Are you an Etsy seller? Looking for some tips and ideas for your shipping station? Well, you came to the right place.
Creating the perfect shipping station for your needs will make shipping a happy, happy, fun time! What’s more exciting than sending your beautiful products all over the world for people to enjoy? Not much. {But, I guess chocolate is always better.}
We had such a great response on our Shipping for Etsy Sellers post I thought you might enjoy a little more on the subject.
12 Etsy Shipping Station Tips & Ideas
Organizing a packaging and shipping station that works for you will save you time and money! You’ll also save yourself from added stress during busy shopping seasons! Streamline the process right now!
1. Make a list of all the supplies you will need to package your products properly to avoid damage. This will help you determine how big of a space you’ll need.
2. Research space saving ideas to keep things in reach. These wooden dowels are great for hanging paper and ribbon…love them. You can add them to a wall or the back of a door.
3. Buy your supplies in bulk and save, save, save! You will be shocked at how much you can save by just taking a few minutes to order in bulk. I always buy my bubble wrap mailers in bulk right here. They’re blue and I love them! They are so much cheaper than buying small packages of them at my local store. Research bulk prices on your boxes or envelopes!
4. Create a basic packaging supply stash to make life easy. Use the same boxes, paper, stickers or freebies for all of your items. You can package up orders so much faster by using the same supplies each time! Line up pretty baskets or wooden boxes to keep everything in its place.
5. Batch make your freebies. I think most Etsy sellers add a little something extra to each order. Package up dozens of these little gifts at once and store them in a basket at your shipping station. You won’t be slowed down to look for something to add to your orders. Create a little bag with your thank you note, business card and freebie included . You’ll be all set.
6. Print your shipping labels with a label printer. Oh my goodness…once you start doing this you will never stop! I had no idea how much time I was spending on labels until I started printing them out. See an example of my label maker here. A label printer is a great addition to any shipping station!
Here’s a look at how you can customize a printed label…
7. Pretty up your products with special touches. Wrap it, put it in a burlap drawstring bag, add ribbon…whatever. Just make it look amazing for when they open up that box. That’s one of the reasons people buy handmade. Keep all of the supplies you’ll need right in your shipping station.
8. Make sure you have space to work! Room to work is a must. I always need a large table top space to spread out and package up items…even when they’re small. It’s so much easier when you have extra room to work, and you won’t lose your scissors under the tissue paper as easy!
9. Branding can really add a classy touch! These stamped boxes are awesome! Cut all your tags, stamp all your boxes, and make sure you have a stack of cards ready at all times. You never know when you’re going to get featured and need to ship tons the next day. Branded material ready to go will rock the shipping process. Make sure you’re stocked up!
Hold up! Have you downloaded your free online marketing guide for Etsy sellers yet? Click here to get this 7 page Marketing Bliss Blueprint!!! Don’t miss it!
10. Always keep a supply of ink on hand for any of your printers. It’s not fun to run out of ink in the middle of printing receipts!
11. Create a basket full of handwritten thank you notes ready to go. It’s a great way to avoid hand cramps during busy season!
12. Let it flow! Go through shipping a couple items and make note of all the supplies you use and the order you use them. That way you can place items in a line that works for your packaging needs {wrapping, ribbon, tags, tissue paper, box, thank you notes, freebies, tape, shipping label maker, etc}. Think of it as your very own little assembly line.
Learn more about my favorite way to ship in this post…Easy Shipping for Etsy Sellers. Everything Etsy readers will also get some great coupons!
Oh, and here’s a little something extra that you might want to add to your shipping station…
Need a few stickers? Download and print these out today! They’re simple, sweet and let your customer know you care. Everyone loves happy repeat customers!
Download Free Printable Handmade Stickers here on Everything Etsy.
I’ve always enjoyed shipping out products, but when I run out of tags or tissue paper I start to stress. Creating a well-stocked shipping station will change your world!
Have fun creating your space!
Looking for more ways to rock your Etsy business? Check out this resources guide to starting a blog…
How to Start a Blog for Your Etsy Business
Subscribe to EverythingEtsy.com to keep up with the business tips and ideas to help you handmade business thrive!
~Kim
P.S. We use Stamps.com. Read more about shipping right here.
I just assembled 2 dozen freebie packets and won’t be scrambling around looking for goodies next time. And I didn’t know you could put a logo on a printing label…time to invest in a DYMO. Thank you for sharing these awesome tips!
I hope you are doing great! The printer really does make life a little better when you’re busy. It’s always wonderful to hear from you! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
~Kim
This was a very helpful site! I loved all the tips! My husband and I recently bought a stamp to use on our packages just like you used in your article. I will start putting together some freebie items we can put in our packages as well!
The other thing I loved was the idea of having a supply of ink handy. I ran out of ink while printing a “thank you” note that was going to go inside of the package – I had to wait until the next day to get the ink and print the new letter – this resulted in the package being sent out late! Never Again!
My nephew just started selling on Etsy. I’ll make sure to share this post with him. Great tips!!
Amy
I just found your blog a bit ago. Such a great wealth of information! Wish I’d found it when I first started my Etsy Shop!
I love these ideas! I currently have a section of my laundry room to store the shipping supplies, but they are not organized. I will be trying out a few of these. Thank you!
Can you tell me where you got the shipping station table itself? I couldn’t seem to find that in your blog.