Craft Packaging Supplies for Etsy Sellers: A Starter Kit by Product

The craft packaging supplies an Etsy seller needs come down to four things: an outer that fits the product, something inside to keep it clean and still, tape, and a label. For most handmade shops the outer is a 20mm deep large letter box, a padded envelope, a small crash lock box or a mailing bag, and one or two of those cover nearly every order.

This guide gives a starter kit for five kinds of product: jewellery, prints and cards, candles and soap, knitwear, and ceramics. It then covers how to make plain stock packaging look like your own, which labels you need, and what to buy first when the budget is small. We sell plain packaging only, so where a job calls for printed boxes, stickers or tissue paper we say so and tell you what to do instead.

Quick picks for Etsy and craft sellers

If you only buy three things to start, these cover flat items, boxed items and the clear bag that goes inside both.

Best for flat makes under 20mm

Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes

Die cut cardboard boxes 20mm deep, made to go at the Royal Mail Large Letter rate.

• Mini, C6, DL, C5 and C4 sizes
• Packs of 50, supplied flat
• Fold together by hand

From £5.00 ex VAT (£6.00 inc VAT)

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Best for candles, soap sets and ceramics

Crash Lock Boxes

Cardboard boxes with a base that locks as you open them, so there is no tape underneath.

• 10 sizes, CL-A (100 x 100 x 70mm) to CL-K (426 x 300 x 300mm)
• Sold per box, minimum 5
• Price per box drops as the quantity grows

From £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT)

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Best for keeping makes clean and on show

Transparent OPP Bags (Polypropylene)

Clear, glossy polypropylene bags, the kind many shops call cello bags.

• 10 sizes, 6.5 x 9 inches (165 x 230mm) to 18 x 22 inches (458 x 560mm)
• Packs of 100
• Use on a market stall or inside a parcel

From £2.50 ex VAT (£3.00 inc VAT)

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What craft packaging supplies does each type of Etsy shop need?

Each type of shop needs a different outer, and the outer is decided by two questions: can the item break, and is it thinner than 20mm once wrapped? Flat items go in an envelope if they cannot crush and in a large letter box if they can. Anything deeper or breakable goes in a box with wrap round it, and soft items go in a mailing bag.

The table below is a starter kit for the five most common kinds of handmade product. Every item in it is plain stock packaging from our cardboard boxes, bags and protective packaging ranges.

You do not need all of it, because most shops sell one or two kinds of product. Start with the row that matches yours and add the rest when an order calls for it. If you sell on more than one platform, the same kit works there too. Our guides to Vinted packaging and eBay packaging cover second-hand and resale parcels in more detail.

Which packaging suits jewellery, prints and greeting cards?

Jewellery, prints and cards are all thin enough to post flat, so the choice is between a padded envelope, a board back envelope and a 20mm deep large letter box. Pick by what could go wrong: jewellery gets crushed or scratched, prints and cards get bent.

Jewellery. White bubble padded envelopes are self-seal envelopes with a bubble lining, in 10 sizes from EP1 A/000 (100 x 165mm) to EP10 K/7 (350 x 470mm), 100 to a box, from £8.00 ex VAT (£9.60 inc VAT). The EP1 suits a pair of earrings on a card. If the piece has a setting or a clasp that could be flattened, use a PIP large letter box instead. The Mini is 101 x 101 x 20mm and the C6 is 163 x 112 x 20mm, both in packs of 50, from £5.00 ex VAT (£6.00 inc VAT). We do not sell jewellery gift boxes or pouches, so buy those from a jewellery supplier and use our box as the outer. The jewellery packaging guide goes through rings, necklaces and earrings one by one.

Prints. Board back envelopes have a stiff board back and a printed Do Not Bend warning. There are three sizes: C4 (324 x 229mm) for A4 prints and C5 (229 x 162mm) for A5, both in boxes of 125, and C6 (162 x 114mm) for A6 in boxes of 250. They start from £12.00 ex VAT (£14.40 inc VAT). Slide the print into a clear bag first so a damp letterbox does not mark it.

