Packaging your handmade products from your Etsy shop or craft business, in a creative and professional way will help your handmade business grow. It can take your shop from ācraft shopā to ādesigner shopā, add value to your crafts, and help you delight your buyers,Ā turningĀ them into raving fans. In other words: packaging is kind of a big deal.Ā
So how do you create an unforgettable unboxing experience for every order your customers place?
Thatās exactly what we are going to explore in todayās article.
So, ready? Letās dive in.
Ā
Before we get started, I want to tell you about a freebie I will have waiting for you at the end of this article! I have created a FREE handmade packaging guide, made just for handmade shop owners, that will help you up your handmade packaging game so you can get more repeat customers!Ā
So once you read this article and get a good grasp of the hows and whys of creative packaging, youāll want to download that to use as a guide for creating your own packaging plans – Iāll put a link for you below!
Grab this free handmade packaging guide!
THIS FREE PACKAGING GUIDE, MADE FOR HANDMADE SHOP OWNERS, WILL HELP YOU UP YOUR ETSY PACKAGING GAME, SO YOU CAN GET MORE REPEAT CUSTOMERS.
Ā
The first thing weāre going to talk about is why packaging matters to your branding.
Iāve touched on this before, but the idea here is attention to detail.
Trust me, people notice it, even when it comes to the look of the package. Yep, your customer might throw the pretty tissue paper wrapping in the bin the second they get their hands on your greatĀ product. Even if thatās the case, it doesnāt make the packaging any less valuable.
To say it does, would be almost like saying āWell,Ā the customer has probably stopped thinking about the shopping experience as soon as theyāve bought the product, so it doesnāt really matter how the packaging looks.ā Hopefully we all know that aināt true.
This is because youāre not only selling a product from your handmade shop, youāre selling a brand, a feeling, an experience ā you want your customerās excitement to be through the roof by the time their package finally arrives from your business or Etsy shop.Ā
This is not a good time to disappoint your buyer! (Not that any time is) Keep them on that high, give them the satisfaction of a nice feeling, great looking, great smelling first impression of your handmade business or brand. I can guarantee you it will last.
Ā
This means your goal is to build creative packaging that improves your customerās experience.
In order to create a truly unique and engaging unboxing experience with custom packaging that adds value to your craft products, you need to first understand the different elements that go into packaging.Ā
There are 4 packaging elements to take into consideration:
Letās dive into each of these!
SHIPPING PACKAGING
This is the first piece of packaging that your customers will see, touch, and open up: the package that will arrive at their door.
There are a lot of different packaging ideas here that mostly depend on your productsā size and you might even need to have a few different boxes/sleeves ready to go if you sell craft products that vary in size or shape. Let me give you a few examples:
The āshipping packagingā is by definition a āutilityā layer of the unboxing experience. It exists so that the postman can deliver your craft goods to your customers and generally, itās not really pretty packaging!
Thatās where you can differentiate yourself as a seller.
By coming up with packaging ideas to brand your shipping material, you can create an unforgettable unboxing experience from the start, before your customers even start opening up the first layer of packaging.
Some ideas on how sellers can brand shipping boxes are with:
Here is an example of a cute stamp showing the brand name, and some custom packing tape used on the shipping box.
ORDER PROTECTION LAYER
Next up in the āunboxing experienceā is the protection layer. This part of your packagingĀ does exactly what it sounds like: it sits between the shipping material and your product and protects the beautiful creations your customer purchased from being damaged during transit.
Again, there are a variety of product packaging ideas here that you can consider, mostly depending on your product (Is it fragile? What shape is it?)
It also depends on your brand image. Is colorful tissue paper or kraft paper right for your packaging?
Even though the protection layer isnāt part of your product, it is a very important step to a great unboxing experience by adding a layer of creative texture. Try to avoid bubble wrap and foam peanuts (yep, thatās actually what theyāre called!), theyāre ok but not super classy looking and also no-so-bueno for the environment – so consider alternatives if you can.
