PRODUCT PACKAGING - An Overview

Presentation matters - but great packaging goes far beyond just aesthetics.

It tells your story, reflects your brand, and plays a critical role in how your product is experienced - both in-store and in the hands of your customer. It’s a great way to differentiate your work.

At its best, packaging:

• Protects your product
• Communicates key information
• Reinforces your brand
• Helps your work stand out

Dog treats by Treatoes stand nicely in rows, in a cohesive and visible brand. Ingredients and measurements are clear in contrasting lettering. Crisp, clean and minimal packaging reflects the brand's values of healthy yet simple dog snacks. Heat sealed pouches are secure and keep the product fresh, are resealable for user convenience, and offer a generous view of the contents.

More Than Just “Pretty”

Packaging is often your first impression. It should make them “WOW”. It should clearly communicate:

• Your brand identity
• Product details (ingredients, materials, usage)
• Care instructions

It also gives retailers space to:

• Add pricing
• Merchandise your product effectively

👉 Ultimately, it’s the finishing touch that can elevate your work from handmade to truly retail-ready.

Align With Your Brand

Your packaging should reflect your aesthetic, values, and customer expectations. Minimal or luxe, colourful or plain, sweet or solemn - whatever your brand is about.

For example: If you create eco-friendly beeswax wraps, plastic packaging sends the wrong message. Instead, consider:

• Kraft paper sleeves
• Natural linen or cotton ties
• Minimal, recyclable materials

👉 Consistency builds trust - and customers notice these details. Your visuals should not clash with your message.

Kids craft kits by Kiriki Press. Simple brown kraft boxes that contain and protect the kits while displaying the contents through a cut out window. They carry the same white printing and stylized visuals in both sizes. It is evident these all belong to the same brand and make an attractive group. The reverse offers plenty of space to list contents, instructions, brand info and price.

How Will It Sit in a Store?

Think beyond your table - how will your product live in a retail environment? Or at a market booth? Some shops prefer to merchandise their own way, but thoughtful packaging can:

• Make your product easier to display
• Increase visual appeal - stand out from the others
• Strengthen your brand presence

Examples:

• Earrings on branded cards with a hang hole
• Art prints backed and sleeved to prevent bending or fading
• Bath products protected from crumbling
• Candles shielded from scratches or dents
• Does it stack? Stand on its own? Need to be hung?

👉 If it can be handled, it needs to be protected.

Three sizes of honey jars by Hammer Hives are branded with clear labels to show off the colour of the honey, while conveying contents, size and location. A price tag can go on top or bottom without marring the visual. Simple and effective - perfect for an all-natural item.

Function Matters

Packaging isn’t just visual - it’s practical.

Different product types require specific information:

• Textiles & clothing → fabrics, washing instructions
• Jewelry → materials (important for allergies)
• Food & drink → regulated labeling (federal and provincial)
• Toys → recommended ages, small parts
• Candles → wax type, burn time, added scents or colours

Make sure your packaging supports both customer use and compliance.

Make It Work Harder (Double Duty)

Your packaging is also a marketing tool. Consider:

• Including a branded business card inside
• Attach your business card as a tag with contact information
• Adding a small story or note about your product
• Include a QR code that leads to you sire or socials
• Answering a common question, "Yes, this is handmade by me"

This is especially valuable for:

• Gifts - the recipient sees your brand
• Products sold through retailers - stand out

👉 You’re not always there to tell your story - your packaging should do it for you.

 Special Considerations for Food Products

Food items require extra care:

• Use food-safe packaging
• Consider lined materials to prevent leaks or stains
• Ensure space for required labels and branding

👉 Clean, compliant, and well-designed packaging builds trust instantly.

Early Bird Coffee leans into their bird theme and has even named their coffee blends after birds. Packaging is lined and heat sealed, with a Ziploc closure to reseal for future freshness. Stickers give info about the coffee blends on the front of the large packs and on the back of the small packs, including flavour, weight and roast type. These packages also stand up well on their own. Each blend is a unique colour for quick differentiation.

Your Branding Options

There are many ways to apply your branding:

• Stickers - make your logo a badge. Easy and attractive
• Stamps - inexpensive - get your logo cut onto a  hand stamp
• Printed boxes or sleeves - best if your packages are mostly uniform
• Sewn labels (for textiles) - add to seams, straps or as a center visual
• Imprinted marks (common for ceramics) - hand stamp or signature
• Cards attached with colour matching ribbon or string
• Branded backing within the protective packaging

Even if your logo appears on the product itself, always include clear brand identification on the packaging.

Purple Dragonfly Creations has a simple but lively sleeve to protect their eye pillows but does not wrap them entirely so visitors can touch them and smell the lovely fragrance. The sleeve holds the shape of the product and lets it lie flat or be stood in rows. Brand, title, short description included = perfect. A small tag at the side with a mini logo holds the price tag. Washing and care instructions are on the back. 

 Find Inspiration - Then Make It Your Own

Look at what others are doing:

• In shops
• At markets
• On platforms like Pinterest or Instagram

Pay attention to what draws you in - but don’t copy. Instead:

• Adapt ideas to fit your brand - vibe, colours, aesthetics
• Use consistent colours and materials
• Create a cohesive, recognizable look

It’s Ok. It’s Art goes above and beyond in their sticker presentation - often stickers are displayed loose in trays, but these are branded, protected, and look like a million bucks! The bold colours and playfulness match the brand attitude of fun and sass. The printed backing includes a tagline in an easy to hang plastic wrap. A price tag on the back does not mar the sticker, and everything stays perfect inside.

 Final Wrap-Up (lol)

Great packaging doesn’t just hold your product - it enhances it, protects it, and sells it.

When done well, it becomes an extension of your brand - and a quiet but powerful driver of customer connection. Make your products easy to find on a shelf of other merchandise.

✨ Explore more of our posts for packaging suppliers, market checklists, branding packages, and cost-saving tips designed specifically for makers.