As a small business owner & maker, packing orders is a rite of passage. Figuring out what to pack with is a minefield! There are so many options out there and choosing what's right for you is extraordinarily difficult.
As a multidisciplinary maker that makes things in a ton of different sizes I have a ton of packaging supplies, everything gets packed differently due to the needs of the piece.
Here I'll show you each product type and the supplies I use to pack them.
I will also link everything I use, it's important to note that the more you buy, the cheaper things get. Happy Pack in particular sell fairly low quantities at very affordable prices so you can try them out for yourself before your invest.
Shop Happy Pack's whole collection here
General Packing Supplies:
These are supplies I use in almost every order, from tissue paper, to stickers and tape.
I also like to reuse as much as possible when it comes to packing orders, I receive so many plastic packing peanuts with some things that I started adding these notes to people's orders so they can add a tally and make sure they keep getting reused!
I recently started using the cutest envelopes and wax seals to add a touch of whimsy to any orders my customers place.
I also create all my own packing stickers using my Cricut Maker and my Canon iX6850 Printer. I design all of these in house so they're perfectly customized to my needs.
When I say I've tried a ton of different brands and types of sticker paper I mean it, there are so so many options out there but by far my favourite is the Koala Brand Matte Photo Sticker Paper. It is by far the best quality for such a decent price, it literally cannot be beaten.
Jewellery & magnetic bookmarks:
For smaller items like my jewellery pieces I pack each pair of earrings into a mesh bag, this protects the jewellery and stops anything from tangling. Plus these little bags are so cute!
I pop my magnetic bookmarks into a clear biodegradable display bag to ensure they don't get damaged or knocked throughout delivery.
I post all my jewellery and magnetic bookmarks using a Large Letter stamp or using Royal Mail's Tracked 24 service for upgraded postage.
Each box gets a QR code too to ensure my shop is easy to find again for the customer.
Paper bookmarks and prints:
Each bookmark gets popped into one of these cute glassine bags, with a sticker featuring a small image of the bookmark inside, the price and my website. I use to add FOUR stickers to each bookmark and my god I learned from my mistakes. It takes a deceptively long time to add stickers to things so reducing this to a single sticker has dramatically reduced the time it takes to pack all of these.
In my prints because the packaging is clear I have found that adding a slip of paper with the price and the print details on it is the fastest way to price all these babies! It's also significantly cheaper than using sticker paper.
Trinket Boxes, Jar and Trays:
As you can imagine, jesmonite is fragile in a similar way to ceramics. This means pieces must be packed well and protected from breakages through their journey to the customer. At the moment I use tissue paper to ensure pieces aren't separated, then I wrap each piece in bubble wrap. This is currently from packages I have received and is being reused. Once I run out of this I will be getting the Hyve Wrap from Happy Pack. This stuff is amazing for preventing things from bumping into each other and cushioning individual items.
I then pop enough packing peanuts into the parcel to ensure nothing can move throughout delivery and fill any void spaces within the box. As I say I currently use reused packing peanuts. I usually buy biodegradable ones degrade over time and also can be composted.
- Hyve Wrap
- Biodegradable Packing Peanuts (These dissolve in water!)
- Small Parcel Postal Boxes
I hope this has been helpful! Whatever you make, from jewellery to large ceramics, to Jesmonite pieces to paper products and stationary, packaging is essential to make sure your customer receives their pieces safe and sound.
If you have any questions, do not be afraid to contact me using the form on our homepage.