Thursday, March 4, 2010

A Simple Way to Package a Product


I was packaging some small items for a local shop and thought I'd share this simple process with you. I realize this will be very basic for many of you, but if you are like me, when I first started selling my work, I needed even basic tips ~ and still do at times. So here goes...

In the past, I'd tag each item with a business card and the shop would tag the card with the price and vendor #. This works well for items that could be displayed in a large bowl and that could be handled without worry of damage or soiling. This product is a fabric mouse filled with catnip. It doesn't damage easily, but due to keeping the catnip herb as fresh as possible, I wanted to keep it in a sealed bag.


First, I used clear bags with an adhesive lip from Staples Industrial, popped in a catnip toy that I made and sealed it shut.


Next, I printed product labels on cardstock with a program called PrintMaster Silver 12. That link is for the most recent one, Silver 17. I've had the old version for years and never upgraded since it serves my basic needs just as well for printing all sorts of labels and cards. I printed 4 labels to a page by choosing a horizontal postcard layout. When designing the labels, I had to keep in mind that I would be folding the postcard over the top of the bag and stapling it closed. So my product name and description was in the lower half of the postcard. The price and vendor # was in the upper half, but rotated 180 degrees to make it upside down, which would be right side up once it was folded in half... does that make sense? I cut the labels apart, folded in half horizontally, and stapled over the tops of the bags.

Just a note about what I put on my label: it shows the product name, the product description, and my business name and website. The back of the label has my vendor # and the shop's retail price. This particular shop doesn't mind that I have my website address on the label or on my business card tags. However, some shops ask that you do not list websites or contact information on your product labels since they are carrying your product. You may want to keep that in mind when packaging your items for shops.

I hope you can make sense of what I described and that it can be of help.


Tomorrow around noon I will share photos of my finished Simply Spring Daffodil Pillows, so come back by for a visit when you have time.

Take Care & God Bless,
Lana
~*~

3 comments:

  1. Hi Lana, this is really helpful to me, as I intend to open an etsy store in the next few weeks. I love how things I've ordered come packaged, Cello bags, pretty tags, shredded paper, cards and stickers. I have to start considering how mine will look! I love your blog, by the way! Sherry

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  2. Good luck with your etsy shop Sherry! :)
    If you notice, my bags are just a bit wide for the fold-over labels. I used bags that I had on hand for my cards. Staples Industrial (& other packaging material companies) sell just about any size you would need so it should be easy to buy something to fit your product.
    Thanks for the blog compliment! :D

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  3. Lana,
    I love these simple tips. I've been selling from my etsy & with each sale I'm faced with the dilemma of how I will package it. I've been wanting for a long time now to be consistent so that I could spend my time creating, not wrapping. Thanks so much! Lisa

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