How do you package your items?

[Former_Member]

So I've been struggling a lot with the idea of how I'm going to handle shipping my eye shadows. First of all, I don't know much about the postal service and pricing comparison and I am also not sure how I want to package the shadows. I don't want to just send them in a bubble envelope because it doesn't send the message that I want, but I also want to ensure that I'm not spending a ton of money on packaging. What would you suggest?

[PebbleCreekStudio]

Hi Nicolette,
I sell note card sets. They are packaged inside of clear envelopes and wrapped in colored tissue and shipped in a bubble envelope. I'm curious...what message does sending something in a bubble mailer send? lol

[Former_Member]

lol. It isn't necessarily bad or anything! I just want people to get excited about every element of the experience of buying, including looking at the packaging.

[Former_Member]

Would your eye shadows fit in a pillow box. Some members make their own pillow boxes(can find free patterns online) from scrapbooking paper and they are beautiful.

[Former_Member]

That sounds lovely! How do they hold up in the mail though? I would want to make sure that it wasn't coming to the customer half destroyed or something.

[Former_Member]

If I were you, I would use kraft paper jewelry boxes and remove the cotton and place some pretty shredded paper in it and place the shadows on top of it. Get some pretty labels made and stick them on the box and if you want to get extra fancy then wrap a bow around it that represent your company colors. This is what I do. I buy them from here:

http://www.firemountaingems.com/shopping.asp?SKW=KWORGPRESBOXCOTTON&ItemPerPage=100

your best value would be a box of 100....good luck! :)

[Former_Member]

Oh and I wrap the box with bubble wrap for extra protection of course....

[Former_Member]

I sew so most of my items are scrunchable and soft. I fold the items neatly, add business cards, thank you notes and a couple teeny extras, wrap in tissue paper, tie with jute twine or ribbon, insert into poly mailer with invoice. Poly mailers aren't pretty but they ensure the item arrives in excellent condition, safe and sound. They also weigh less than an ounce so that saves on shipping.

I think that people are excited when they get a package in the mail so if the outside isn't that pretty, don't worry about it! Just make the inside nice!

[Former_Member]

Andrea
That's a good idea as well! Do you mail them as is or inside of something else?

[Former_Member]

I sell wallets, pouches, and other fabric items. I wrap them in tissue paper and put a cute little sticker. Also I include a cute matching gift (can't tell you what it is) :) spoil the surprise. right? that is attached to the package. Along with an envelope filled with care instructions and receipt.

Then it is packaged in a 6 x 9 kraft bubbled envelope and ready to ship out!

[Former_Member]

I also want to send a little gift with all of my items! :)

So here is what I'm thinking. I think that I will do the jewelry boxes with either tissue paper or those cute little accordion folded strips of paper and then I would wrap it all in thick brown paper. I have some cute stamps that I could decorate the outside with and then do all of the addressing and such on the brown paper!

[DesignsbyCher]

If you're going to use packing material to protect them, then you could make the small pillow boxes and stuff them inside, or use the kraft jewelry boxes... I buy mine from nilecorp.com and even with shipping charges, they're the cheapest I've found for a case of 100.

I also buy the poly mailers, rather than the kraft mailers, because they weigh almost nothing to add to the shipping costs, and they're puncture and water proof too. I get the 4x8" size which are perfect for the small jewelry or pillow boxes, and a case of 300 is 37.99 (free shipping), but you can buy lesser quantities at PackitRight.com

If you're not using PayPal shipping, you should consider it, because your items won't weigh much, and a 1-3 oz pkg is only 1.64, including free delivery confirmation, whereas the PO charges 1.95 + .85 for delivery confirmation.

[Former_Member]

The pillow boxes I mentioned are just for pretty packaging you would have to put them in a bubble mailerto ship.

[Former_Member]

Cher,
Who do you ship through?

[Former_Member]

I order USPS flat rate boxes for free on usps.com and package my jewelry in cute jewelry boxes then wrap with a strip of bubble wrap then put them in the flate rate boxes. Very clean, professional, and ships very fast.

[DesignsbyCher]

Nicoletta, I use PayPal/USPS... it's still the best deal around, no fees except for the cost to ship ;)

Oh and you can get free labels for your boxes, biz cards, magnet biz cards, etc at VistaPrint.com for just the cost of shipping... I just got in an order using some of their newest designs for jewelry, and was able to coordinate my car door magnet, circle thank you labels, jewelry box labels and magnetic biz cards all free for $12 shipping... an order that would have otherwise cost about $47+

I remember seeing some really cute designs for make-up, so you might want to check those out. The magnetic biz cards are a good idea as a freebie, cuz they can stick it on their refrigerator, or computer tower for when they want to reorder ;)

[Former_Member]

I use bubble mailers, I found them at the local dollar store for a2 pack, then I use washi tape to add a little color to the outside(inexpensive at Target, $ 4 for 4 rolls), and matching Sharpies for addressing, I have good handwriting, so I don't bother with printing labels.

[thevicagirl]

I think most people just use bubble mailers or priorty boxes, or other boxes. Look into some shipping supply places for unique ideas. Uline has a good selection.

[Former_Member]

Cher,
That sounds awesome! I'm checking it out now!

[DesignsbyCher]

I also keep a large supply of organza ribbon on hand in all widths and colors, and I buy those by the spool from my local Hobby Lobby when they have a 50% off sale... just the right finishing touch if it's for a gift, and if not, they feel like they're opening something special ;)

My packaging costs are included in my shipping of course;
kraft jewelry box .24
poly mailer .12
label .02
ribbon .10
total cost - .48
plus .15 optional jewelry card, for earrings & necklaces
(printed for me by an Etsy card shop)

[sherischart]

What wonderful suggestions. I thought of origami to package your product. Use the above sugestions using shredded paper to stuff inside a bubble mailer. There are some easy origami tutorials. And it would be a surprise. You can use recycled paper to make them too. It should work for your size of eye shadow? Check out a supremO idea of hide-a-little-secret That is a splendid presentation. Costly though. Boxes are wonderful but you have to buy a lot to be cost effective.

[PebbleCreekStudio]

One word of advice though.. I have heard that the pretty, decorated boxes, envelopes, etc. are targets when going through the mailing system. :-O

[ParadiseChicJewelry]

I put my jewelry in a standard shipping box and try to make it look at nice as I can. I use pretty tissue paper along with kraft paper to keep in place. I also have to for mine wrap bubble wrap around my necklaces because a lot of them have glass and larger stones. I think the bubble wrap makes them look funny, but this is the best way I have found for my items to arrive safe. :)

[DesignsbyCher]

I agree with Kim... keep your prettiness inside the mailer for the customer's appreciation, rather than outside... it avoids temptation ;)

I don't even have my biz name on my return address, just my real name... no sense advertising that jewelry might be inside... again, to avoid temptation.

[Former_Member]

Okay, I decided to suck it up and use a bubble mailer. :)