professional packaging for small business on a budget

So, you are all excited to launch your new product on Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, or your retail stores. You believe you are ready to start selling!

Except, are your products leaving your store to their excited owners looking….

Like this?

 

You get some points for trying, but you will probably not live to see the customer again. Source

Or like this (from the seller whom I can’t remember)?

 

Plain packaging does the job, but so does your competitors’.

Help! I need packaging for my product!

Well designed product packaging can do wonders for your products – it reflects quality, marks a premium value, and encourages brand loyalty. Think Tiffany & Co’s iconic little blue box.

 

That iconic Little Blue Box. Source

Unlike Tiffany, you may not have brand legacy or the budget to custom make branded packaging for all your products. Nor do you have the thousands to hire a design firm to create a sleek branding for your products. Maybe not yet.

But, good news! Professional products packaging need not come with a hefty price tag. Sometimes, you just need to look around for ideas and readily available packaging supplies that can help you do the trick.

We combed the WWW for great affordable packaging supplies and ideas that help you with the daunting task of dressing up your products.

Packaging supplies that do wonders

 

1. Thank You Stickers

Save your products from boring, uninspired kraft boxes. Add a piece of thank you stickers to your packaging and gives all your products that desired finished touch. 

This enhances even the plainest box and gives it a style of sophistication. Cost? Less than $0.012 per piece (1 roll of 1000 for USD 11.99 on Amazon) and your products will look as good as Tiffany’s. 

If you run a cafe, or like something funky that appeals to the young and young at hearts, consider these funny labels that spice up any product packaging. 

They definitely give you a differentiation above the crowd. 

 

Funny product packaging

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Sometimes you just need to look into the most unlikely places for some inspiration. 

Vinyl stickers are usually used by teens to personalise their water bottles and laptops. However, there are professionally designed vinyl stickers that makes great labelling for your home made products too! Check out these options. 

These vinyl stickers are also a great label option for children and fanciful lifestyle products. 

VSCO Girl stickers

4. Recyclable Kraft Papers

Recyclable Kraft Papers are a great way to package your products. If you want an extra layer of protection, just make sure you purchase some of these bubble wraps, and finish off with a layer of premium kraft papers. 

Ink your own personalised messages on the kraft papers. Or add decorative twinestags or thank you stickers.

 

 

5. Polymailers

Contrary to the CURRENT popular belief, plastic bags were originally invented to save the world. It is unfortunate that human had misused the plastic bags and made them the most hated material of the planet right now. 

As ecommerce sellers, we definitely wish we could do our part for the environment, while still allow our business to run. So do we return back to paper bags and boxes? 

According to research, paper bags are worse off for the environment as they are resource intensive to produce, and fuel consuming to transport. The very reason why plastic bags were invented in the first place. 

Whatever options we choose, let’s make it a conscious effort to keep waste to the minimal. E.g. minimise individual packaging, do not shrinkwrap your items before putting them into another polymailer (Reduce!). Or remind your customers to reuse or recycle the packaging with a recycle sticker (Reuse Recycle!) 

 

The good news is, there are 100% Compostable Poly Mailer out there that are made with cornstarch and BPAT. These polymailers break down into carbon dioxide, water, and organic fertilizer. A great choice for ethical sellers who care for the environment!  

6. Ziplock bags

Ziplock bags are great for homemade produce and cookies. Unfortunately, most of them still come in boring kraft packaging that leave much to the imagination. 

So, remember to add some creativity with readily available packaging supplies.

 

 

7. Fancy boxes

Fancy boxes are good options to package your cookies, cakes and product bundles. There are many great options available on Amazon. Check out some we like below. 

You can also DIY your own with high quality craft papers. Follow our DIY gift box tutorial and templates here.