How do you package your goods?

[Dijoncanary]

Since we all have to spend time and money on packaging materials, I wondered if anyone has any good tips on packaging up their sales. My craft items are generally fairly lightweight and unbreakable, so I was thinking of tissue paper with bubble wrap and a jiffy bag. Do you offer gift wrap, and if so, how successful is this?

[blackwillow]

I send my items out wrapped as required - that is, if they need bubble wrap they get bubble wrap. I recycle my jiffy bags where possible. The other thing I do is to make sure each item is wrapped as beautifully as possible, to make opening it a special occasion. I use light-weight fabrics and ribbons or tissue paper and ribbons - it depends on what's to hand. I go for a mix of aesthetic and practical.

[removed10]

Re-use, reduce, recycle! I get gently used Starbuck's bags from friends, and from occasional purchases of my own - and sometimes add some glued on wrapping paper or fronts of pretty cards, and of course our stamped on logo (which is small - need a bigger stamp). Or just use them as they are - I'll say to the customer, "is a Starbuck's bag okay?" They always smile real big and say "SURE!" They like re-using.

When I had dairy goats, I always shook out the empty feed sacks really well, to keep and use as bags for the guitars. They weren't quite tall enough, but they sufficed. Everyone loved them...thought it was cute.

I also save paper grocery bags with handles, from Central Market. I never save any to re-use that have had meat packages in them, though.

So, my first advice is re-use and always ask your customers to make good use of the packaging after they get home. You can even put a numbered list on the side of the bag or wherever there's room, for people to sign their name if they have used that bag for something. In other words, a kind of provenance for the bag! This was my own idea (takes a bow) and the shoppers have really loved it and signed their name right there and then.

And always have something in your literature that states your eco mindedness - that you will re-use packaging as much as possible to be more ecologically responsible. It's a good selling point - people really like it...at least around here.

A while back, I purchased something from a CF member, and it arrived wrapped (inside the box, of course) in a lovely piece of cloth, which I then used for other purposes...if you can do that, I think it's a great selling point, too. You don't have to stitch the edges or do anything but tear it straight and make it look lovingly wrapped.

[blackwillow]

Sadly here in the UK paper bags are rarely offered by shops otherwise I'd be using them too Love your idea of a provenance bag with a list on it, such a cool and simple idea.

[StefC]

The provenanced bag sounds great. Do you mind if I nick the idea, Susan? I'll reference you on each bag.

(c). cosmic grammie

[craftdancer]

So, my first advice is re-use and always ask your customers to make good use of the packaging after they get home. You can even put a numbered list on the side of the bag or wherever there's room, for people to sign their name if they have used that bag for something. In other words, a kind of provenance for the bag! This was my own idea (takes a bow) and the shoppers have really loved it and signed their name right there and then.

A brilliant idea Susan! I don't post stuff out in terms of craft sales, but I do re-use (always have done) packaging as much as possible for anything I send through the post. I have bags and boxes upstairs of bubble wrap, tissue paper, brown paper, jiffy bags, large sturdy envelopes and string.

Linda

[silvermaid]

Wrapping doesn't have to be expensive or new, but it is lovely if someone takes the time to make it look pretty. Most of the lampwork beads I have bought come wrapped in tissue paper like a little parcel with either ribbon or a pretty sticker on and then bubble wrapped and it is just like having a present.

Melanie

[AnnieAnna]

I reuse bubble wrap all the time. I used to reuse jiffy bags and cardboard boxes and wrote little messages on them like 'This box has been used 5 times. Can you use it again?'
I'm afraid I've been lured to the dark side after buying some super strong, varisized white cardboard boxes. They do look swish. Then the bright yellow paper bags to go with Anna's Little Chile image. Then I went bonkers and bought so many brown paper bags (which I stamp with my logo) Annie needs to keep selling until I'm 110!
But a member of this forum pulled me back by showing me how to make carrier bags from newspaper. I won't use newspaper but I will make my own carriers from now on.

I do get bags of friendship. One of my friends donates spare (rolls of) fabric to a charity who's disabled members make them into bags. Somehow he ends up with some surplus bags so he packs the fabric I get from him in these bags and I end up with them. So I pack my stuff in them and pass them onto my customers.

[Incognito 1]

I reuse bubble wrap all the time. I used to reuse jiffy bags and cardboard boxes and wrote little messages on them like 'This box has been used 5 times. Can you use it again?'
I'm afraid I've been lured to the dark side after buying some super strong, varisized white cardboard boxes. They do look swish. Then the bright yellow paper bags to go with Anna's Little Chile image. Then I went bonkers and bought so many brown paper bags (which I stamp with my logo) Annie needs to keep selling until I'm 110!
But a member of this forum pulled me back by showing me how to make carrier bags from newspaper. I won't use newspaper but I will make my own carriers from now on.

I do get bags of friendship. One of my friends donates spare (rolls of) fabric to a charity who's disabled members make them into bags. Somehow he ends up with some surplus bags so he packs the fabric I get from him in these bags and I end up with them. So I pack my stuff in them and pass them onto my customers.

You can make gift bags from envelopes. I don't sell craft items but I love to make tiny gift boxes and bags from bits of card, paper and envelopes. I will try to explain the envelope gift bag.

C4 envelope, cut off the flap.
Score 1 inch in all the way round. Tuck the top edges in to neaten the top, push the edges and bottom in to the scored creases make the edges and base of the gift bag. Fold the two bottom corners under the bag so it stands up.
Use a hole punch in the top of the bag and thread through ribbon or string to make handles.

The bags look really pretty if you stamp a pattern on them in a similar colour to the handles.

Anyone able to follow my description?

[AnnieAnna]

I get it!

[removed10]

The provenanced bag sounds great. Do you mind if I nick the idea, Susan? I'll reference you on each bag.

(c). cosmic grammie

Be my guest!!

[3dDave]

My cards are always quite deep back to front so I have to put them in boxes. I wrap them first in a type of semi transparent parchment because otherwise the card will rub against the box and take the shine from the paper varnish. The parchment is then wax sealed so it looks as near to an original Victorian type as possible.

Dave.

[Hand Crafted Love]

I have just bought some Pip boxes, as I had an item break in transit to a customer just before Christmas (I make ceramic hangings on Folksy, this was a home sweet home house). This way I can wrap my item in bubble wrap, box it up and it still goes as a large letter (my replacement to my customer had to go as a small packet so majorly lost out on that sale!).HaleyHand Crafted Love

[megant201]

I usually use secure cardboard boxes for all of mine.

I've gotten into the practice of using shrink wrap for some items for extra water protection and durability. My hubby works with industrial packaging and actually manage to give me a good place to find some cheap alternatives here in the UK - I send out quite a lot, so I need most of what I can get. Haha.

Would recommend having a wee look at SNAPCO for loads of air packets and shrink wrap/film anybody needs - nothing but good experiences.

Hope my hubby's good links help anybody else!

[ferrers caster]

I'm lucky as pewter doesn't break so I can use normal envelopes but I re-enforce the edges with selotape as the castings will rub and cut through. Postage is a bit as they are heavy for the size