Alternately titled: how to have your products double as pretty packaging.
This is such a fun post ~ who doesn’t love fun, pretty packaging? :]
I love when a handmade product comes mailed
in simple, fun, pretty packaging. With this type of packaging mindset it’s easy to keep the focus on the beauty of the product itself by eliminating waste; on the mentality that less is more.
When you have the volume to justify ordering packaging materials in large quantities, it makes sense financially to do that. You can keep a week’s worth of materials close by, with the rest in storage if you’re working in a confined space. I’d say about 2x a month I have to pull out the B I G box of bubble mailers, packing tape, business cards, etc. to stock up on my supply of packaging materials that I keep close by. I just make a party out of it! A free excuses to make a mess, right? *wink*
Be creative with your packaging.
I bet your handmade items are a really great reflection of the brand you’ve created, so why not use your products to help you create an adorable package for your customers to open? You could find a clear-lid box {or solid-color box, then stamp it with your logo} if you make jewelry. Or, use a clear bag if you need to package larger items. By presenting an adorable package to your customers you’re also prepared if the gift is purchased as a gift.
One customer contacted me after her package arrived, saying her son saw her Gussy Sews order and thought it was candy. Darling, it is candy! ;D
Pretty ribbon/string like this, this, or this would turn any handmade item into a fun package to open.
You could even add paper confetti! {squeee}
Daisy wristlet/clutch, tied up with a sassy orange polka-dot ribbon, ready to be mailed off ~
Add a sticker to the outside, near the shipping label, and you’re done! Easy as pie.
I really love the stickers we put on the packages — their simple, but our signature PINK color is super easy to recongnize as a Gussy package :]
Check out these cute sticker/stationary companies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 {please inquire about customization}
I’m sew glad I work with pretty colors ~
Love these packaging ideas ~
Do you have a cute & easy packaging tip to share? // Do you include anything unique with each order? Leave a comment below ♥
love it!! great ideas! the best part of getting something is opening the package:) it’s much more fun when its all tied up with bows and strings and love notes:)
I love that map wrapping idea!! And just looking over the sea of your packaged orders, is great eye candy ;). I like using colorful tissue paper and curling ribbon but lately have been playing around with the idea of simple kraft paper and decorative twine.
I love Gussy Pink! My shop is Sweetie Pie Bakery, so I wrap all my packages with pink and white stripe twine. It’s perfect and super cute. I also thread a little hang tang cut out in a scalloped oval shape with my logo on the front, pink stripes and website on the back. In each package I include a business postcard with a hand written letter on the back….I should really do a post on this now. Thanks! :)
you should!! we want to see :]
Love looking in your studio! I wrap my pillows in gray tissue and then string yellow and white baker’s twine around them. I tuck in a business card with a thank you on the back. I’m going to start including a coupon code in there as well for repeat customers. Packaging is so much fun!
i squealed when i got my gussy, all packaged so i could see it and with a Gussy sticker {which is totally awesome}. AND it came on my b-day. double awesome!
I love your packaging ideas! Thanks for sharing! Right now I am wrapping my items in colorful tissue paper then each item has a tag tied on by twine and a personal thank you note with a business card tucked inside..
i wrap my items in white tissue paper and place a lil’ alice sticker to hold it tight. when i deliver packages to people at church or in the area i put it in a decorative paper sack from hobby lobby…. i also bought plain white lunch bags for smaller items. i just got a personally made stamp from etsy with my name. i also put stickers on the outside of my packages that are being mailed. great advertisement.
i just bought a bunch of mailers off etsy for super cheap compared to the store!
a custom stamp would be sooo cute! love that.
I LOVE your packaging :) I put the box behind me next to Austin’s car seat when I got my tote and he somehow got a hold of it and peeled the Gussy sticker off and played with it forever. He loves your packaging too! :)
i also tuck a thank you note in there too w/ extra business cards. love your G sticker. so cute!
i just revamped all my packaging this year. I put all my bags in plastic bags along with a care card with my contact information on it!. I just made a postcard sticker for the boxes so it looks like it came from somewhere tropical!
