The last thing you want is your carefully crafted resin creation to be broken in transit after all your hard work. You should take care while packaging your goods, whether you want to sell them or give them as a present.
This week's post will review some things to consider when determining how to ship your finished products.
When planning the packaging of your projects, you should give some thought to the following factors:
1 - How long do I wait to package and ship my products?
2 - The size of your project.
3 - The method you'll be sending your project.
4 - Protecting your project/s.
5 - Your branding.
6 - What extras would I like in my package?
Let's dive into some of these now…
How long do I need to wait before I can package and ship my products:
In around twenty-four hours, our regular Craft Resin will reach a solidity rate of 95% (in approximately forty-eight hours if you are using our Deep Pour resin). This indicates that it should be hard to the touch, and you can de-mold your work and begin working on the final touches of your creation. When the Craft Resin has been working on your project for 72 hours, it will have reached its final cured state and be ready for use.
You should be able to package and transport your resin project without the risk of harming the surface after 72 hours (twice that time if utilizing our Deep Pour), at which point you will have used our Deep Pour. However, if you plan to send your work within the next 72 hours, please note that to prevent the epoxy resin products from adhering together while they are in transit, you must place something between them, such as tissue paper.
The aforementioned times are only estimates; the actual curing time may vary based on the specifics of your creation. If you have any doubts, we advise waiting longer before de-molding, packing, and shipping. Customers' expectations will be satisfied, and you won't have to worry about complaints about the delay of their orders if you communicate the need for a longer shipment timeframe to them before finalizing the sale.
Add extra protection, such as tissue paper between layers, if you need to ship your projects quickly, and let the customer know that the order may arrive damaged so that you can meet your deadline, but that they are responsible for taking that risk, not you. Having something delivered by hand is preferable to sending it by courier if time is of the essence and the recipient lives nearby.
The size of your project:
The more extensive your project, the more details, and care must go into its packaging. Packaging most things made from resin, such as coasters, jewelry, and tiny trays, will take little effort. If you're shipping cake stands, you may ship them with the tiers separated and instruct the purchaser to reassemble them when they arrive.
However, more packing creativity and study may be necessary when shipping larger resin artworks, resin tables, or geode projects that may have crystals of varying sizes popping out of them.
No of the size of your product, the golden rule of packaging is to over-protect it.
Finding attractive, environmentally friendly, and on-brand packaging large enough to ship your creation can be challenging when working on a large project. For less complex tasks, a user-friendly shopping portal like Amazon should suffice.
The method you'll be sending your project:
If you are merely giving your project to your customer or the person you are gifting, you have much more leeway with the packaging alternatives you may choose from. Because you have complete control over how your delivery will be handled, you can select less bulky packaging, such as cushioned envelopes, rather than a whole box; alternatively, gift bags can also have a lovely appearance.
If you choose to deliver your customer their order, please remember that they may not be as careful handling your box as you are. For this reason, you should still pad it out and cover it as much as possible to ensure they can transport their purchase securely to their house.
If you will be forced to mail the product, you should research the various available shipping firms. When it comes to how they manage your box, some are better than others, and investing more money at this point might save you money in the form of broken things that are returned to you as well as the ripple effect that having dissatisfied consumers can have on reviews.
If you intend to use the services of a delivery firm to mail your product, you will need to invest in some additional protective packing alternatives. Take a look at the next point to get a better idea of the many ways in which your shipments might be safeguarded.
Protecting your project/s:
When in doubt, extra safety measures should be taken.
It's always preferable to err on the side of caution when securing your belongings. If the delivery business tosses the box in the air and it's too fragile to protect your projects, it won't matter how gorgeous the box was when you prepared it.
Instead of utilizing paper or plastic bags, think about using robust boxes. While padded envelopes could be OK for delivering little objects, you should still consider wrapping your resin masterpiece in something more substantial for added protection and a wow effect when the recipient opens their package.
When it comes to the boxes, you want to ensure they can be readily secured since you want your work to stay put while it is being transported. Also, you want it to be kept from moving inside the box, so pad it out. If you want to prevent your projects from sticking together if they get heated while delivered, wrap them with tissue paper. After that, add one or two layers of shredded paper or card, being careful to use paper or card consistent with your brand (we will go back to the topic of the brand in a moment).
At this point, consider additional consideration to environmental issues, such as whether or not the items you're using to bulk out your box can be readily recycled. Bubble wrap does an excellent job of safeguarding your belongings, but it is terrible for the environment and contributes to the accumulation of garbage. Therefore, do some research and look for things that have a higher potential for recycling; many are available these days, and they don't necessarily have to be expensive.
Your branding:
Keeping the customer's perspective front and center is important when considering packaging branding.
You should buy boxes, gift bags, and padded envelopes in your brand color(s), but if that's not possible, you may use neutral colors and then decorate them with your brand identity (logo, etc.) using stickers.
However, the colors you choose are only part of your brand; what do you want consumers to experience when they open your box beyond just the product itself? Immerse consumers in your brand in a way that stimulates all of their senses. There are infinite ways to achieve this, but if you're selling high-end resin, your packaging needs to reflect that. This includes using high-end brand colors and materials, stacking your epoxy resin starter set in the box so the recipient can open each layer to get to the next, and even using perfume to scent the box and its contents.
Could you add some fragrant flowers to the package so that when they open it, they are greeted with the sight of dried, gorgeous flowers—especially if your company specializes in casting flowers in resin?
Your brand's visual aesthetic dictates whether or not your packaging should be basic or vibrant.
There's a lot of room for creativity when designing a package's labeling, so try out different things and see what your target audience responds to best. Involving your audience in the decision-making process, giving them a voice by offering many packaging options for each story, and conducting a poll to choose a clear winner will help them connect with your company.
What extras would I like in my package:
There are several other choices for packaging, much like there are for branding. Some may be costly, so you should hold off on using them until your company is larger or include the price in your products.
You may put your twist on them, but here are some optional elements to think about:
- One is proper storage techniques for resins.
- Two, a card of appreciation (you may attach a coupon for a future purchase or referral).
- Third, a modest symbol of appreciation, such as a brand-named chocolate bar imprinted with "thank you," a spare tiny resin keychain, a flower, etc.
- A note saying you'd like it if they left feedback on what they purchased and providing clear directions for doing so (this might be as easy as "follow me on Instagram, share your purchase in your stories, and tag me in").
When it comes to resin packaging, the possibilities are endless. Your products must be securely wrapped at a minimum; anything above that is icing on the cake for your consumers.
Consult with other artists if you need help figuring out where to start. Feel free to ask artists if you see them showcasing their gorgeous packaging on any of their social media platforms; you should be bold and bold. You won't be duplicating exactly since you'll be putting your spin on it, but if you find an artist's packaging that you adore and would work with your brand, ask them where they got it from. You could do the same thing. Most artists are ready to offer their expertise and the locations from which they sourced their materials.
Topic Of The Week Giveaway:
We have attached a giveaway to this Topic Of The Week announcement on our Instagram platform; this is helping us to spread the knowledge of how to use epoxy resin further, but also enabling anyone who helps us to share this information to win free resin and mica powders.
To enter the weekly giveaway, please see the latest post pinned to the top of our Instagram feed and follow the instructions to enter:
Team Craft Resin
