Making the artwork is one thing, packaging and shipping artwork is another... I find myself finishing the work but taking a few days to ship things out sometimes. I can only guess it’s because I have pretty severe ADHD and the thought of starting the packaging process can be a little overwhelming sometimes. It seems simple, but there are a few steps involved..
Step 1: Securely Wrap in Bubble Wrap. Whether it’s a canvas, or something more fragile, like a glass picture frame, I will always wrap in bubble wrap first. Even though everything will ultimately be inside of a box, my goal is to have the art completely protected on its own just in case anything happened to the box, or it fell out. I typically wrap with bubble wrap at least twice, and secure with shipping tape, then I will make sure all the corners are wrapped and taped nicely as well.
Step 2: Wrap with a bow. I try to add a bow to anything I can! Sometimes I may be out of ribbon/tulle, so I will skip this step, but ideally I want to always have a bow. Obviously this is not necessary, but I think it’s a nice touch to add to the unwrapping experience. 🙂
Step 3: Write a handwritten thank you note. It’s so important to me to make sure my customers know how much I sincerely appreciate their business! I did not get where I am today without my customers and their support and I don’t take that for granted. A handwritten note goes a long way these days, in my opinion. I know I don’t get them often but I always love opening them so I include them in my own packages.
Step 4: Place the art in a box. Depending on what I’m shipping, I may or may not use packing paper. If I’m shipping a canvas, I typically have a box that is the exact size for the canvas to fit, so there’s not really room for paper. If there’s a lot of room in the box, I will bunch up packing paper and make sure nothing is sliding around too much. Then I tape the box up a lot with shipping tape. I try to use recycled boxes if I have one that is the right size! I have so many boxes coming in with packages I order myself, it just seems like such a waste for me to purchase more cardboard boxes.
Step 5: Measure and weigh the box. At this point, you could very well take your package to the Post Office or UPS or FedEx and they could take it from here, but I choose to print my own labels. That means that after I get the box ready to go, I have to measure the Height, Width and Length of the box, and then weigh the box. I always write it down because I then have to enter these details to make the label and I will forget.
Step 6: Create the Shipping Label. To create the shipping labels, I use Shippo and a Thermal Label Printer. Shippo is amazing! I’ve never used another platform so I may be biased, but I really love it and have never had any issues with it. It’s linked to my website and Etsy shop, so any time I get an order, the customer information is stored and that saves so much time. So all I have to do is click on the order and add the dimensions and weight for the box. Once I add those details, shippo calculates what the rates would are for several different mailing services, and gives a list so I can see what options cost what. Depending on the budget I have and how fast something needs to be somewhere, I will choose the best option and download the label. Once I download the label, I can send it straight to the thermal printer and print it on label paper, ready to stick to the box.
Step 7: Take to the Post Office. After all that, it’s ready to go! I think I make a visit to the Post office or UPS at least once a day. They definitely know me by name! Ideally, it’s probably better to make a trip once a week, but I just find it easier to go right as I have something ready. My customers are very excited about their packages, I can’t keep them waiting. :)
Below is a list of links for all my favorite packing/shipping tools:
Thermal Printer - This is not the one I own, but this one is better because it’s wireless/ bluetooth. Mine does have a cord and I wish I had one that didn’t need to be plugged up to my computer. This one is also on the cheaper end.
Tulle - I get mine from Hobby Lobby! You can usually find it in the sewing/fabric section.
Thank You Cards - TJ Maxx. They always have a ton of cute ones at great prices.
How do you handle packing/shipping? Is your process similar to mine or do you have some tips for me? Did you learn anything from this article? Let me know in the comments!
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