Greeting cards. A single card with its envelope goes in a C6 or C5 board back envelope, depending on the card size. For the clear sleeve, our smallest OPP bag is 6.5 x 9 inches (165 x 230mm), which is roomy round a small card. We do not stock small self-seal card sleeves, so if you want a snug sleeve on an A6 card you will need to buy those elsewhere. Our bags suit A5 cards, prints and card bundles better. OPP bags come in packs of 100 from £2.50 ex VAT (£3.00 inc VAT).

Bundles and wholesale packs. Six or ten cards together are too stiff and heavy for an envelope to protect the corners. A C5 (229 x 159 x 20mm) or C4 (325 x 225 x 20mm) large letter box holds a stack flat, as long as the stack is no more than 20mm thick with its wrapping.

Shop PIP large letter boxes

How do you pack candles, soap and ceramics so they arrive in one piece?

Pack candles, soap and ceramics in a box that is slightly bigger than the item, wrap the item, and fill the space so nothing moves when you shake the box. A box with a loose item inside is where most breakages start, whatever the item is made of.

Crash lock boxes suit this job because the base locks into place as you open the box, so you only tape the top. Sizes run from CL-A (100 x 100 x 70mm) to CL-K (426 x 300 x 300mm). They are sold per box with a minimum of 5, from £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT), and the price per box drops as the quantity grows. Small sizes such as CL-A, CL-B (160 x 150 x 75mm) and CL-C (180 x 100 x 50mm) are the small cardboard craft boxes most candle and soap sellers start with. Measure your product, add the thickness of the wrap on every side, and choose the size above that.

Best paper wrap for breakables

Honeycomb Paper Rolls (80gsm)

80gsm paper that opens into a cushioning honeycomb pattern when you stretch it.

• 395mm x 250m or 500mm x 250m rolls
• Made of paper, sold as a single roll
• The 395mm width suits bottles, jars and cosmetics

From £28.00 ex VAT (£33.60 inc VAT)

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For the wrap, honeycomb paper starts from £28.00 ex VAT (£33.60 inc VAT) a roll. That is a bigger first spend than bubble wrap, and a 250m roll lasts a long time. If you would rather start cheaper, small bubble wrap with 10mm bubbles comes on 100m rolls, 300mm or 500mm wide, from £9.00 ex VAT (£10.80 inc VAT). Both do the job, and our honeycomb paper vs bubble wrap guide compares them.

The steps are the same for a jar candle, a mug or a set of soap bars:

1. Bag or wrap the item first. Put soap in a clear bag or a paper wrap so scent and oils stay off the box. Put a lid or dust cover on a candle.
2. Wrap it in cushioning. Stretch the honeycomb paper fully so every cell opens, and go round the item until no hard edge can be felt through the paper.
3. Build the box and line the base. Open the crash lock box so the base locks, then put a layer of scrunched paper in the bottom.
4. Place the item in the middle. Keep a gap between the item and every wall of the box. Wrap each piece separately if there is more than one.
5. Fill the space. Pack scrunched kraft paper or more honeycomb paper round and over the item.
6. Shake, then seal. Close the flaps and shake the box gently. If anything moves, add more paper. Then tape the top seam.

A single thin soap bar can go in a large letter box if it measures under 20mm once wrapped. Many bars are thicker than that, so measure before you list. For jar candles and wax melts, the candle packaging guide has the detail, and the ceramics and glassware guide covers mugs, plates and vases. Heavy or large ceramics may need a stronger box than a crash lock box, and those guides explain when.

What should you post knitwear and other textiles in?

Post knitwear and other soft items in a mailing bag, with the item folded inside a clear bag first. Wool, cotton and fabric cannot break, so a box only adds size and cost, and all a soft item needs is protection from rain and dirt.

