Setting up your craft business is exciting yet challenging. Even if your product design is flawless and presentation is top notch, your materials are natural, sustainable, fair trade or came from local family farms, there are couple areas to work on: wrapping, packing and postage are usually pushed to the side, but it's a great opportunity to send your customer a message about sustainable living, remind of vast Earth pollution or introduce them to reducing, reusing and recycling.

And there is that warm and uplifting feeling, that the package from your handcrafted item won't live for your great grandchildren to dig up in the yard or end up as a whale's death cause.

Today we have a few ideas on materials, wrappings and different ways to pack those precious handmade items.

Linen Favor Bags

Handmade Natural Paper Bag

Jute Twine

So, what can we choose to wrap the items for shipping?

• Tissue Paper - made from 100% recycled paper.
• Natural Craft Paper is a mono-material that is easily and frequently recycled.
• Castoff Kerchief - a light fabric neck scarf you haven't worn for ages.
• Fabric scraps - a great way to use leftovers from sewing projects.
• Natural ropes and twines - there are cotton, linen, jute, raw wool, nettle, hemp, paper or even sewing scrap ropes to tie the packed goods.
• Handmade canvas string bags - natural or upcycled fabric bags.
• Handmade paper or handmade paper bags.
• Individual canvas tote bags.

Another very important step is packing. Parcel has to be protected from physical damage, moist, dust, has to look good and fit the postal requirements.
The most popular are cardboard boxes, look for recycled cardboard, skip the ones with plastic coating.

Second in line are mailers or mailing bags. These can be 80% or 100% recycled and can be recycled again. And there are paper ones with bio plastic padding or eco bubble wrap.  

Another essential is packing tape, made of recycled paper and natural rubber.

There are eco friendly and biodegradable options available for all these supplies.

Cardboard box, tissue paper and canvas tote combo from DingoM

There are a lot of options for void filling, go for a natural, sustainable, recycled materials. Have a look around, you might have suitable stuff just laying around.

Shredded Paper

Wood Wool

• Packing peanuts - starch based peanuts are soluble in water and can be disposed down the sink.
• Old newspapers - an old faithful way to fill space in box, not too fancy though.
• Shredded paper - usually made from recycled paper.
• Wood shavings - not as common, but nice way to use bits and pieces from wood working station.
• Wood wool.
• Biodegradable bubble wrap.
• All kinds of corrugated cardboard sliced into pattern to replace bubble wrap.

An example of eco - friendly wrapping and packing from WoolenClogs

Remind your lovely customers to take care of wrapping and packaging, to re-use it or recycle.

Any other eco friendly options we missed? Drop a comment below!

LINEN/COTTON/CERAMIC

MOST NATURAL MATERIAL COMES FROM NATURE

PINE CONE GARLAND TUTORIAL 

Felt making is considered to be one of the oldest textile techniques. Here is used wet felting which involves only warm water, natural soap and a few simple wooden and ceramic tools. It takes time to felt a pair of slippers, and it is a rather complicated process. To get a nice shape, it is necessary to possess shoe lasts and also sharp eyes. In the beginning, wool is precisely weighed in accordance with a special table of weight, as different sizes require different amount of wool. Jurga usually uses undyed natural wool, but she likes some decorative elements of dyed wool too. She is using different moulds for different sizes. First of all, she line dry wool and apply water to the fabric. A pair of slippers is lined together. When the wool is lined and wet, it is time to start felting. Slippers are twisted into a towel and then rolling many times. Afterwards, Jurga's husband takes the slippers into his hands to give them a nice shape, to rinse in clean water and dry them next to the fireplace. Felting is a long process which takes time and requires physical strength of a felter. In the different point of view, it is such a pleasure to work with natural fibres, natural wool which comes from animal-friendly farms. Jurga usually use European wool, and are very concerned about the issue of ecology.

Cozy Linen share's with us one of the most easiest ways to decorate your Christmas table with a nice folded napkins. These linen napkins are perfect for this.

