Best Boxes for Etsy: A Guide by DIYpack
Knowing which type of box to use for Etsy products is about more than picking a size that fits. Many sellers face challenges like balancing shipping costs and ensuring packaging is sturdy enough to protect products during transit. Sellers also often find it challenging to source boxes that enhance their branding while remaining within budget.
Understanding how to navigate these pain points is easy with DIYpack. We'll help you learn what to look for and how to find the perfect packaging options, from sizing to creating unboxing experiences that stand out.
With the right planning and supplier, you will soon be on the right path toward packaging that meets both branding and functional needs.
Understanding Your Packaging Needs
With a variety of boxes available to choose from, it is essential that you understand what your products need to best protect and display them. Key factors to consider include:
- Fragility: Delicate or breakable items need sturdy boxes that can support protective padding like foam or bubble wrap.
- Shape: Measure your products and ensure you select a box that comfortably fits the items and protective materials. Avoid oversizing, as this can increase shipping costs and create space for products to move around while in transit.
- Branding: Packaging forms a major part of your brand's overall customer experience. Consider custom boxes that allow you to add branded elements like logos and eye-catching graphics to align with your shop's aesthetic.
- Quantity: Determine how many boxes you need and look into the price of ordering in bulk, which can often reduce costs.
Special Care for Packaging Handmade Items
Handmade items often need extra care when it comes to packaging. Protect your creations using high-quality, sturdy boxes with ample space for additional padding materials like bubble wrap. Fabric-based products, for example, may need specific box shapes that help ensure they do not bunch or crease.
Types of Boxes for Etsy Sellers
As an Etsy seller, you have several box options, each catering to different products and shipping needs. Popular types of boxes include:
- Shipping: These are sturdy, corrugated boxes designed to transport large or heavier items. They offer decent protection and come in various sizes.
- Mailer: Mailers are lightweight, durable, and used for small or medium-sized products. They are often used in e-commerce and snap shut without the need for tape.
- Retail: This option is designed for display and branding. They stand out thanks to their retail-ready look and are a good choice for professional products.
- Gable: Gable boxes have a built-in handle and a unique, appealing shape. They can stand on their own and are great for holiday-themed products or event gifts.
- Square tube: Square tube options are tall, narrow boxes often used to ship rolled-up items like fabrics, posters or artwork. Their sturdy structure helps protect products.
- Literature mailer: This option is designed to ship flat items like stationary or books. They are slim yet sturdy and offer a snug fit to prevent shifting during shipping.
- Triangle tube: Triangle tube boxes are ideal for shipping long, narrow items like blueprints or fabric rolls. Their unique shape offers additional strength and prevents rolling, keeping the product more secure during transport.
Crafting a Memorable Unboxing Experience
With over nine million sellers on Etsy, you want to find unique ways to make your shop and its products stand out. Creating a memorable unboxing experience can enhance customer satisfaction, encouraging repeat business.
The box's exterior is the first thing your customers see. A well-designed box shows care and attention to detail. It creates a tie between your brand and clients' trust in the quality they can expect from the products inside.
Good packaging can increase your product's value perception by 45%, highlighting why getting the right options is so important.
Focus on selecting a box and accompanying inserts that make the unboxing process smooth and enjoyable. Opt for a design that prevents over-taping, allowing each layer of the box to unfold naturally, revealing the product in stages, which builds anticipation.
Custom Box Design Opportunities
Etsy shoppers expect unique products, and customizing your box designs fully aligns with this expectation. Here are some key opportunities you get from customization:
- Brand recognition: Customization lets you showcase your logo, shop name and colors, making your packaging instantly recognizable.
- Seasonal designs: You can adapt designs around special occasions like product launches and holidays. Offering limited-edition packaging creates excitement and can also potentially boost your sales.
- Unique aesthetics: With custom designs, you can create boxes that reflect your brand's personality. If customers repurpose your boxes, this offers great word-of-mouth marketing opportunities.
- Interactive packaging: You can add interactive elements to your designs, like QR codes or special messaging, inside the boxes. This can create a more engaging unboxing process and encourage social media sharing.
- Eco-friendly messaging: Use your custom designs to highlight your brand's commitment to sustainability and eco-friendliness. Include a message about the packaging's sustainability or instructions on how to reuse or recycle the box.
DIYpack allows you to upload your box artwork with your order or use our friendly online templates to create a design that speaks to your brand. From dielines and guides to color profiles and image resolution, you can easily assemble the style you want to be reflected on your custom Etsy shop boxes.
We also have no minimum order quantities, so you can order a single box as a sample to see what your efforts look like in real life.
Staying Ahead with Packaging Trends
Staying on par with packaging trends means focusing on sustainability. Over a billion trees worth of cardboard are discarded in the United States every year, highlighting the importance of finding ways to reduce your business's footprint. DIYpack's corrugated shipping boxes are compostable, recyclable and repurposable. They are also SFI-certified for sustainable material sourcing.
Using only what is necessary, that is to say, following minimalist packaging principles, also reduces waste. You can minimize your packaging materials without sacrificing protection by using appropriately sized boxes and reducing the amount of fillers you use.
Elevate Your Etsy Shop with DIYpack
Choosing the right boxes for your shop is crucial for managing shipping costs, protecting your products and boosting your brand image. Well-chosen and designed packaging will add value to your business, setting your shop apart in terms of creativity and sustainability.
Partner with DIYpack. We have over 60 years of experience as a direct manufacturer and use cutting-edge technology to ensure a short turnaround time from the moment you place your order. Design inside and outside the box, order any quantity you need and enjoy peace of mind, knowing you work with an organization that prioritizes sustainability.