A few creative packaging ideas for protection supplies you can consider when wrapping an order would be
PROMOTIONAL ELEMENTS IN PACKAGE BRANDING
Another thing you want to think about is including promotional elements in your packaging.
Now you might be thinking āPromo-what? ā So letās talk about exactly what that means.
Including promotional elements in your packaging is one of the BEST ways to turn your customers into raving fans, make sure they order your craft products again, and invite them to tell their friends (on social media or in person).Ā
As you probably already know, it is much easier to turn a customer into a repeat customer than it is to get them to buy from your craft business (or Etsy shop) the first time around!Ā
You need to capitalize on your customerās love for you, and the best way is with great custom packaging ideas.
Promotional branding ideas to include in your packaging can be something like
You can also do things like
There really are no rules here, if you think of something new or creative, go for it!
The great thing with these promotional elements is that they donāt cost much at all. If youāre adding a printed card to your package, you could print them on card options like
The best way to get inspired for this is toĀ head over to Moo.com and ask for a large free sample pack. It is 100% free and will get your creative juices flowing when you receive it! Trust me, itās worth 2 mins of your day š
CREATIVE PACKAGING IDEAS
Last but not least comes your craft product packaging. This is the last thing your customers will unbox, and by far the most important piece of the custom packaging puzzle.Ā
There are a million ways you can decide to package your product, and I strongly encourage you to be creative with your ideas. Have fun and surprise your customers! As long as it aligns with your brand and gives customers the best experience, feel free to think outside of the box here (no pun intended! haha).
Here are some custom packaging ideas to get you started:
As you can see, there are a LOT of possibilities to choose from!
Once you decide on your product packaging supplies, you then have to decide how you are going to give it a bit of extra spice and personality. The best way to do so of course is to add your creative branding to it ā here are a few ideas to do exactly that:
Be creative, Iām sure you can think of even more unique and creative ways to add your brand to your packaging!
Ā
I think you can begin to see that creating an unforgettable unboxing experience for your handmade products will delight your customers and get more repeat sales down the road . . .
. . . so are you ready to start brainstorming creative packaging ideas for your handmade products?
Download the free āHandmade Products Packaging 101 workbookā and you will be on your way!
Thanks for reading and until next time, aurevoir!
you might also like…
If you want to be found in search results on Etsy, you need to optimize your product listing for SEO. And if you want to
There has been a lot of talk in the Etsy community ā and I mean A LOT of talk ā about Etsyās payment account reserve
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE advocate for using email marketing to grow and scale your handmade business. But you may
Get this freeĀ packaging handmade workbook
Hi,
I want to know about Marble Handicraft items of packaging, and what will bater.
Hi Ravindra! Thanks for commenting. I am not sure I understand what you need help with. If you can give me some more info I’ll do my best to help!
Your Marble handicraft item can be packed with lot of care. You could do a double bubble wrapping and make it fitted packing by taping all edges and corners well. Then foam the carton box or put in shredded paper all around. Please do not forget Fragile- Handle with care stickers.
Thank you for sharing
What a helpful article, thank you very much for sharing!
My pleasure Petra! Thanks for reading š
thanks for sharing
This is a very good article.. As I’m thinking of starting my handmade business soon.
Thank u so much! Cheers
Thank you so much Gayle! I am glad you liked it and best of luck with your handmade shop!
Wonderful post! I really enjoyed reading your guide and I got a lot more information about the packaging of handmade products.
This is a very informative blog, thanks for sharing about guide packaging handmade products . It will help a lot; these types of content should get appreciated. I will bookmark your site; I hope to read more such informative contents in futureā¦ great post!!If possible visit this website Printstocknz.com to gain more idea or tips on the same.
Thank you, Food Packaging NZ!
Pillow boxes are an attractive option for packing goods. All are great tips.
Hi Zee, Thank you for reading our article and for the great suggestion!
Hi, I read your sharing Very nice post. I think you might want to check other resources here
https://en.ac-illust.com/blog/small-business-packaging-ideas/
Thank you, Nhu Lilian!
A good packaging is a multifaceted aspect of product development and marketing.
That’s right! Packaging is an important part in the customer’s buying experience! š