Packaging Affordably

After getting with the talented people of Etsy about packaging, I have now come up with a number of useful and practical ways to package items.

The goal here is to package cutely, yet affordably! Sometimes it really is a struggle to determine the best method to package your items.

As a customer, I personally don't want to pay extra for fancy packaging unless I am sending it as a gift to someone. But as a seller, I do want to present my goods nicely, without having to charge extra.

I personally buy a pack of tissue paper from the Dollar Tree, which is only $1 for a package of 25 sheets, and I only need half a sheet for a bookmark. I also purchase a spool of ribbon for a buck there, (the kind that you might use to tie balloons) and it goes quite a long way. I then use a business card and write a thank you on the back of that. After wrapping the bookmark in the tissue and tying with a ribbon, I tuck the business card underneath the ribbon, thank you side up.

Yay! A pretty package to send to my customers, and it only cost a few cents!

Now for some creative ideas from other Etsy sellers.

My top pick comes from Gracie Designs, who uses lunch bags and fabric scraps for packaging her goods. Gracie says "I get rave reviews on my packaging. It is just lunch bags and fabric scraps, as I throw veryyyyyy little fabric away. I either use it for packaging or applique.

The lunch bag is then reusable ;)"

Thank you Gracie, as I never would have thought of using lunch bags! And the fabric ribbons are so cute!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another awesome way comes from Sugar Flower Designs, who makes use of the trimmings from her stationary.

She Says "I sell stationery that I often print and cut in-studio. To save money/paper and to make use of a recyclable padding, I use the paper strips I trim away from the stationery itself.

The heavy paper (when crumbled) makes a sturdy packing material that also happens to color coordinate with the stationery being shipped!"

What a great way to recycle packaging! Thanks Sugar Flower Designs!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sweet Irie uses recycled tissue paper and fabric ribbon for her packaging.

She says, "I use recycled tissue paper and cut fabric in strips to wrap my packages. I also order business cards for my package tags and cut them in half to save on money and get double the tags! All my goodies are wrapped in plastic baggies with a business card and tag before gift wrapped."

I really like the idea of fabric strips for ribbon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out Willow Dawn's packaging!

"I love my packaging as it's 100% recycled products, and made in America. The ribbon is made from recycled water/soda bottles. It's not the most lavish ribbon, but I love the statement!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a really simple packaging idea from CUTEureCreations. This is actually very similar to what I have been doing.

She says, "I just started wrapping my packages in tissue paper (I bought a bulk multi-colored pack that has my shop colors!), then tying scrap ribbon around the package and slipping a cute thank you card card with a business card tucked into it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Earthling offers a practical way to package small items.

"I bought some mini resealable baggies (I got a whole bundle of them for under $2) and cut cardstock to fit inside.

I slip in my pin, and fold a piece of recycled paper over the top and staple it shut. Then I draw my logo and write my shop address on the paper (eventually I'd like to have a stamp made).

Then I stick it all in a pretty green envelope (5/$1) with some shredded newspaper for padding (enviromentally friendly and cost effetive).

It looks pretty cute in the end, and it's very cost effective, and not too bad for the environment. Best of all, it all fits in a regular envelope, which also saves on shipping."

I love the idea of stapling the recycled paper over the top. Great idea!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Studio Dax uses a simple method using scrapbook card for thank you notes, and gauze bags.

"I make my own jewelry tags/cards and Thank-you cards, using heavy scrapbook card stock, and bag them in ziplocks, then in pretty coordinated gauze bags. This gets wrapped up in tissue paper and put in bubblewrap mailers.

I try to keep my packaging costs low - as a buyer, I'd rather have a lower price, so I keep that in mind for my buyers too!

My packaging is fairly simple, but I like to think that it reflects my general style, adds a bit of fun, and looks professional."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are so many more great ideas, but who knows how long this blogpost would become, so instead, why not head on over to read the forum thread for everyone's ideas! Visit the forum thread Packaging Affordably.