outfitters ($68!) that matched all of their requirements, and they can ALL wear again. Since it's a "country/vintage chic" wedding, I'm embroidering hankies for them to keep in their pockets (yes, the dresses have pockets, how awesome is that?) and helping them pay for their cowboy boots (boots, not heels at my wedding) I'll be making their necklaces and earrings, and sewing up little "goody bags" for them all as well. Those are my ideas so far, but I'd LOVE these cute (and I'm sure great smelling) soaps for their bags. They'd go great with my natural, country theme!

Jennifer on Mar 24, 2009

After 8 years of dating, I am finally marrying the man on my dreams. Some of my bridesmaids have known me before Chris and I started dating, but some I have made friends with during our courtship. Each one of my 6 bridesmaids has been there through thick and thin. This wedding isnt just about Chris and I getting married, its about celebrating all the years we have all been friends. Chris and I are paying for this wedding ourselves, and it's been tough trying to find the "perfect" gifts for my wonderful girls on such a budget. They each say to not worry about the gifts, but i want them to feel just as special on my day as they would on theirs. I know these handmade soaps would be just the ticket to showing them that their friendship means everything to me.

Aimee on Mar 24, 2009

I love these...they are almost too pretty to use but I bet they smell GREAT!

Laurel G on Mar 24, 2009

Oh what a great project! I am a graphic designer and for mine I designed special stationary for them in addition to other goodies. They both are married so I did some for the couple and some just for the girl, they loved them as they were origional designs and no one else would have anything like them.

April on Mar 24, 2009

I have decided that I'm not going to torture my bridesmaids by making them wear identical dresses that they will never wear again. My wedding is in the fall, so I talked with each bridesmaid about the dresses. I want them to be black and the same length (knee or floor), other than that, it's up to them. I want them to wear a dress they will wear again and again and something that looks good on their body types. I would love the soap. They're adorable!!!

holly p on Mar 23, 2009

The soaps are so pretty! Thanks for a great giveaway. When I asked my bridesmaids to be a part of my wedding, I decided to "propose" to them. I made a card for each of them with a little poem on it..."Roses are red, violets are blue, will you be my bridesmaid? Please say "I do"." and I sent them each a pretty ring!

perfect bound on Mar 23, 2009

I made little brag books for each of my bridesmaids. Since they were all so devoted to their dresses, I designed index card sized booklets for each of them to whip out whenever anyone asked about the wedding. Instead of just going over the details, they would flip though their book, filled with photos of their bridesmaids dresses, color palettes, shoes, accessories and inspiration for their hair, make up everything! It helped to get everything thinking about creating a cohesive look but it also allowed them to take possession of their own style and think of the wedding as a statement of not only their friend's wedding but their own personal involvement. The booklets were crucial when finding little accessories such as clutch bags or shawls that each of the wore to make the look their own. And of course, it proved to be a wonderful keepsake of a looooong but beautiful design process.

Shannon on Mar 23, 2009

Thanks for thinking of us and hooray for the first giveaway! How exciting! I am working with a jewelry designer (featured on etsy, who I ADORE) to handmade individual designs for each of my gals. I gave her a description of each of them, along with the dress each of the girls picked out for the wedding and she's designing a set to match each dress AND personality! I love the fact that they will have handmade, recycled goods to wear that are uniquely made to match each of their beautiful spirits.

Ivy on Mar 23, 2009

I handmade cards for each of my 8 bridesmaids - using a cute dress stamp from Micheals, gold ink, and different kinds of paper and scrapbooking letters. I wrote a poem on the inside for each girl and ended asking them to be a bridesmaid. I think they really liked them. I want to make sure to personalize gifts for them so that they know how much they each mean to me. For bridesmaids gifts I am thinking I am going to either make bags/baskets or decorate champagne glasses (im not sure these will be big enough) and fill the bags/glasses with jewelry that I got in Mexico, maybe some make-up, a book - possibly the book Love Lettters of Great Men (from the Sex & The City Movie now availabe on amazon!), and mini bottles of champagne - Im on the search for unique things to include and these soups are adoreable. I would love to include something like this in their gift!

Jenn K. on Mar 23, 2009

I bought each of my maids a small special gift and sent it to them with a personal note asking them to be my bridesmaid and why I wanted them part of our wedding. They were all so appreciative and it was so nice making the process more person specific and individually specific. For their attendant gifts I am slowly gathering personalized gifts to give each of them individually. They are different people who deserve gifts tailored to their tastes instead of a cookie cutter gift that all the other girls get.

Emily Ann on Mar 23, 2009

What a wonderful gift and great idea! My bridesmaids are spread all across the country so it will be impossible for us to get together before the wedding. However, my wedding is on January 2nd so we'll all be able to celebrate the New Year together! I'm thinking an evening of yoga followed by a celebration on the town!

Shawn on Mar 23, 2009

I love soaps!! I painted little flasks for all the bridesmaids and the groomsmen too, they were white and said "bridesmaid, maid of honor, etc" in black with little polka dots; and the ones for the groomsmen were black with white writing. I maid them for the father and mother of the bride also.

