Friday 30 August 2013

Parcel Tips!


During the past couple of years I've sent parcels all over the world, to customers, friends, and family. I thought it would be nice to put together a little post featuring some of the tips I've learnt along the way! I actually do worry quite a lot when I send a parcel off, because I want everything to be perfect and I obviously don't want anything to be damaged in transit so that's why good wrapping is essential, especially if your item might get jostled around a fair amount! My mum brought me a cute set of plastic drawers to keep all of my bits and bobs in, and it's just really handy to keep everything I need together and feign some organisational skill at least!



1. Cardboard & cardboard boxes.
Whenever we get something delivered to the house I like to keep the boxes just in case I need to re-use them to send my own parcels (you can also flat-pack them to save room). I have found this to be so useful and has probably saved me a lot of money on packaging. I also use the card to place inside an envelope when I send illustrations or prints just to provide a little more sturdiness to the package. I would recommend doing this even if you are using a hard-backed envelope as they can easily be bent and folded! 

2. Jiffy bags.
I suppose this is another obvious one really! Jiffy bags are incredibly useful for sending a variety of items. I have used them for sending small to medium sized canvases in the past and they have always arrived in perfect condition. I just wrap my canvas up well with bubble wrap and use card on either side of it to keep it super safe and secure. You could easily use a box to send canvases too, but I find that to be a little more expensive. 

3. Bubble wrap.
Bubble wrap is another obvious one but what surprises me is how much of the stuff I go through just sending one parcel! It really doesn't last very long, so I would recommend stocking up on a lot of this stuff if you intend to set up a little online store or send a lot of delicate parcels. When I'm sending a canvas, I like to wrap a couple of layers of bubble wrap around it until it is quite bulky to ensure it doesn't get damaged. 

4. Cute stationary.
I always like to send a little note to my customers when I post a parcel off. I just think it is a really cute personal touch and makes the parcel seem extra special. You could also use stickers to decorate the envelope and jazz it up a little, or even a ribbon! It's fun to get super creative with things like this as the possibilities really are endless. 

5. Pens, scissors, & various tape.
Again, these are all fairly boring essentials that you will need for sending most parcels! Although, you could try using washi tape to make your parcel stand out and look a little more interesting; I would really recommend using sellotape as well just for a little more security. I might also invest in some fun pen colours!

Here is a little wishlist I put together of some crafting bits.



I would also recommend buying all of your essentials from places such as Wilkinson or Ebay. Ebay is probably better for bulk buying, so again if you are thinking of setting up a small online store, this would probably be the best place to look. I've bought lots of jiffy bags, bubble wrap & tape from Wilkinson and the prices are always very reasonable and affordable. 

Now, when sending a parcel there are such a lot of options. I've used the Royal Mail to send packages in the past, but when sending parcels abroad the delivery times can vary wildly. If you are sending a particularly valuable or irreplaceable piece I would recommend using a specialist delivery service such as Parcelforce to ensure your item gets to it's destination on time and arrives in perfect condition! I've used them to send a massive illustration to my cousin in Australia and it arrived in absolutely record time and my cousin was happy so that's the main thing! 

It's easy to calculate how much your parcel is going to cost on most parcel delivery websites, all you need are some cheap scales and a measuring tape so you can really shop around and find the best price for you.

If you have any questions about selling online then please just drop me a comment below and I'll see if I can help you out.

C xxx

13 comments:

  1. Oh, this post is so informative! When I send a parcel, I always gets so anxious! Thanks for all these tips!

    Hope you are well and happy!
    Kisses

    Angelina - www.just-angelina.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you liked it Angelina! I always get paranoid that it will get lost in the mail! So far, I've been pretty lucky with them I think! I hope you are well too <3 xxx

      Delete
  2. I buy most of my bits from Wilko and just like you, I keep all the cardboard boxes I get in the cellar haha! I also worry about things being damaged in transit so like to wrap everything perfectly and use my little Paperchase stationary for notes. The only thing I don't have is cute tape! I definitely want to order some for my Christmas parcels. :D

    Tara xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm always hoarding boxes! I think I might actually have to throw some away soon - that's how silly it's getting! Yeah, I get worried that things might get broken if they get jostled around lots so I always pack it with a lot of bubble wrap! I love the rolls of washi tape! I know they are probably quite expensive for what they are but I just think it's a lovely little addition and would make a parcel look really special!
      <3 xxx

      Delete
  3. This is a fab post Carly, I'm rubbish at packaging stuff for Ebay but this is really helpful xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aaw, I'm really glad you like it Josie! I pretty much just like to keep anything I think might be useful later on - so I've got tons of foam and stuff! xxx

      Delete
  4. This is such a great idea since I always send a gift or some other stuff to my friends in us/uk too. Thanks for sharing xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No problem! I'm glad you liked it <3 xxx

      Delete
  5. Great post, I send lots of parcels often, Royal Mail is pretty good for all small parcels to most countries (Italy and Brazil can be awful). For large or expensive parcels I like to use Fedex or TNT through Parcels2go.

    Another tape I use particularly to tape up boxes is 3m fibre tape, super strong
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-CROSSWEAVE-REINFORCED-FILAMENT-TAPE-50MM-X-50M-X-1-ROLL-/310413518716?pt=UK_Packaging_Materials&hash=item484616677c

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I definitely agree with that! Thank you for sharing your link! <3 xxx

      Delete
  6. What a thoughtful post Carly and very helpful too! xxx <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aaw, your parcels are always so lovely! xxx

      Delete