Holidays are coming soon and we are preparing for the season. So have a look and see, how it is easy funny and pretty ;) 

It's so pleasure to introduce new and so magic shop :) Just opened but very successful and they are from Etsy Lithuania Team too.

Here is the WizardsCave shop and them story...

Items we make is unique and there will be no same item in the world, our shop is small and it is because we do not make huge amount of things. Each little piece first created in head, then drafted on paper and finally made by hands using lots of love and skills, such as pyrography, carving wood, engraving stone, leather working, flint knapping and more. 

 We put lot of consideration and love in our packaging, we use all recycled materials and make boxes ourselfs so no packaging is the same:) If you would like to see how it might look like, please check our instagram account.

Ladies linen gardening overalls by AdatineClothing

Summer wreath by Kaleda

Herb markers by VeraJanesGifts

Planting system by RopedOnCedar

Bird feeder by BOTEH

Gardening tools set by GiftlandDeco

 We are happy to share Art by Asta blog post ablout DYI refrigerator magnets! You can also visit her SHOP and buy anything you want.

Even if it may sound a bit weird, but when I visit others’ kitchen I always take a look at the refrigerator. Some of them are totally clear, some have few fridge magnets with some notes, photos or kids’ paintings, but most of them have lots of funny souvenir magnets from foreign countries. I also always buying magnets from countries I visit for my Mom. She loves them!

Then I started to travel more and more I realized that people really love small little gifts and souvenirs. That is why I started to sell handmade refrigerator magnets a couple of years ago. People really want to have some funny tiny paintings or phrases on their fridges. Original hand painted fridge magnet is also a great little gift for the family members or friends (I know that many of my customers use them as Christmas stocking gifts. It is never too late or too earlier for Christmas shopping, isn’t it? :)

There are many fun and easy ways to make creative magnets. Almost anything can be turned into a refrigerator magnet with two magic things: a little bit of glue and a magnet. Oh and the third thing - creativity :). This article will show you how to make a few simple magnets from stones and wooden blocks like I do.

HAND WRITTEN or HAND PAINTED STONE / WOODEN FRIDGE MAGNETS

For this refrigerator magnet craft project, all you need is:

1. Small, lightweight stone or wooden block that is flat on one side. I used rocks that were found on the beach.

2. A magnet that fits your stone or wooden block. I use round button magnet. Remember - pick the right size as you really don't want to see the magnet from the other side.

3. Very strong glue.

First of all, you need to clean the stone / rock. If your object is very dirty, the glue may not stick to it.

Now it is time to create a design for your fridge magnet. It can be a phrase or a little painting. Let your imagination go! Check what I have created.

When your front part is ready, glue the magnet on the back side. If your object is large, consider gluing two small button magnets to the back: one at the top, and one at the bottom. The final step is to wait until the glue dries.

Then your artwork is ready to get a place on the fridge!

Migle love using nature creations in her handicrafts! So here is her story and Shop ;)

 

Since I was little girl I loved handicrafts, because my grandmother and grandfather were very handy people. They taught me different techniques of creating beautiful things. My grandmother showed me how to knit, sew, crochet and lots of other different things. My grandfather loves working with wood, so had an opportunity to learn from him. All of their life they learn new things and taught me and others. 

As a child I spend all of my summers at the country side where I learn to love nature and use gifts of it for my handicrafts. I liked playing with wood branches, reed canes and grass stems.
As an adult I searched myself for a long time where I belong, what should I be and what should I work. And one day I decided that I want to develop the knowledge and skills given me by my grandparents and open my handicraft shop on Etsy. From that day I make hand-crafted items filled with love and inspired by nature.

PAPA T-Shirt by InspirationsByAmelia

Fathers Day Cutting Board by ColibriGift

Mens Wooden Watch by GDpersonalized

Men's leather clutch bag by KeepAnEyeLeather

Vintage map cufflinks by SomeMagic

Felted wool slippers by AureliaFeltStudio