How to ship / package resin jewelry

Jewelry Discussion
1

i have a few questions regarding how to ship jewelry. i am very
cheap. i do not want to pay hefty prices for packaging or shipping.
the jewelry im planning on shipping is resin jewelry.

this relates to jewelry because i was wondering what kinds of thing
(if any of you out there have any ideas/advice) on what kinds of
things… to package a box or envelope containing a resin jewelry
piece. mainly the pieces would be about 2 inches wide and right now
im just doing necklaces (resin pendants).

i ask on here because i think that some of u have some experience
with online selling and may have some that could be
useful to me (no experience whatsoever) or anyone.

what are the best materials to use to keep the jewelry piece safe
from being ruined/damaged?

what way is a good way to package the piece?
most specifically resin jewelry.

i know that there are many packaging items out there but im looking
for something that would be ideal for resin jewelry, as this isnt
metal i wouldnt just throw it in a box and ship it across the
continent.

my mind is blank and i really need some help, any* ideas*?

2

Hi Laura,

Assuming you live in the US, you could use Priority Mail. The items
you are describing would fit in the Small Flat Rate box available at
any post office for free. Postage is $4.85 anywhere the US post
office delivers mail. You can go to usps.com & print the label &
postage on line. For packing material you can use wrinkle up old
newspapers. If you will be mailing a lot of items this size, you can
order Small Flat Rate boxes delivered to you location for free from
usps.com.

If you have larger sized items, there are large Flate Rate boxes
available as well.

Dave

3

thank u i am aware of the flat rate boxes, as they do seem ideal. i
also think that my resin jewelry could probably be shipped for
cheaper because it is so light but i am yet to figure out what
way/how. thank u for th input about the newspaper, i heard it is
heaveir than peanuts, im not sure if i should buy some plastic bags
to put the jewelry in or what. still looking for more input

4

Laura: You could put your resin jewelry in a plastic baggie and
place it in the box filled with popcorn. This provides cushioning and
is not heavy. I’ve successfully shipped lots of things in this
manner.

K.

5

Personally, I like to put my jewellery in a box, then I package the
box in a padded envelope (in your case you could use the flat rate
boxes to put the jewellery box into). You can buy very inexpensive
boxes with padding inside, which will protect your jewellery from
being crushed or broken if dropped, etc. I buy different ranges of
boxes, depending on the value of the piece I’ve made, eg cheaper
leatherette covered boxes with dark green suedette inside for less
expensive items, and gorgeous hardwood boxes with cream coloured
suedette for more expensive items. But they all do a good job of
protecting the jewellery in transit, and are nice for the customer
to keep the jewellery in also.

Helen
UK

6

I ship all of my art jewelry pieces in appropriately sized kraft
cotton filled jewelry boxes (most used size is 1 3/4" 2 1/2"). I
wrap a decorative strip of paper along with hemp twine to keep the
box securely closed. Then I wrap the jewelry box in a strip of bubble
wrap along with the packing slip and put it all in a 6 x 9 manila
envelope.

I have just recently started using the strip of bubble wrap because I
have had a few customers have problems with the USPS man-handling the
packages a bit too much.

97% of the time my packages ship via USPS First Class mail weighing
around 2 ounces which costs me approx. $1.58 using Paypal shipping
(postage+delivery confirmation). There are a few times that I will
pay the extra money for Priority mail and insurance if I am shipping
gold items or higher priced silver items.

I have shipped over 800 pieces this way and only had a handful
(knocking on wood…) that have been damaged. Hope that helps :slight_smile:

Laney

7

Laura,

I have two thoughts about packaging and mailing jewelry. I purchase
many types of beads and findings from other sources. My brain makes
notes of how they’re packaged and how much I’d want to do business
with the sender in thefuture.

When someone throws something into a bubble-wrap envelope with
nothing encasing it, no thank you note, no receipt - NOTHING, I just
don’t want to do business with them again. On the other hand, if
they take the time (and money) to wrap the item or put it in a nice
box, perhaps with a ribbon, it shows me that they value their work
and want me to value it too. I like to be surprised and delighted,
as if I’m opening a small birthday gift. The more expensive the
item, the more I expect from the seller.

That’s what I do when I send out jewelry. I bought a lot of plain
white jewelry boxes in varying sizes at a very good price. They’re
lined with cotton and I bought an extra roll of cotton in case I need
more cushioning than what’s in the box. I designed a logo and my
husband uses a laser cutter to cut out the pattern in wood, which I
glue onto the top of each box. I’m happy to email you a photo of
what they look like if you want me to. In this way, I’ve branded
myself and my jewelry.

I always include a hand-written small thank you note and I put an
extra little surprise in each package - an inexpensive mechanical
pencil, a fun bead, or an inspirational (never religious) card about
enjoying the universe. You wouldn’t have to include an extra, but
it’s a nice touch. And of course, a few business cards for them to
distribute.

You don’t have to spend much for packaging. In fact, here’s a link
to a video that teaches you how to make your own gift boxes from
scrap paper:

http://tinyurl.com/5on9jd

And this link takes you to an article about how important packaging
and shipping are:

http://tinyurl.com/oqnvcg

If you haven’t already, you might have to register as a seller on
etsy.com in order to see the links. One caution: If you think you
would ever want to sell your resin pendants on etsy, give a lot of
thought to your shop name. Once you choose it, you can’t change it.
You can see my store names in my signature file below.

Good luck to you -
Mara Nesbitt-Aldrich

8

Laura,

I ship several ways depending upon the customer and the piece.
Primarily, I put the jewelry itself inside a zippered plastic bag. I
then put that into an organza or other drawstring bag that I have.
You can purchase these from JewelryDisplay.com,
FireMountainGems.com, FDJTool.com or any of a hundred suppliers out
there. I place the organza bag inside a gift box, secured with
cotton. This gets wrapped in bubble paper and/or shipped out using a
small bubble envelope. I’ve got several sizes from 3x4 for small
items up to 8x10. This is the least expensive way to ship using USPS
and goes first class by weight.

Of you want to ship Priority, you can put as much in the box as will
fit. Wrap it in bubble paper or newspapers. It doesn’t matter how
much it weighs, if it fits, it ships for the same price of $4.95. I
use Priority for more expensive items and/or multiple item shipments.

Personally I hate peanuts unless they’re the recyclable kind. Most
are bad for the environment and a pain to get rid of. Bubble wrap is
inexpensive, lightweight and easy to use. I also never throw any of
it out when I get supplies or other shipments so haven’t bought any
bubble wrap myself in years! :slight_smile:

Michele
MikiCat Designs

9 
thank u i am aware of the flat rate boxes, as they do seem ideal.
i also think that my resin jewelry could probably be shipped for
cheaper because it is so light but i am yet to figure out what
way/how. thank u for th input about the newspaper, i heard it is
heaveir than peanuts, im not sure if i should buy some plastic
bags to put the jewelry in or what. still looking for more input

You can ship First Class Mail up to 13 ounces and it is a lot cheaper
than Priority. However, you need to purchase your own boxes. I lucked
out and got a bunch of 4"x4"x4" white boxes for free when someone was
throwing them out. They are perfect for most of the stuff I sell on
ebay (antiquejewelry). There is also a small plastic padded envelope
that I use at times…although the weight is usually 2 ounces less
than using the box, I don’t think the item is protected enough so I
seldom use the envelopes. They cost me around 25 cents or so on ebay.
I use loosely wadded colored tissue paper for cushioning…newspaper
is so dirty and I don’t think it has a very “quality” look when used
for packing.

Brenda