Grey mailing bags are opaque polythene bags with a self-seal strip and a water resistant outer. There are 16 sizes, from 4 x 6 inches (100 x 150mm) to 34 x 42 inches (850 x 1050mm), from £2.90 ex VAT (£3.48 inc VAT). A hat or a pair of mittens fits one of the smaller sizes, and a chunky jumper needs a larger one. Fold the item, measure it, and choose a bag with a little spare width so the seal closes flat.

Inside, a clear OPP bag keeps the wool clean if the outer bag is opened roughly, and lets the buyer see the item before they unwrap it. The larger OPP sizes are made for this: 12 x 15 inches (305 x 381mm) and 12 x 16 inches (305 x 405mm) take a folded garment, and the range goes up to 18 x 22 inches (458 x 560mm).

If you would rather not use a polythene outer, wrap the folded item in kraft paper and tape it as a paper parcel, or use a box. We also stock mailing bags in white, pink, purple, baby blue and green if grey does not suit your shop. For sizes by garment, see mailing bags for clothes.

How do you make plain packaging look like your own brand?

You make plain packaging look like yours by picking one consistent look and adding one or two small things of your own to every parcel. A brown box, paper tape and a handwritten card, done the same way every time, is recognisable. It also costs far less than printed boxes, which usually come with large minimum orders.

Pack Solution sells plain packaging. We do not sell printed or branded packaging, stickers, tissue paper or gift boxes. The ideas below use plain supplies and a few things from a craft or stationery shop.

• Match the tape to the box. Kraft paper tape has a matt brown paper backing that matches kraft and brown boxes. It comes as 48mm x 50m with hotmelt adhesive or 75mm x 50m, in packs of 6 rolls, from £14.00 ex VAT (£16.80 inc VAT). Use the 48mm width on small postal boxes.
• Keep the inside all paper. Honeycomb paper closed with a strip of paper tape, with kraft paper in the gaps, gives the buyer one material and one colour when they open the box.
• Stamp it. A rubber stamp of your shop name and an ink pad turn a plain box, a kraft paper wrap or a card insert into your packaging. We do not sell stamps, but any craft shop does.
• Use a clear bag as your display. An OPP bag with your own backing card inside shows the product and your name together, on a stall and in the post.
• Pick one mailing bag colour. If you post soft items, sending every order in the same colour bag does the same job as a printed one.
• Add a note. A short handwritten thank you on a card takes a minute, and it is something a printed box cannot give the buyer.

Paper tape sticks differently from plastic tape, and the 48mm and 75mm rolls suit different box sizes. The paper tape guide explains which to use. For more ideas of this kind, read 10 ideas to make plain packaging look your own.

Which labels do Etsy sellers need for parcels and products?

Etsy sellers need an address label on every parcel, and many also use small labels on the products themselves. How you get the postage label depends on how you buy postage, and Etsy and the carriers change their options, so check your Etsy shop settings and your carrier for the current choices. This section covers what to print on.

If you have a direct thermal label printer, thermal labels on rolls print with heat, so there is no ink, toner or ribbon to buy. They fit Zebra-style direct thermal printers that take standard rolls, and they are sold one roll at a time from £3.50 ex VAT (£4.20 inc VAT). We do not sell label printers.

A small thermal label can also carry your shop name on a plain box or bag. Direct thermal printing uses no ink, so expect a single dark print on a plain label. That is fine for a name, a product title or a batch code, and it is a different thing from a printed colour sticker, which we do not sell.

You do not need a thermal printer to start. Print the label on plain A4 paper, cut it out and tape it flat to the parcel with clear tape over the whole label, or use A4 sheet labels in an ordinary office printer. A thermal printer starts to pay for itself in time saved once you are posting orders most days. Our thermal labels guide covers sizes, storage and printer setup, and the full range is in the labels collection.

What should you buy first on a small budget, and how much?

On a small budget, buy one outer that fits your best seller and one clear bag or wrap to go inside it, and leave everything else until an order needs it. One pack of each lasts a new shop a long time, because the packs are 50 or 100.

