Many people have built businesses from crafting hobbies to earn an extra income or to put their skills to use. Therefore, they must always give the packaging a personal touch to impress their clients and make the unboxing experience spectacular. While on that, they must ensure that the packaging is suitable for their products and will keep them safe and secure till they get to the clients.
Whether you are shipping fragile and breakable items such as glass or ceramics, pottery, or non-breakable items, we have the best packing tips. Read on for more.
Right Container
The first thing you must do is choose the correct shipping container. The best containers for packing and shipping homemade products safe and secure include:
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Boxes
Opt for a sturdy box with adequate protection when shipping fragile items like glassware, ceramics, or pottery. Use double-walled boxes and fill the extra space with cushioning material like bubble wrap so they don’t move around within the box during transit.
Ensure the box is well-sealed with high-grade packaging tape, like pressure-sensitive tape or ones reinforced with gum. And ensure that the tape has details of your company for marketing purposes; that’s why many businesses use custom packing tape instead of general tape.
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Padded Mailers
Padded mailers can be great options for making small items such as jewelry. This is because they are lightweight and offer extra protection against rough handling compared to regular envelopes or bags due to their padded interior made from recycled plastic bottles. Besides, most padded mailers come preprinted with labels, making labeling easier than regular brown packages. And the best part is they are water-resistant.
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Mailing Tube
Suppose you want to ship long and moderately fragile items, such as posters and rolled paintings. They are used as they are and provide superb protection to your item against crushing.
You should wrap the product with bubble wrap before placing it in the mailing tube for additional protection. You can also reinforce either end of the tube further security by bundling tubes together several layers of strong twine string looped through openings at each end.
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Jars
Jars are the best if you sell jams, spices, or other food products. They are air-proof and offer excellent aesthetics. However, remember to put some thin lining between the jar lid top part container to help minimize potential vibration movement protecting the contents.
If you ship many jars, remember to use crumpled newspaper and packing peanuts between the jars in the box, using This ensures you don’t have broken jars upon arrival.
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Custom Boxes
If you need something specific to your product, custom boxes can offer a precise fit snugly around whatever fragile or non-fragile item you are sending. Subcontract a company to produce tailor-made boxes to fit your products from shape and size, saving time and using less filling material.
Use the Right Box Size
When packing items for shipping, using the right-sized boxes is essential. This helps protect them from damage.
For instance, if you are shipping large pottery items, you need to ensure that there is not too much space within the box and that the space within is filled with filling material to prevent movement in transit and absorb shock. Still, you must avoid having too little space because even with extra cushioning, the protection won’t be sufficient for a hard crush.
Use Fillers
Use fillers such as bubble wrap, linen tissue foam inserts, and corrugated cardboard pieces to further secure the package in transit. They should be strategically placed to fill the voids where product items may move freely during transport, thus preventing any unnecessary damage. The different types of filler to use include:
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Linen
Wrapping items individually in soft material like linen or protective cloth provides an extra layer of insulation protecting against dust, dirt, scratches, and a rough handling travel environment.
It also gives a luxurious feel during unboxing, which customers may appreciate upon receiving their items. However, this can prove expensive because you can’t use old clothing when shipping products to clients.
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Tissue Paper
Adding tissue paper between the products, such as glassware or ceramics, helps stop any shifting movement rubbing, scuffing, and bumping up against each other. The best is to use colored tissue to match your brand and make the unboxing experience magical.
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Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap is the perfect choice for wrapping delicate products securely, providing protection. The robustly shaped air bubbles trapped between both surfaces prevent physical contact between products and absorb vibrations while in transit, thus reducing the chances of shattering what’s inside. They also make an excellent toy for kids, as bursting the bubbles is fun.
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Corrugated Inserts
Corrugated inserts are another great option providing similar benefits to foam inserts but cheaper, making them excellent for shipping handmade products. This is because you incur less but still have the same high standards.
Other forms of fillers include foam inserts, geami wraps, and packing peanuts.
Seal With Tape
Permanently seal every inch of the seam bottom and top with tape. You can use pressure-sensitive or water-activated plastic tape to ensure your packaging is not undone in transit.
The tapes reduce the chances of product tampering in transit as they expose any attempts at unsealing. Use a little pressure when applying the tape to ensure there is no air trapped which can cause it to come undone, and that the tape adheres perfectly to the box or mailers.
Consider the Temperature Inside the Container
When shipping beauty products, such as soap, bath bombs, and other temperature-sensitive products like chocolate, ensure that you use temperature-controlled containers, especially during summer, as it can cause them to melt.
The containers keep your products in cool temperatures until they reach the customer’s hands safe, secure state. You must ensure they are packed in boxes with filler to protect them from being broken or crushed.
Work with a Reputable Shipping Company
The shipping company you work with is essential as they look after your products in transit. So before contracting any shipment services, do your research and ensure they have a good track record.
Final Thoughts
Packing fragile and non-fragile handmade products is challenging for a small business owner as it requires a lot of dedication and planning for successful shipping. Please make use of the tips mentioned above to guide you as they arm you with the knowledge and tools necessary for successful shipping, regardless of the nature of the item being shipped.
