While packing up the beads for the AJE July Component of the Month design team members, I thought I'd snap a quick pic to show you how my beads look after they have been packaged up.
The main goal of shipping art jewelry components or art jewelry is that they get to their destination undamaged.
However, other goals include:
1) keeping shipping costs down by making the item being shipped as lightweight as possible
2) inexpensive packaging materials
3) professional looking packaging.
Tips for how to accomplish all these things:
1) Buy shipping supplies in bulk-especially bubble mailers, tape and tissue paper. Compare several different companies AND their shipping/handling costs. Some make up for their inexpensive prices in their handling fees
2) Reuse bubble wrap, plastic baggies, jewelry boxes, etc.
3) Save on paper, ink, and shipping weight by not printing out invoices. If a customer wants a hard copy, they can print it out online. However, many people are trying to reduce paper clutter and being "green" is cool.
4) Use cardboard as little as possible. I ship my jewelry in the smallest possible jewelry box I can fit it into. However, beads are wrapped in reused bubble wrap, then wrapped in tissue paper for a little extra layer of protection and to look pretty.
5) Tissue paper is coordinated with my business materials and logo
6) I recently bought some Moo stickers with my logo. They have several different sizes and look awesome on the tissue paper.
7) Include a handwritten thank-you. I recently had some postcards printed out with my logo on the front and a black and white bead image on the back. I write the customer's name and address in the appropriate space (just in case the shipping label is damaged or some other nonsense), and include a short handwritten thank you note on the postcard. Before that I bought Thank you cards from the clearance bin. I like the postcards better though. It looks much more coordinated and professional.
8) Include a business card. I love the Moo mini cards. (And if you are ordering there anyway, get your free Facebook cards too. You do have to pay for shipping.)
9) I stamp with a fancy "Thank You" design stamp and Staz On ink on the back side of the bubble mailer for a little extra detail.
That's about all I can think of for now. What do you do to make your packaging practical and professional?
