when you're an etsy seller like me, you work really hard to make your products as perfectly adorable as possible. you want your customer to receive their product and squeal with delight, right? so why would we package up our handmade cuteness in some plain jane bubble mailer envelope? those things are expensive not to mention U-G-L-Y!
this tutorial will show you how to make your own protective envelope using a cereal box! that's right. no more expensive bubble mailers. no more plain white envelopes that rip and wind up at your customer's house completely empty (don't ask me how i know about this).
FLAT CARBOARD ENVELOPE TUTORIAL:
materials needed:
cereal box
packing tape
postage label
washi tape or stamps for decoration
1. first, start with an empty cereal box. throw out (or recycle) the bag inside.
note: you can make envelopes of any size using other boxes like pasta, granola bars and popcorn.
2. gently open the box along all of the glued seams. just use your hands, no scissors or box cutters. you can peel these edges back just like you would to open a letter envelope. just be careful - cardboard paper cuts are a b.... are the WORST! this is what it should look like opened all the way.
3. take the side without the ingredients list and fold it up - the envelope is already starting to take shape! make sure the outside of your box is the inside of your envelope. it makes the label pop a little more - goodness knows we don't want any angry postal workers.
4. next, fold in the tabs that are on the right and left. these are the tabs that made up the top and bottom flaps of your box in it's previous life.
5. when you've folded all of your flaps inside, this is what your envelope should look like. it will want to open up when you let go, so i usually take this time to tack the sides closed with a piece of packing tape. don't worry about too much tape right now. i've found it's easier to tape it up once you've filled it.
6. next, rip off the little tabs hanging off the sides. we don't need those.
7. now you've got yourself an envelope! stuff your goodies inside!
8. fold the remaining flap down and tack it with a piece of tape to hold it still. i use my favorite chevron duct tape. (thanks target $1 bin!!) then take your packing tape and tape down the entire flap.
9. tape down your sides all the way around. go tape crazy!! you don't want that handmade goodness falling out!
10. slap on your postage label, decorate with washi and take that bad boy to the post office!
these are so fun to make! post questions in the comments below.
how do you package up your etsy goodies? do you have any tips to share? post below in the comments section!
shipping tape used in this tutorial is scotch brand. it's strong, clear and easy to rip.
learn more here:
No comments:
Post a Comment