Handmade Packaging for Your Handmade Beaded Jewelry and Beads

Excellent points. After the holidays I found packages of those cardboard jewelry 25 cents for 5 boxes. I bought up a bunch and plan to stock up again next year.

I am on vacation this week because I have family here for my youngest daughter's high school graduation. My sister and mother were really excited about the beads I made. As you may know I have this problem with my beads multiplying and I get more beads and more beads and more beads. So, I am going to string them this week and take photos to get them on Etsy. I can also sell some to coworkers and have been pondering about being Green with my packaging. Now, there is a difference between tossing something in a plastic grocery sack and what you have done here.

I thought using the paper envelopes from junk mail. Maybe make them into a little envelope or stamp and shred them. I think newspaper would transfer the ink onto the beads.

Any other ideas out there?

Another great idea Cindy! Thank you!

How true that a little thought – really about anything – goes a very long way.

I cannot tell you how lovely it was to receive that package of Cindy's beads. So intricate and meaningful to me! Felt like it was my birthday!

Opened the package in the community room in front of many elderly friends. Some business possibilities here…only they all adored the box, materials, note, and wrapping details…..they weren't too sure about the "skeletor" (as one of them put it) beads. Ahahaha.

Cindy's effort also triggered a wonderful memory for me, one that I have cherished since.

When my eldest niece was in second grade, her boredom in class led to many problems culminating with her teacher mandating she write a class apology (she deserved it). She was horrified and terrified. To take the sting out of it, I hauled out the "antique letter" approach.

First we stained the paper with tea, then used old timey ink pens and print style to write the note. As a final touch, I showed her how to use a lighter to burn the edges of the letter. We rolled it up scroll style, and tied it similarly to the way Cindy tied the package, with just thin string, multiple wraps. Mr. Steve was suitably impressed.

What I remembered and cherished most was the look of wonderment on this child's face as we constructed the project, and how tightly this precious non-huggie child bear hugged me that nite before bed. Extra special moment for her Aunt and Godmother, I can tell you, and who knows if I would have ever recalled it if not for Cindy's packaging.

Thank you Cindy. For the memory so special, for the effort, for the art, and for you.

Can't wait to use those beads in the lanyard. They are spectacular, so perfectly finished. I am having trouble putting them down, they feel so soothing in the palm of my hands. Kudos, and much fondness, girl!
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Thanks for sharing–I do believe that packaging a product can make the difference in the customer experience!

This is an excellent post, Cindy! Some great thoughts here – I shared it with our readers at Craft Gossip.

Hope it gets you some visitors! :)

I have been thinking of ways to promote my etsy business and how to present the jewelry I make. Thanks for this post. It's very helpful!

I have always made polymer clay gift boxes for the rosaries I make. I get more comments on the boxes than the rosaries! You can check out what I have done on my ETSY site. Just search under SELLERS: designsbyCATALINA. Let me know what ya think, too!

Fun ideas for packaging! I think that's an area that often get neglected by sellers.

I like to do a real neutral packaging– I use VersaMark ink to stamp suns on my jewelry boxes and tie with bit of ribbon. Simple, but effective.

very good point here, this makes me want to improve even more :) thank you cindy!

Your post brings to mind how impressed I was with an ornament I received in an exchange last year. Not only was the ornament well done but it was packed in a gift box and the artist had glued her initial in a circle on the front of the box.

That made me rethink how I package for mailing. I now use a silver foil jewelry box with padding and wrap that in bubble wrap. I do still use the padded envelope because it saves on postage in most cases.

Thank you so much everyone! I am pleased you all liked this post!

@Anna: There are lots of green alternatives when it comes to packaging. Popped popcorn, dried herbs, shredded paper, shredded tissue paper are just some ideas.

@Jocelyn: You are more than welcome! It was my pleasure and very fun to send that to you. Your story was touching. I loved it!

@Julie: Thank you so much for posting about this post on your blog. I love that sort of thing! Made my day!

To everyone else your comments and ideas are fantastic and I thank you so much for commenting! What a great bunch you all are!! :-)

Your poly clay boxes are nice!

