In this post you’ll find packaging inspiration for online boutiques.
You’ll also find a list of everything you might need whether you sell handmade jewelry, skincare, or the latest fashions.
I’ve shared with you my personal experiences and some of my favourite products and ideas that I think you might like
Packaging Inspiration for online Boutiques
If you’re a fashion or beauty brand, a chic, memorable tissue paper is a quick and cost effective way to offer standout branded experience.
This is especially true if the rest of your packaging is quite plain.
You can also buy your own printed tissue paper print from a site like Etsy.
You’ll find some beautiful, hand-drawn delicate prints that will make your brand really stand out.
Poly mailers
These are a very important part of your packaging as they’re the packaging your ship in, so it needs to be durable.
However, it’s also the very first thing that is put into your customers hands, so you want it to be attractive. Durable, yet attractive.
Don’t get me wrong! There is absolutely nothing wrong with a plain colored waterproof poly mailer (yes, always waterproof) as you can get these for the best price.
But if you’re willing to spend a bit more, check out these poly mailers for inspiration on what’s possible.
You can either buy an existing design and add your logo or brand name.
Or, for those of your more creative among us, there’s also the option to design your own poly mailer and have a truly unique branded experience.
How are you find this resource on packaging inspiration for online boutiques?
Good I hope, but we’re only just getting started.
Stickers
Depending on the design, paper quality, and printing company, printing can either be cheap as chips or costly af.
Before we look at more custom options, I want to share one of my favourite low cost options for getting thank you stickers.
Stickers are another great way to make your brand really pop in a low cost way. They also help make your brand looks a little more upscale.
Now if you’re not much of a design whizz, you can always pop over to Etsy to grab a sticker design that you can customise or use as it is.
It’s important to shop around when buying stickers are prices really vary.
Also look for stickers that are waterproof and tearproof. A little bit pricier, yes, but better quality overall.
Shipping boxes
Again, your packing boxes are a great way to offer a branded experience with your customers, and well as ensuring your products arrived safe and sound.
Depending on the size, design and materials you use for your boxes, they can go from a few cents to a few dollars each. That said, avoid the temptation to go for the cheapest box.
Items do end up in transit sometimes and things get thrown around. Spending a few cents more to have a better quality of box will ensure less complaints, ask me how I know.
If you’re on a low budget, a plain white packing box or natural coloured box is fine.
Look at the size of package you send the most and get boxes in that size -your biggest box should be able to fit 2-4 products.
Also get a box that allows for just one product. This way you don’t waste money or shipping costs shipping your biggest box for one small product.
Paper filling
If you’re sending beauty or skincare products, or anything that is more fragile in nature, it always helps to have some crinkle cut paper filling.
If you’d like to reduce your packaging waste and environmental impact look for recycled crinkled paper filling.
Packaging beads
Packaging beads can be the difference between your bottle of oil arriving in one piece, or as an oily mess filled with shards of glass.
Look for corn starch packaging bead options as they’re a more environmentally friendly option.
Packaging Inspiration for online Boutiques: non-essential, essentials!
Packing table
Having a dedicated workstation when you’re just starting out is a luxury. That said you still need a place where you can work efficiently.
If you don’t have a lot of space a great option is a foldaway table that you can use to prepare orders and fold away when you’re finished.
But I can’t lie, something like this is my home office dream.
Sellotape dispenser
My sellotape dispenser gets a lot of use, so I’m glad I bought a sturdy one that is easy to switch out empty rolls.
Oh! Always have a few extra rolls of sellotape on hand as running out when you need it is a pain.
Printer
This can be a really complicated decision to make when you first start your online boutique.
To start off with, while sales are low, I encourage you to handwrite or use pre-done labels which you print off and attach at home.
But when you’re ready to go pro the Dymo thermal label printer is the way to go.
Printer ink
Man oh man printer ink can be expensive and confusing.
I’d suggest you look for generic printer inks as they cost a lot less. That said, make sure that they are compatible with your printer. I’ll say it again. Make sure it’s compatible. You’ve been warned.
Ribbon
Obviously if you wanted branded ribbon with your logo or tagline that will cost a little more. Check out these guys for custom print ribbon.
But, you can also give a high end experience using non-branded quality ribbon.
Think about the extra time it will take to apply ribbon to all your orders and make sure it’s something you’re able to keep up with once you start as it becomes part of your branded experience.
Hand stamps
If you make jewelry or your product has a artsy, handmade or one of a kind feeling to it, having a stamp for your business is a great branding tip.
If you don’t want to go to the time or expense of having a custom rubber stamp made, a great option is buying a pre-made stamp and using the same one all the time.
Business cards
People act like business cards are a thing of the past! But the reality is, you’d rather be caught with one than without.
A great option for your online boutique is to combine your business card with a discount code for your store and your social media handles. This way your business card pulls triple duty.
Keep your business cards simple, easy to read, and buy the best quality card stock that you can. A poor quality card is a lot easier to throw away.
Another great option is to great a printable that you can easily and cheaply reproduce at home. Check out Etsy for some great options or use Canva or Photoshop to design your own.
Check out this post where I share my top tools for marketing your ecommerce business.
Runner tape
Custom or printed sticky tape can be another quick and easy way to level up your branded experience without heavy cost. This is especially true if you go with a pre-done tape.
That said, going custom (if your design is simple) don’t run that much either.
Check out these done-for-you tape ideas. And for those wanting to minimise their waste footprint, there are lots of eco-friendly options too.
Clothes steamer
My pet hate is clothes which arrive all wrinkled and creased. When your vendor sends you your wholesale order, take out each piece and inspect for faults.
If the pieces got wrinkled in transit you’ll find having a small handheld steamer on standby very helpful.
Hangers
Avoid cheap wire hangers as they will distort your clothing. And even if your inventory is a little older, customers won’t stand for things arriving looking tatty or discolored.
Hangers with some velvet give them a non-stick quality, which means less slippage and less time spent on the floor. Trust me it happens!
When storing your clothing be careful about keeping clothing on hangers for too long especially if they’re a light colour.
This is a place for clothes to discolour, get dirty and collect dust.
Try and keep light coloured clothing packed away so they are immaculately clean when sent to your customers.
Folded clothes storage unit
Depending on how much inventory you have, you may be able to store it comfortably within your home without having any folding units.
But once you get past a certain amount of inventory, sizes, colours and styles you’ll find units very handy.
You don’t need to get something very expensive, these stackable shelves from Ikea will do the job.
This is also a really great low-cost option for keeping your inventory orderly and clean.
So that’s it guys, we’ve come to the end of my post on packaging Inspiration for online Boutiques.
I hope you found these ideas helpful, informative and inspirational. Let me know which of these packaging ideas or materials you’ll use down in the comments
