packaging pt. 1 (freezer paper bags)

 
 Happy Tuesday my lovelies! 2 reasons to be happy: ONE, just three more days until the weekend and TWO, it's tutorial day!!! You can find soooo many great tutorials throughout blogland on Tuesdays and if it wasn't for YOU sharing ideas and crafts... I would be a lost soul.

I have been wanting to do a tutorial on packaging for a while. There is just so much that needs to be addressed and so many cool ideas that I don't know where to begin. Packaging is (I think) a vital part in any retail business. It's the "icing" on the cake and your last opportunity to wow your client and make your last impression one they will talk about, spreading the news like a bad rumor wild fire.

Imagine if you will, a shop full of beautiful products. It tells a story. You fall in love and buy. And when you receive your package, it's just so-so. Once floating on a cloud of anticipation, romanticizing of being part of that story, only to be brought down to earth with an unexpected ending.

I like happy endings. 

As mentioned earlier, there are so many ideas out there. I will post a list of other great links to inspire you at the end of this tutorial. Also, I'll be hanging out with Buggie and Jellybean with more neat ideas on packaging later this week so please do come and visit and say hello!(I'll keep you posted)

Phew! Too much talking... let's get craftin'!

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First, before we even go to packaging and especially if we're dealing with fabric, let's start with folding. Now this is where all my GAP experience is paying off... you've probably seen it on SNL skits bagging on GAP employees and their folding skills (among other things), but seriously, it kinda helps here. (Don't laugh... I see you...)

This is how I fold all of my aprons. It's "apron-igami"...

 
Now you don't have to go to the extremes, but folding your products nice and neat is a big plus.

 
 When folded, I try to keep all the aprons the same dimensions. That way, you can mass produce your packaging a head of time and It'll save you in the long run.

 

Freezer bags are awesome. I use it for many reasons:

-It's fairly cheap. 

-150 square feet of it , which translates to MANY bags.

-It has a thin lining of wax on one side so during transit, if your package gets wet, it will have some protection.

-Freezer paper is used in multiple crafts (i.e. screen printing fabrics) so it's recyclable.

-It's white paper. A clean palette to decorate and make it your own.

*You can use brown paper bags, newspaper, plastic grocery bags, pages from a magazine, construction paper... many, many choices out there. RECYCLE-REUSE. A trend that's here to stay!

***

Back to packaging...

With the dimensions from the apron, I will add 2" in the length for seam allowance (yes, I'm going to sew the paper) and triple the width.

So I am left with about 10" x 21" paper. 

Turn paper over, wax side up and fold up 7" (the same as the width of the apron). As you can see, it resembles an envelope.

Stitch the sides. Straight... zig-zag... whatever floats your boat!

I use a scallop edge to give a finished look. You can leave it, use a different style of pinking shears, whatever you fancy. You could even fold over the edges and then stitch for a more reinforced edge.

See? Sooo purdy... 

Now here's the opportunity to make the bag more personalized... more YOU.

I have made my own custom stamps (so easy to make). I'll use them and sometimes combine them with stamps I already have.

 

Mix it up! Have fun! It's ALL YOU.

I'm starting to add this little label now to all of my bags. Not everyone knows what they can do with the bag. A simple reminder and perhaps even inspire someone to make something! Ya never know!

To keep the bag closed I used a piece of yarn (sometimes ribbon) and my business card. I ordered mini moo cards specifically for this. They're so little and too darn cute! 

GOLDEN RULE #1: ALWAYS leave a business card.

Tah-dah!

Add a thank you card, maybe a little "gift", place it in a box (or even an envelope) and it's ready to go! 

BUT WAIT!

You could stop there, but why? Can you imagine, waking up Christmas morning and seeing all the gifts under the tree not wrapped? NO pretty paper? NO mystery? That's no fun.

Let's take one more step...

Remember the stamps? Stamp the box. Make it pretty! How about mailing labels? I just print them out on regular paper and tape it on. Easy!

Okay... NOW you can send it on it's way!

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Here are some really cool sites to bring more inspiration:

-TOXEL

-SMASHING MAGAZINE

-ESTY

-dzine blog

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Do you have any cool packaging ideas? 

See you at Buggie and Jellybean with more ideas!!!

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HAPPY CRAFTING!

      

      

 

 
  

 

Comments

[Megan]

I love great packaging!

[Emalie]

great ideas!

[Jen P.]

LOVE these ideas! I am going to be working on my packaging soon and this is an awesome place to start!

[Casey]

looks fabulous!

[Liz Duckhorn]

Never thought of SEWING freezer paper! Now I gotta try this! :0)

Thanks for the great pics!

[Addie]

Thanks for the ideas! I need to learn how to make some of those pretty labels you've got, too!

[[email protected]]

let me tell you -- I have received a "few" packages from Happy Find, and I am always giddy to see what kind of packaging she uses. I think after my first purchase, I emailed and said that I was so in love with the packaging, that I couldn't decide whether to show off my items in or out of the packaging -- it is that good!
PS -- Frannie made it home and she is EVEN MORE AWESOME IN PERSON. We made some chocolate chip cookies together over the weekend!!

[Venus Perez]

Thank you all for the fab comments! There's more to come...
Carrie, I'm so-so happy Frannie made it home! I am soooo making one for me!

[9crafty11]

This is a great idea! Who wouldn't want to open something like that!

[Sue]

Lovely packaging! your ideas are fantastic!