How to Package Small Items for Shipping and Deliveries

When you ship your products to retailers and customers, you want them to get there safely, without any damage. Big, stackable boxes work well for distribution and are easy to handle while travelling to their destination, but what if your product line is small?

Figuring out how to ship your little treasures can be difficult because you need them to make the trip without damage, so choosing the right packaging is vital. Regardless of the size of the items you sell, you want them shipped without worry. Use the right packaging techniques will ensure your products look great and arrive safely at their destination.

Here is how to package small items for shipping:

Packaging Supplies

When you package small items for shipping, there are some preferrable shipping supplies to use:

Cardboard

This material is the standard for shipping and works well for bulk items that you wholesale and retail packages. It can be produced in any size and is usually corrugated to make it sturdier while still being lightweight. Cardboard is also recyclable, so your packaging is not contributing to the landfill.

Padded Mailers

Padded mailers are lightweight envelopes lined with a bubble cushion to protect the contents while on the route. They work well for flat and delicate items like jewelry, electronics and hand-made gifts. Books also ship good using a padded mailer.

Polyurethane Bags

This is another type of mailer made from cheap and sturdy plastic. They are ideal for soft material goods like fabrics and apparel, and the bags are moisture-resistant and waterproof. There are fold-over adhesive strips to completely seal the package, and some are reusable to ship again.

Custom Boxes

Do you want your package to stand out? Then customs boxes might be the solution. They can be made in any size and shape you need to perfectly fit your items. You can get a regular slotted carton, and cardboard folded mailer or a front-lock mailer.

Shock Mount Packaging

Your goal is to make sure your items arrive safe and sound, regardless of the distance. If you are marketing fragile equipment like electronics or liquids, you want to have a package that can keep your delicate items intact.

Shock mount packaging has built-in shock absorption to protect from damage like vibration and shock and moisture and humidity. It is a heavy-duty type of packaging but is useful for your small, fragile items.

Customize the packaging

Now that you have your package type, you need to decide on the look. This is where you advertise your brand using colour and messaging. We are all sick of plain cardboard, so why not stand out with something fabulous? You can even use a branded sticker and packing tape to get your logo on the outside.

Hand-written notes and tags add that artisan vibe and show you care about connecting to your customer. Inside the box can have colour and a wrap around the item like tissue or stamped paper. This extra customization goes a long way in customer retention.

Packaging Filler

Filler is the material you put inside the box to keep the contents from moving around and adds an extra layer of cushioning protection. Packaging passes through many hands-on journeys, and not everyone is as gentle with your products as you are.

Airbags are one way to fill any void and keep things secure inside your package. Packing peanuts, styrofoam and cardboard inserts are effective as well. Bubble wrap works great because it is directly connected to your items instead of filling inside the box. If you have room in the package, make sure there is cushioning all the way around.

Box-in-box Packaging

Using a box-in-box method adds another layer of protection for any fragile items. It also creates an experience like opening up a surprise because your inner box can be branded while the outer box is plain. This helps with theft because thieves don’t know the value of what is inside. It just looks like a regal package.

You don’t want your shipment to be too large, so use a big outer box to house the branded box plus a little bit of filler. Then seal it uptight, and it’s ready to ship.

Packaging Sealing

Large boxes are usually dollied in and out of trucks and don’t take a huge beating. Smaller packages get thrown around into bins, crates and even on the truck bed. This rough and tough shipping can easily open up the packaging and expose the contents.

Make sure to use a durable package that can close tight. You want to ensure all openings, folds and flaps are sealed too. Use reinforced tape to wrap around the package and secure the opening. You can get custom printed tape that looks great and advertise your company simultaneously.