Selling on Etsy: How to Package Handmade Craft Items for Shipping

Whether you sell products on Etsy or some other online platform, you will need to develop a method of packaging your handmade items for shipping. Here are 4 creative ideas from some experts in the field.

Believe it or not, it was the whole “packaging and shipping” issue that I pondered the most before I started my own Etsy shop.  I’ve always been one of those people who struggled to get packages ready to be mailed.  I wanted to make sure I had a plan that was doable for me…and yet was nice for my customers to open, too.

I googled and googled “how to wrap packages for Etsy” and didn’t really come up with any good answers.  So, you can imagine how excited I was to hear the answers from our guest bloggers!

Take it away, girls!:)

Day 5:  Wrapping up a Sale {Packaging your product for shipment}

Question:  How did you go about figuring out how to package your product for shipment?  Do you have a signature style that you include with your items?

 

Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage

In the beginning, figuring out shipping was very trial and error. I undercharged quite often until I got the grasp of it. Now all of my items ship in an envelope, unless the order is too large and then it goes into a box. Each of my items are carefully wrapped in white tissue paper and include a hand written thank you note on the back of my business card. I used to get all complex and wrap with bows, etc., but realized that it was something that I could step down to help bring down the prices of my items, which my customers loved!

 

 

  Jami from freckled laundry

When it came time to choose my own packaging, I knew I wanted packaging that was cost-effective with a simple and polished (professional) look that reflected my brand.

Etsy customers have come to expect and appreciate a carefully wrapped package. How you package or present your handmade or vintage wares is often just as important as what you package. Many of my Etsy shop customers are my blog readers. They are buying my passion and supporting my dreams. Careful and sweet packaging is just another way to show gratitude.

When planning my packaging, I immediately thought of the Etsy packages that I received and adored over the years. Most of them didn’t involve an expensive, custom-embossed, glossy box. Rather, they were simple, usually wrapped with tissue paper. You don’t need to break the bank on packaging, especially if you’re just starting out. Get creative and don’t stress out about it. It’s less about fancy and more about attention to detail.

Because most of my items are fragile, I thought tissue paper would be perfect for my own packaging. It comes in just about every color under the sun and when I found gray linen tissue  it pretty much sealed the deal!  I Googled a youtube video that showed how to neatly wrap a package  like a Coach purse and took it from there. It’s polished and pretty and provides a little ‘pocket’ to neatly tuck in a business card, note, and customer appreciation tag.

 

I recently came across the Furoshiki wrapping method  which uses a simple piece of fabric for wrapping. I {love} it and bookmarked the video for future packaging ideas. Just hop on youtube and do a search for wrapping and packaging. You’ll be there for a while.

I also considered shipping costs when choosing packaging. Tissue paper is relatively inexpensive and light weight. Lower packaging and shipping costs for me means lower shipping costs for my customers. Nothing disappoints me more than seeing seriously inflated shipping costs in Etsy shops or anywhere online for that matter.

I package my tissue-wrapped tags in 4×4 white mug boxes for shipping. I have found Uline  to be an inexpensive source for plain boxes of all shapes and sizes. Hint: Always Google a coupon code for extra savings.

Signature Style:

My signature packaging colors are gray and white. I carry gray linen and white throughout all of my marketing materials. My signature style includes a bit of laundry/textiles with each package. Most often, I simply cut a small rectangle of repurposed linen or jersey knit (my favorite textiles) and tie it on top of my tissue-wrapped wares. Scraps, thrift shop linen skirts, old tee shirts, etc. are perfect for this and keep packaging costs low. Sometimes, I tuck my packaged tags into little cotton bags (purchased on Etsy) stamped with “fl” in gray ink, or I just might tie my tag to the package with vintage lace or wool yarn. I repurpose what I have on hand but textiles are always included for a signature style.

 

 

  Lisa from The Pennington Point

I started out buying boxes online, but I have kind of shifted into buying them at my local super store.  I’ve taught myself how to cut down boxes so they weigh less and I like to use mylar envelopes if possible.  I also wrap almost everything in bubble wrap.  The less weight in the packaging the less shipping cost.  I don’t have a signature look, but I do like a simple look.  I use plain white tissue and I don’t use found boxes or newspaper.  I know a lot of sellers do that, but it was just a decision that I made to use new shipping products and have a very clean, simple look.

It can be hard to figure shipping costs.  Honestly, sometimes on a new product I take a big hit on the shipping with the first sale.  But then I just go in and adjust the rates before I sell any more.  To figure out what shipping to charge on a new product I take a box and the item and I put them on the scale.  I am pretty familiar by now with what different weights cost to ship.  Then I tweak the shipping price as needed.

 

  Aimee from My Pink Life

Because most of my signs are large and quite heavy (they are made from antique barn doors), packaging has always been a challenge. But we have created a system, mostly using heavy duty cardboard, that works well for shipping. I created a label that is attached to the back of my signs.

 

Thanks so much for sharing with me the “nitty gritty” of how you package your products!  I’m from Canada, so shipping costs are a whole different ball of wax up here.  I’ll leave that for another post.

I will say, though, that after much thought, I chose to wrap my signs in lightweight kraft paper and tie with a raffia bow, with a tag attached.  I thought it matched the “rustic” style of the product.

Then, I include a handwritten thank you note.

And speaking of which…THANK YOU for stopping by to join me in this conversation!  It’s so fun to have you over here at my blog home.

Hope to see you tomorrow.