Make- it Mondays: The Whole Package

From Buenahelena!
There are many reason why Etsy has been so wildly successful. The piles of unique, one of a kind items. The assurance of knowing who made the item your buying, the quality of their working conditions and the equity of their wages. Beyond all that good stuff, is that lovely feeling of getting something great in the mail. Not your email, twitter or facebook. Something in that little metal box at the end of your driveway. It's delicious and it keeps buyers coming back.

How can you make an irresistible and professional package with each item you send out?

1. Brand: Always include a business card for your shop. Create your own invoices with your brand and logo as the header. Stamp your items and packages (perhaps with a personalized stamp from JackBear Stamps). Stay within your shop style throughout the whole package. For example I upcycle a lot, so I've used silly things like Mighty Taco tray paper for my gift wrap. (Clean of course.)

2. Have you own Back: Print your shop's return policies and contact info on the back of your invoice if possible. Many folks don't bother to read it on your Etsy profile and it's better for them to know your policies and willingness to remedy problems before getting negative feedback.

3. Beautify: Make your package look awesome. Stock up on: Gift boxes, gift wrap, patterned packaging tape (now sold at JoAnn's), stickers, handmade envelopes. I recently sold something to someone who lives within 2 miles of me, but she wanted me to ship her item simply for the joy of the packaging!

4. Butter up: Send a personal thank you. Add a coupon code to your note or the back of your business card to show return shoppers your gratitude and persuade them to shop again. Give a small freebie, ie. Anything you'd sell for a dollar or less like magnets, key chains, samples items, a tiny zine or an artist trading card.

5. Branch out: Promote your team with a pack of business cards from other team members. Create a stand alone team business card promoting your blog or team website. Make a flier of upcoming shows or markets you'll be attending.

Follow these five B's. When you take each step of a transaction seriously, buyers will appreciate it and come back. They may very well bring back more buyers with them too. Let me hear what your put in your packages!

Make-it Mondays: DIY Envelopes and Advice

From: Buenahelena!

A few days ago the Etsy newsletter featured fun ways for sellers to package and ship their goods. (Check out the Storque article connected to the newsletter.) I loved the idea of reusing old paper, gift wrap, newspaper etc...to create envelopes and mailers and have shown you how I did a couple below. There are many tutorials out there with templates, but I found it was simple enough to deconstruct an existing envelope to create my own pattern. Enjoy!


I collected some illustrated pages from discarded library books, found 2 different sized envelopes for templates, an acid-free, strong bonding glue stick, and pencils and sharpies for tracing.


Next I used a letter opener to take apart both envelopes. Laying them flat over the vintage illustrations, I traced the outline of the envelopes then cut them out.


I used a ruler along the fold lines of the new templates to create sharp creases, folded them and glued them together as the original envelopes had been.


And there you have it, fun handmade envelopes! Consider adding your own mailing labels featuring your Etsy address along with the return address (not shown here for privacy). I also added a stamp featuring the words: "Handmade, because you're worth it." We should always let our customers know that they are indeed. Smaller envelopes can hold your card or street team members for promotions within a larger package. It's always fun to get a package and feel like it's your birthday and customers will remeber that in the future.

Start collecting things around you for packaging, like tray liners from diners, old magazines, or the cute, printed paper wrapped around cuts of vinyl. Be creative with what you've got!


On another note, I want to recommend a book. I recently picked up Creative Time and Space: Making Room for Making Art, by Rice Freeman-Zachery. It never feels like there is enough time to make art, especially when it's not my primary source of income. Rice has compiled rut killers, time makers and the studio profiles of several working artists, to ease that "never-enough-time" anxiety and get you working. Pick it up whether you're a full time artist (lucky ones you are!) or an artist with a day job.