Hello Gussy,
I love all your packaging ideas and I agree that pretty and simple are good. I would however nix the confetti idea. I opened an Etsy purchase package once and all this tiny confeti and glitter spilled out…all over my newly swept floor. Needless to say I was picking up confetti for what seemed like days. I was not amused.
Your packaging is lovely as are your creations.
Have a wonderful weekend
Janet xox
http://theemptynest-janet.blogpsot.com/
For shipping orders I like to use my small unusable scraps of fabric for packaging material to make sure it’s nice and secure in the box a great way to recycle!!
Gussy, I love your packaging..
I love your blog, you have so much useful information!!
I usually wrap my items in tissue paper and tie with pretty yarn. I also love to use rubber stamps to decorate the package as a way to say “Thank you” or with just a cute image. But I might just have to look in to those adorable stickers!
i thought about including yarn — it seems so unique but of course totally practical.
a really fun spin on the idea of wrapping, yes?
Your packaging is adorable!
So pretty! I also love and appreciate that you use simple and recycleable products to package your candy, I mean Gussy items. LOVE that!
I wrap my products in cute tissue paper and secure it with a Poppie Lane sticker that I custom designed at zazzle.com! :)
Loved this post Gussy! I use a snippet of fuchsia tulle to tie the clear plastic bags with the goodies inside, oh and I add in a little zebra tissue paper too :)
thanks for all the links, I’ll definitely be checking them out!
zebra tissue paper?
i need some of that.
What beautiful packaging!! I love all the lovely colors and simple designs!!
I love to include doilies and a hand written thank you in with orders.
xoxo
Love the clear wrap! I wrap up each order with tissue paper, a fun ribbon, and a handwritten thank you note! :)
Cute! I’m a photographer and love packaging me print and CD orders. My CD’s now come in a folded paper bag with a paper doily that says “Blink Photo” and is wrapped with baker’s twine. It’s totally me and I love it :) You can see a pic on my blog here: http://pocketfulwhimsy.blogspot.com/2011/03/little-rebranding.html
monique ~
i checked out your link, too cute! seriously :]
packaging is one of my favorite parts of the process.
it’s great to send something off, but super fun to play with ribbon and other pretties!
i really need to work on better packaging! for now i just wrap with kraft paper and cute tape and twine though hehe!!
sandy that is SUCH a cute way to package. i love it!!! :]
I wrap my items in colorful tissue paper and tie with a ribbon. I also like to include a handwritten thank-you note in each order, as well as a fabric magnet. I found these great business card sized magnets that are sticky on one side and I cover them with fabric and cut them into cute shapes with pinking shears.
Well, I agree that opening up a package from you is like candy! I wrap all my orders in tissue paper, and tie with twine. I always included a handwritten thank you card too, just to show my appreciation for each order! I love the stickers on the envelopes, its a great way to get excited about a package before you even see whats inside!
great post.
i *always* include a hand-written thank you note and a free photo card as an extra thanks.
i also have a customized sticker/label that i adhere to the front of the package.
cheers,
diana
Hi Cutie Pie! Yes I Do include something with every package and I always pack my products carefully and pretty! I have a friend who makes me these cute little custom button soaps with a Thank You from Mama’s Pocketbook label and I include 2 in each package along with a handmade tag/bookmark and my business card tied together with pretty crinkled seam binding. Sometimes on very special orders I’ll include a notepad, pretty pen, or other useful item … and every purse I make also includes a matching tissue cover and mints… because every Mama’s Pocketbook needs tissues & mints!
Your packaging is adorable and does look like candy! I love packaging so much and love reading and seeing what others do for packaging. I currently package my jewelry in kraft boxes with my signature blue ribbon and a logo sticker but I’m thinking of switching it up. I’ve been gathering ideas and I think I’m going to switch to packaging in a twill bag (easier to ship), and using a custom logo stamp on it and tying with a pretty ribbon. I also include a ‘mini sterling silver care kit’ with each item which includes a card with sterling care instructions and a square of my favorite polishing cloth.