Catherine on Mar 23, 2009

I never knew soapmaking was so easy! I'm filling gift bags (maybe Maptotes bearing each bridesmaid's city -- luckily we're all city girls) with all manner of stuff I'm collecting over the months: I've got different accessories from Hayden-Harnett, fake Ray-Bans, and different t-shirts from Threadless's $5 sale so far; I'm going to add each girl's favorite candy and liquor (in mini airline bottle form), and whatever other fun stuff I run across in the next five months -- nail polish, little notebooks, feather boas??

Jourdan on Mar 23, 2009

Instead of having bridesmaids, I'm having bridesmen! All of my very best friends are men, so why have a bunch of bridesmaids that I'm not as close to? I decided to buck tradition. My best friends shouldn't be excluded from the wedding party just because they're male. They won't be wearing dresses, but they'll still be wearing similar ensembles--like groomsmen, but for the bride!

PDXBride on Mar 23, 2009

I love handmade soaps . . . I always have them in our bathroom, so I love this idea. I have made my bridesmaids little clutches that I think are very cute!! I also bought little mini emergency kits, as well as a really cool etsy necklace, where each is different, but they all look a little bit vintage. I haven't handed over the gifts yet, but I hope everyone likes them!

Mollie on Mar 23, 2009

I plan on having vintage lockets made for each bridesmaid with two pictures of the most meaningful people in their lives inside. I'll have their initials engraved on the outside with their individual birthstones hanging next to the locket to make it a little more personal for each girl.

Emie Mullins on Mar 23, 2009

My girls and I are going to Wrightsville Beach for my weekend long bachelorette party. I wanted to send the girls a little something to let them know I appreciate them taking time away from their busy lives to spend a weekend with me before the big day. I bought cheap beach towels at target, cut them up and sewed them into cute totebags, filled them will flip flops from old navy, an opi pink nail polish, and a little message in a bottle that read "can't wait to spend a weekend on the beach with you"! These soaps are adorable by the way! :)

HouseWench on Mar 23, 2009

Jello. Water balloon. Fight. It will be absolutely awesome. Maybe also with Kool-Aid can do some awesome tye-dye like effects on some white shirts.

Kate on Mar 23, 2009

My wedding will be in Oct 2010 and with the exception of my sister (maid of honor) I haven't asked my other ladies yet. The girls live all over the place (Minneapolis, Seattle and Sitka, Alaska!) and I wanted to ask them to share the day with me in person. We've organized a long weekend together in April and I'm planning on arriving with a little gift and special note for each of them asking them to be my maids. These lovely soaps would be a perfect addition to their gifts to let them know how much I appreciated their love and support.

Brittany on Mar 23, 2009

Most of my bridesmaids were from out of town, and weren't around for most of the wedding planning process. To make sure we would have time to hang out and enjoy the moment, I rented out a spa for the morning of the wedding. We all went over there - along with some of the female members of my family - and hung out. There was a ton of brunch foods and drinks. We had a masseuse, and everyone took turns relaxing. Everyone had their nails and feet done. We did hair and makeup. It was just a calm, rejuvenating way to get ready for the evening. It was so good to have everyone together for those several hours!

Michelle on Mar 23, 2009

I'm getting married in October, but before the big day when I officially become a wife (aah!) my bridesmaids and I are taking a weekend trip to a spa. I really want to reconnect with them and reassure them (and myself) that our relationships as friends and sisters won't change after I'm married. It will also be a nice reprieve for myself to have some quite time with my closest girlfriends before the chaos.

Jen on Mar 23, 2009

In addition to having my sister as my maid of honor; I had two bridesmaids and a bridesman stand up with me. Jason was my dearest friend from college and I wanted him to stand by my side on my special day. My sister and friends are all very unique and differ in stature and personality. Tracy is a 5'10 buxom blonde, Christine is a delicate petite barely 5 ft tall and Rona is a fiery red head. I knew that it would have been too difficult to find a dress all three would agree on and also look good in. So I decided to have them pick out their own dresses. My only criteria was tea length and in a shade of dark brown. I wanted them to look and feel as pretty as I would on my wedding day. And as I suspected, they all picked completely different dresses which fit them to a T and looked gorgeous in.

elise on Mar 23, 2009

love your site and adore this idea. i am a very new bride to be - but i just recently sent my bridesmaids invites to ask them to celebrate the day with me. here's a link : http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/golden/2009/03/envelope-pocket-love.html good stuff!

Felicity on Mar 23, 2009

Oh my goodness, another great idea for bridesmaids gifts! I've already made bags and purses and shoes and shawls and earrings...but these are my closest friends, they deserved to be spoiled!

Stephanie on Mar 23, 2009

Oh I just love heartfelt and homemade gifts! These soaps look scrumptious and would make for the perfect addition to give as gifts at my bridal shower! My fiance and I are both creative, funloving and easygoing so we came up with the idea of hosting a portrait-painting party for our bridesmaids and groomsmen! We'll provide all sorts of crafts, paints & small canvases along with favorite photos we've taken together throughout our 8 year courtship and let our dearest friends & siblings personalize art for us to display on our wedding day! Of course it does'nt hurt that we'll be throwing in a few long-necks & margarita's in the midst of all the fun, we can't wait!