Designer and knitter Julie Mack of Rotten Cupcakes has been crafting gorgeous handmade goods for years.  And the packaging she uses to ship and promote her products is damn near as cute as her actual goods.  Here she tells us how to create a package that will thrill any customer.  You can befriend her on flickr or facebook.

Every package is a gift. Of course, your customer is excited to receive the awesome handmade product they've ordered but the little extra details and thoughtfulness show just how much you appreciate their business. Every piece of your parcel is a reflection of your brand. The more cohesive and thorough the package, the stronger and more memorable your brand.

Ingredients for the Perfect Package:

Business Cards

(duh!) Seems easy to remember, but that also means they're easy to forget. Make sure you include your business card so your customer can find you again!

Small free gift

It doesn't have to break the bank. Buttons with my logo are my personal favorite (who doesn't like cupcakes?!). Everyone likes a button! I use Busy Beaver and they’re fantastic.  Ordering is a snap, production and delivery are speedy and they save your product for the easiest re-order ever! Other ideas: a note card, stickers, maybe even a teeny sample size of another product in your store.

Tissue Paper

Wrap up that product! Your handmade item should almost never go straight into the shipping container; create a buffer! This is about presenting your product as special and to be taken care of. Other ideas: container within a container, glassine envelopes, simple cellophane sleeves for fine printed materials.

String/ribbon

To tie it all together. People tend to gift me with cupcake-themed ephemera; so I use them on packaging. Other ideas: gift ribbon, leftover yarn or pipe cleaner, even cooking twine will work!

Thank you card/ care instructions

To thank your customer for their support and to give them the details on caring for their new item! Since I focus mainly on knitwear, I like to include the materials used and washing instructions on one side of the card & a thank you for buying the product on the other.

Labels!

All of your products should have your logo/label on them! When asked where they got such a marvelous item, your customer can refer to the label if they can't remember your name off the top of their head. It's just another small detail that really helps polish your product and take your presentation to the next level.

Bonus Tip

Coordinate all of your packaging materials. Stick to one or two colors (usually those found within your brand identity), use the same fonts throughout all your materials and magically everything with coordinate & look more intentional and cohesive.

Buying handmade is not just about the unique and well-crafted items—your customers are investing in you! With the advent of many different marketplaces, it can be difficult to stand out. Your product is amazing but want to spark some loyalty? Do so by going that extra mile—you've taken your time and poured a bit of yourself into that product— send it out into the world with a little love.

How do you leverage packaging to increase brand desirability? Share your tips in the comment!

Sarah Von is a Vianza contributing columnist and interview wrangler.  If you follow her on Twitter, you’ll be privy to all sort of tweets about small business, good ideas and, um, cheese.

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