Packing and Shipping Pointers for Ceramics - Part 2, Packing

Last time, I covered the materials/supplies needed to pack and ship items.  Now, I'll cover how I pack my items.  This page is only covering my smallish pieces that I usually sell.  I'll cover large pieces at another time if anyone is interested - it's much more difficult!

Packing Medium to Small Boxes Only:

As mentioned before, I have numerous box sizes that I use most of the time.  I try to buy the fewest box sizes possible, and when I work, I try to keep my sizes within these box sizes.  The boxes I keep on hand are a few 16x12x12 for somewhat larger items.  I keep lots of 14x10x8, 10x8x6, and 8x7x6.  I also have much larger boxes that I use for my gallery accounts, but the one I use most is 20x16x14.  Very rarely, I have to use 20x20x20, but I prefer using more 20x16x14 if I can do it.  Again, I'll only cover packing the larger boxes if requested.  

Single items only  (or 2 small, uncomplicated pieces sometimes):  I decide the box size I need (I actually have box sizes drawn onto a flat piece of wood that I pack on so I can test the piece for fit, allowing for extra space all around, of course.)  

I've put a couple of inches of peanuts in the bottom of the appropriately-sized box and have wrapped the piece in 3 layers of medium weight peanuts (because my pieces are fragile and rather heavy), then have laid the piece in place, being sure no parts of the piece touch the box walls.

Then, especially for a largish, more fragile piece like this one, I add styrofoam sheets and even pieces of sheets around really fragile areas.  Then I fill the rest of the way with peanuts just to the top, not over the top.  I want the piece to be snugly packed not overpacked where there could be unnecessary pressure on the piece.  I want snugness, not too loose, not too tight.

This is the box filled to the top, before I close it.  I add my card with a handwritten message on the card.

I've sealed the box now and am weighing it.  (I bought this scale at Goodwill many years ago, and it still works great.  I calibrate it from time to time with UPS's scale.)

Taping the Box (don't scrimp on tape!! )

I tape across the bottom of the box first, perpendicular to the length of the box, to hold the sides in place so I then can snugly tape the long sides in the center of the box.  Then I add at each end a strip of tape across the short sides.  I do this same process on both top and bottom.  I always finish off taping by scraping, either with a flat edge of some kind, such as a ruler or even my fingernails to be sure the tape is secure everywhere.

Then I weigh the box, purchase a shipping label, and get it out the door!  If you don't have a good scale, by the way, you can often find really nice ones someplace like Goodwill.  I have multiples, a 25 lb, a 5 lb, and a 2 lb, (the 2-lb is at my work table so I can loosely measure the size of the piece of clay I need.) 

This packing system works well for me, and I even get compliments from my customers in my feedback about my packing style.  And fair warning, if you're anxious about having something get there in one piece, over-pack!  Then you can sleep well.

Packing and Shipping Pointers for Ceramics - Part 1, supplies

When I sell one of my ceramic pieces, it's usually on my Etsy site, so it's most often just one item at a time.  I also sell and ship to galleries, but I won't cover that topic unless requested.

Shipping Supplies:

Padding Materials:

In my packing/shipping room, I have all my products listed on Etsy on shelves.  And I keep a reasonable number of various boxes in the room, along with padding (mostly bubble wrap) and packing peanuts.   Living in Washington State, I am required to use only cornstarch "peanuts," which I really don't like for many reasons, but I do understand that they're very low impact on the environment.  But when I can get them, I take the regular styro peanuts given to me from stores in my vicinity and mix with the cornstarch ones.

Boxes, bubble wrap, and peanuts orders:

A huge expense!! Unfortunately, I almost never use used boxes, but I know many people do.  Sometimes, when it's possible, I use unmarked boxes that I receive purchases in, including the boxes my raw clay is packaged in (I actually think customers like these boxes. Maybe a part of the mystique of being a clay artist?

Box Sizes:

It's really, really important to have an adequate supply of all packing materials at all times, depending on your sales volume.  And you never want to have too many boxes, too; I can tell you that!  Just the right amount.

 Almost all my pieces are different in size, but I have figured out the minimum number of box sizes that I have to keep on hand.  If you're lucky enough to live near a shipping supply business, it's worth it to drive to their warehouse to pick up your order.  I'm not so lucky, and sometimes my shipping prices are higher than the boxes I buy. (I use ULine, whether I like it or not)  But for some of my smaller boxes (10x8x6, 8x7x6), I even buy them on Amazon, which saves me a ton in shipping costs.  These can be used only for my smallest pieces, though, and they definitely aren't as strong as the ones I get from the commercial shipping supplier.

The bubblewrap I use is around 1" in diameter and 1/2" high, mostly medium weight, but I usually buy one roll of heavier weight as well.  Never buy the light weight for ceramics, in my opinion.

I covered the peanuts I use up above already.

Packing Tape:

I do buy this on Amazon usually in 12-roll packages.  I have multiple tape dispensers, all from ULine, I think, that I've had for many years, so they're worth the cost, I guess.

Also, when I can get my hands on it, I like to use styro sheets of various sizes and thicknesses.  I have often gotten these from galleries or shops who give me their packing materials from stock that they receive. And I use that stiff, kind of crumpled-up brown paper that often comes in Amazon packages.  It's sometimes a good filler so that I can save a bit on the peanuts.  But I never, ever use it alone.

Business Cards:  I think they're necessary, and I put one into each package, with a short personalized thank-you note on the back.  I just make my own on Corel and my printer, using a good quality photo paper.  

I think that's about it on actual shipping supplies.

In the next post I'll talk about how I actually package my pieces (and I almost never, ever have a broken piece, by the way, "knock on wood!")