Welcome to Brella Bubbles, where we help you add more laughs to your baths!
I’m Melissa, the owner, chief (only) creator, marketer, customer service representative, purchasing officer, accountant, and all other things behind Brella Bubbles. I founded Brella Bubbles in 2021 to help fund my crafting addiction. I’ve been creating since I was old enough to operate scissors. With my family, that means I was about one. Since then, I have never stopped exploring ways to make things.
In 2020, I made my first batch of melt and pour soap with no intention of handmade bath products becoming my new crafting passion. At the time, I was working full-time and operating a crafting blog in my spare time. I had designed a soap saver crochet pattern and I wanted small soaps to use as a photo prop. So I thought, “Why don’t I just make some soap?” It made sense to me because then I could make the exact soap I wanted and use melt and pour soap as another blog post. Win, win, right?
Right, but oh so wrong. It worked like I wanted, but that one batch of soap also sucked me right in to the world of handmade bath products. Soon I was researching ingredients, processes, and recipes for everything from bath bombs to shampoo to lotion. I dabbled in them all and developed kind of an obsession with creating fun, unique, and high-quality bath products.
There were several things about handmade bath products that drew me in. The first was the ability to control what was used on my family’s skin. I studied the origin, purpose, and safety of the components on those ridiculously long ingredients lists that come on mass produced products. That education has enabled me to choose only the best ingredients to accomplish the desired effect.
The second appeal of handmade bath products was how closely it parallels with baking. I have always loved baking. Measuring and mixing ingredients, getting your hands in the dough, developing the perfect recipe, and, of course, decorating 😊 I used to say that if I could afford to leave my career, I would become a baker. I’m glad I didn’t because making bath products, especially my bath bomb cupcakes, bubble cookies, and bubble wands*, is actually more satisfying than making baked goods. The end result lasts much longer and is easily shippable, which means I can share my creations with more people.
But the biggest bonus of melt and pour soap, by far, was the opportunity for my kids to create with me and enjoy the bubbles of their labor. They thoroughly enjoy making soap with me. We have amassed a collection of fun molds, fantastic colors (and sparkles), and kid-focused fragrances. Melt and pour soap makes it easy for them to experiment with color mixing, layering, embeds, and using their imaginations.
Seeing how engaged my kids were made me want to share the process with other parents. Making soap together is a great bonding experience that your kids will remember for a long time to come. Each time they wash with a bar of soap you made together, they will recall that quality time they got to spend with you. No screens, no distractions; just an adult and child interacting to make something that’s both fun and useful.
I take a lot of time researching not only my ingredients, but also the manufacturers and suppliers**, to ensure I provide only the highest-quality handmade bath products possible. It can take me weeks or months to develop each new product the right way before I will make it available to my customers. I create a perfect recipe (or tweak one I already use), then test, test, and test some more until I’m sure it will live up to my rigorous standards. If I sell it, it must be a product that I feel absolutely safe allowing my family to use.
Please take a look around and contact me if you have any questions. If you’re interested in learning more about my process, products, sales, and more, sign up for my email list at the bottom of this page. You can also connect with Brella Bubbles on Instagram and Facebook.
With Bubbly Wishes,
Melissa
*My first versions of these products should launch before the end of November 2022. There’s a lot involved to go from simply making the items to having them ready to sell. Picking color and fragrance combinations, sourcing wholesale supplies, choosing the right labeling and packaging, shooting and editing photos, writing accurate and catchy product descriptions, calculating pricing… you get it.
**For more information on my ingredients, manufacturers, and suppliers, please check out my ‘What IS that?!’ page.