All My Packaging (So Far)
It’s been just a couple of months since I launched Found by Van Low / my online shop of curated vintage homewares. Aside from the process of sourcing, cleaning, styling, photographing and listing the objects online, one of my favourite things has been organising the packaging.
Early on, I decided that I didn’t want to create excess packaging that I knew people would likely toss straight into the recycling bin. I’m already quite conscious of the waste I produce; I do my best to separate food scraps, co-mingled recycling and soft plastic recycling whenever possible in my everyday life. However, I can’t deny that I adore branding and packaging design, and I have folders full of boxes, labels, packets, posters and flyers that I’ve kept over the years for inspiration.
I do dream of one day being able to afford fully-branded custom packaging that integrates recycled or re-purposed materials. However, for now, I thought it would be interesting to share the packaging I have designed/selected to maintain my visual brand identity whilst minimising waste as much as possible. I hope you find this as interesting as I do!
Boxes, bubble wrap, peanuts, foam, tissue paper, cut up papers
In the weeks leading up to my shop’s launch, I started collecting excess packaging from parcels we received and from free giveaways on Facebook Marketplace. It’s pretty mind-blowing how much packaging you can accumulate in such a short time!
New tissue paper, butchers paper, boxes
There is just a small handful of packaging that I ordered brand new, namely red tissue paper (for a consistent, simple pop of colour); butchers paper (for wrapping large items or boxes); and new boxes in a couple of sizes that I anticipated would be useful but hard to find pre-loved. All of these items are recyclable and adaptable.
Pre-loved packaging stickers
I wanted to create a system for acknowledging the pre-loved packaging I use, so that recipients would understand immediately why they had received a box with a different logo or perhaps tissue paper that was already creased. I created a sticker that were consistent with my brand colours, shapes and font, and got a few printed to trial. I found these really handy as they add colour to my packaging and can sometimes be used in substitute of tape - I love a hardworking design! I’ve since designed a few more options and hope these can evolve as my brand does.
Custom tape
In a dream world, I’d love to have custom branded boxes however considering my goal of minimising packaging, I instead opted for a custom tape. Similar to the stickers, I like that tape has multiple functions: it extends brand identity and visual appeal, allows me to repurpose already existing packaging, and is fully functional for holding things together. The tape I ordered is water-activated paper which also happens to be biodegradable.
Painters tape and fragile tape
Even before I got my custom tape (which got lost in the mail and had to be reprinted!), I still wanted to create a visual identity for my packaging. Instead of regular masking tape or clear tape, I opted for a bright green painters tape. It’s easy to use and works like washi tape (easy to remove if you make a mistake), is eye catching, and consistent with my brand identity.
As I package mostly glass and ceramic objects, I needed a way to mark fragile boxes. I looked at large fluorescent stickers however it was more economical to purchase fragile tape and cut up sections like stickers. This has been really useful so far as the tape is very bright and attention-grabbing however once I run out, I would like to replace it with a water-activated paper option like my custom tape.
Embossed stickers
I love a good blind emboss; it adds a feeling of luxury without being ostentatious. I wanted the opening of a Studio Van Low package to feel like a special occasion, so I decided to create embossed labels with my logo. I’m not at the point where I can afford ordering stickers in large quantities yet, so I ordered a hand-embosser and made these myself using pre-loved paper offcuts from Reverse Garbage. When there’s a will, there’s a way!
My packaging wishlist
One of the things I’m looking forward to one day being able to afford is custom tissue paper. I’m already brainstorming illustrations and patterns I can create to extend my brand identity! I’d also love to create info cards to go with each package that includes a bit of background about Found by Van Low; I really like knowing more about the background of the things I buy and hopefully other people will, too.