Work out the cost per order before you buy. The figures below use our starting prices, which apply to the smallest size in each range. Larger sizes cost more, so check the product page for the size you need.

A sensible first order looks like this:

• Jewellery shop: one box of padded envelopes or one pack of Mini or C6 large letter boxes. Add honeycomb paper later.
• Print and card shop: one box of board back envelopes in your main size and one pack of OPP bags.
• Candle or soap shop: 5 to 20 crash lock boxes in the size that fits your best seller, plus a roll of bubble wrap or honeycomb paper. Use tape you already have.
• Knitwear shop: one pack of mailing bags and one pack of OPP bags in a garment size.
• Ceramics shop: crash lock boxes in two sizes and a roll of wrap. Do not cut back on the wrap.

Many of our products have volume pricing. The price per pack falls as you buy more, and the tiers are shown on each product page. The tiers are worth using once you know which sizes you use every week. Until then, buy single packs and test the fit with a real order before you commit to a quantity. The guide to packaging by business size shows how the kit changes as orders grow.

Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery is free on every order with no minimum, and orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday leave our Manchester unit the same working day. If you are near us, click and collect is free and usually ready within 2 hours, and we run same-day van delivery within 10 miles of Cheetham Hill. Regular buyers can open a trade account, and every order comes with a VAT invoice. If you are not sure which size fits your product, call 0161 706 1246 or use the contact page and tell us the measurements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What packaging supplies do I need to start selling on Etsy?

To start selling on Etsy you need an outer that fits your product, something inside to keep the product clean and still, tape and an address label. For flat items the outer is a padded envelope, a board back envelope or a 20mm deep large letter box. For breakable items the outer is a small box with paper or bubble wrap inside. Soft items such as knitwear go in a mailing bag.

Does Pack Solution sell printed or branded packaging for craft sellers?

No. Pack Solution sells plain stock packaging and does not sell printed or branded packaging, stickers, tissue paper or gift boxes. Craft sellers can make plain packaging their own with kraft paper tape, a rubber stamp from a craft shop, a backing card inside a clear OPP bag and a handwritten note.

What are the best small cardboard boxes for craft products?

The best small cardboard boxes for craft products depend on how thick the product is. For items under 20mm thick, PIP large letter boxes come in five sizes from Mini (101 x 101 x 20mm) to C4 (325 x 225 x 20mm), in packs of 50. For deeper items such as candles and soap sets, crash lock boxes start at CL-A (100 x 100 x 70mm) and are sold per box with a minimum of 5.

Which labels should I use for Etsy orders?

For Etsy orders, the usual courier shipping label size is 4 x 6 inch (100 x 150mm), and our thermal label rolls in that size hold 500 labels. Thermal labels need a direct thermal printer, which we do not sell. Without a thermal printer you can print the label on A4 paper or A4 sheet labels in an office printer. Check your Etsy shop and your carrier for how postage labels are issued, because those options change.

Are OPP bags the right size for greeting cards?

OPP bags suit larger cards, prints and card bundles better than small single cards. Our smallest OPP bag is 6.5 x 9 inches (165 x 230mm), which is loose round an A6 card. We do not stock small self-seal card sleeves, so buy those from a card supplier if you want a snug fit.

How much does it cost to package a handmade order?

The packaging cost for a handmade order depends on the size you need, and you can work it out from the pack price. At our starting prices, PIP large letter boxes work out from 10p a box ex VAT and OPP bags from 2.5p a bag ex VAT, with larger sizes costing more. Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery on packaging orders from Pack Solution is free with no minimum, so delivery does not add to the cost per parcel.

Shop for This Job

• Cardboard Boxes
• Mailing & Polythene Bags
• Protective Packaging
• Labels
• Packing Tapes

Related Guides

• Jewellery Packaging for Posting: Boxes, Pouches and Padded Envelopes
• Packaging for Small Business: 10 Ideas to Make Plain Packaging Look Your Own
• Ecommerce Packaging by Business Size: 10, 100 and 1,000 Orders a Day

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