I also stamp the outside of each package with a personalized stamp that says, “Thank you for buying handmade! – Juella Designs” And ALSO I like to include a little something extra….I have a variety of goodies I include depending on the order–simple earrings, a cute pin badge button, a chapstick with my business info, etc. I so love packaging!
Such cute ideas! I’m still getting my feet in the door with my etsy,but I like to package with tissue paper and a sticker. I also stick in a business card and a hand written note. My husband wants me to sell coffee cozies at a local coffee shop, so I’m working on customizing packaging for that!
I haven’t actually shipped any products yet but I was just going to do bubble envelopes. Now you have me thinking about what I could do that’s more distinctive. Great food for thought!
We include a sprinkling of Yummy Earth brand organic hard candies in all our outgoing orders. Who doesn’t love to get candy?
Also, we don’t use the paypal automatic-shipping-label-printing-thingy because I prefer to use my own (themed) shipping label. Much prettier and more personal looking than the computer-generated one that looks like it came from a large commercial business.
Thanks for the ideas, Gussy!
I package my items in kraft paper pillow boxes and to keep them shut I wrap pretty vintage/thrifted ribbons around them and seal them with a ‘Sunshine and Carousels’ sticker. I also have ‘themed’ mailing info on the front as well. For boxes, when I tape them shut I sprinkle a little bit of heart confetti right where I’m about to tape so you can see tiny little twinkling hearts as you open your box.
When I first started my business I just did the basic, wrap with tissue paper but then I noticed items getting too squished in the process. I took the plunge and orders a billion pillow boxes until I found the most perfect thing that worked for my items. I’ve just recently gotten into creating really pretty packaging and it’s something I still want to continue working on. Love this post girl!
I love that your studio and fabrics and everything is so COLORFUL! It makes me happy. :)
I love getting packages in the mail that I get to unwrap, like it’s my birthday.
I roll up each of my shirts wrap them individually in bright green tissue paper and stick on a logo sticker. They look like bright colorful burritos. And I always include a personal, hand written thank you. It is what I want people to do for me, so I do it for my customers.
I’ve been re-evaluating my packaging recently and have been hosting a poll on my blog to find out what my customers really want. I’m working on something that is pretty and girlie like my shop but at the same time simple and evironmentally friendly. Thanks for some great inspiration!
I love packaging items! I started packaging my smaller items in a simple brown kraft bag with a sticker and some bakers twine. It was a simple switch, but looks so much cuter. I really like the sticker idea on the outside of the packaging! Handmade items are the best…
I love this post- I love cello bags!
Do you print your own stickers or buy them
Sweet Maggie!
Thank you for all that I am learning over here @ Gussy Sews!
I really really want to create an online business.
This post is so INSPIRING!
LOVE seeing your colorful bags bundled up in CELLOPHANE!
I love CELLOPHANE!
And I love ribbon!
And I love how you put your happy GUSSY stickers on front of the package.
It’s the little touches that make things special!
How perfect….GUSSY = CANDY! Perfect!
xo
You have inspired me to create some super cute packaging for my coffee cozies. Thanks!
http://crocheteveryday.blogspot.com/2011/03/gettin-cozy.html
Where do you order your clear bags from and what sort of sizes do you order? Also do you feel your shipping costs with the bubble mailers is cheaper than flat rate priority mail boxes?
Nice ideas, I use old newspaper paper to create some simple boxes, you can see them here:
http://mindtheowl.blogspot.com/2012/02/packaging-eco-please.html
Tera
great post.
I love your packaging!! Thank you for post :D
I did not really like this tarhed, Wooden Matches Block Sustainable Packaging Design. I truly mean no disrespect, nevertheless I think you happen to be a slight hasty when you published the following posting. I guess its just simply different in contrast to the high quality content of which we have been all used to.
These are great ideas. ❤️ Cannot wait to be creative with the packaging my new designs!! Thank you for sharing!