The packaging idea is great, but the outside packaging surprised me. I was told that the post office (US) doesn't want wrapping paper around a box. They want it sealed with tape.

Hello Freda. I think Cindy meant that she wrapped the package her way first, and then placed that into a standard mailing box. I have done the same thing myself when sending gifts. I have used hankerchiefs for small boxes, and silk scarves folded nicely for larger boxes, then added a bit of ribbon. Its like getting 2 gifts that way, since they can wear or use the wrapping.(very green) I have also used pouches of various materials as well. Silk scarves and hankies, or even silk neckties can be re-cycled for making the pouches if you want to go green again, and are simple and quick to make. The idea of stringing the beads or what nots on wire or heavy cord does save a lot of wear and tear on them in shipping too. I usually wrap them on the wire in a matching piece of felt that I have trimmed the edges on, using the fancy edging scissors available. Then just slip them in the bag. For necklaces and bracelets or earrings, just put a few holes in the felt and string them onto it, then fold them up inside and tie with a ribbon. They will arrive tangle free. Even an old map can make cool wrapping for an appropriate gift. Thats how I sent a pair of driving gloves once. I just love to scout around and find lots of "new" old stuff to use this way. Half the fun is in the hunt! Hahaha!
XOXO Jamie

Hi Cindy, I really like the advice you presented here on the need to be more attentive to packaging ideas & solutions. I have found it to be very important to show a profession finish for your hard work and the customers purchase. Thanks again for your advice.
Adrienne

@Debbie: Thanks!

@Freda: Jamie answered your question wonderfully! Thanks for commenting.

@Jamie: Thank you so much for popping in and answering Freda's question. Love the tips too! Never thought of silk ties. That would be cool. Especially for the guys gifts! Maps would be great as well. Very good ideas!

@Adrienne: I agree that your packaging should give your products a professional look. It can be almost any style or material as long as it suits your work and it doesn't need to be expensive. Just something that looks like you value your beads and/or jewelry.

My knitted hedgehogs are wrapped in tissue paper, with a silver leaf outline sticker on the front.

Once I get through my stash of coloured tissue, I'll switch to white recycled paper – wonder if there's a green alternative to sticky tape? I do re-use as much packaging as I can.

I often get comments about how elegant my packaging is, even though it's only tissue and stickers!

Silverleaf I think that the fact that you wrap your little hedgehogs like a gift and seal them with a sticker is something that people relate to as classy, like a fancy store would do. It doesn't have to be complicated or fussy. Just something that shows you care about your product.

One green alternative would be a hair elastic or ribbon. Something that can be used again, is always greener than something that gets thrown out. Though a little sticker and a thin piece of tissue is not a huge offense! :-)

Shortly, it seems I will have a new member to add to my home, an African origin hedgehog!

All thanks go to Anne/Silverleaf for her wonderful knitted inspiration hedgehogs, they are adorable. Her site is: silverleafshinystuffshop.blogspot.com/

In the ordering back and forth with her excellent site, I ran across an excellent site for currency conversion, and wanted to share it will all of you since so many who participate here live in different countries.

Here you go, hope it helps: coinmill.com/GBP_USD.html#GBP=00000

Anna, be getting back to you shortly with the specifics and thank you so much!!!

You're very kind Jocelyn, it will be a pleasure to make a hoggy especially for you. :)

Reminds me that I need to make up some more and put them in my Etsy shop. Quite a few people ask me for special colours or combinations of colours (like in their school or team colours) but I like to have a nice collection ready-made for people to look at as well.

Wonder if really tiny ones would make cute earrings?

Sadly, no hedgehog. They turned me down!!!!
Too funny. Something about not having a high enough income. OK.

So, Anna, if you'd like, we can add a pair of earrings (you choose the color) to that existing request.

As soon as the check clears, I will be contacting you to finalize the financial side of the deal, lol.

I cannot wait to have these objects in my hands to examine all the details!!!

Think you should make millions, they might take off as the next media popular animal, and if so, in my opinion, you deserve every dime you will make in tribute to them.