DIY Packaging: Beautiful Gifts That Cost Almost Nothing

There is no need for beautiful packaging to cost a lot of money. In fact it is the opposite. Beautiful packaging can be made with simple materials by people with simple designs. Many creatives within the DIY and craft community have come up with creative ways to use simple packaging materials to hand make gifts and products to be given to others. These simple packages of goods are then presented to the recipient in a lovely way and often make for fantastic photography too. Small cardboard boxes are now available to buy in bulk online and here we take a look at the different ways in which you can use these simple boxes to create beautiful packaging for your DIY creations.

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Why Simple Materials Create the Most Beautiful Results

There is a counterintuitive truth about packaging that most crafters find out quite quickly. The most beautiful packaging is not the most elaborate or expensive packaging. It is the simple packaging that is made up of honest materials that are enhanced by creative packaging techniques rather than hidden by them. The warm brown color of unbleached kraft, the texture of natural paper, the irregularities of hand-applied elements — these are things that give packaging its unique character and make it more appealing than expensive glossy packaging that looks so corporate and impersonal.

Natural packaging materials are full of their own individual character and offer huge scope for creativity. Unlike printed packaging materials, materials such as kraft board, twine, wax paper, botanicals and cardboard all have their own natural beauty that can be drawn out by using them in creative and thoughtful ways. Materials with warm, natural tones such as unbleached kraft have a huge amount of authenticity about them and offer a big contrast to the cool, unnatural tones of printed packaging materials. Natural materials also have texture and these can catch the light and create depth and interest. All of the natural packaging materials listed above have their own unique characteristics and are free from the soulless, mass produced feel of many printed packaging materials.

Simple packaging materials are also much more forgiving than elaborate packaging designs and their production. If a bow on a simple kraft box is not perfectly symmetrical it looks like it has been handmade with love. The same bow on a beautifully printed box looks like a manufacturing error and will immediately ruin the whole packaging experience. Working with simple packaging materials allows for lots of experimentation and creates the opportunity to find the perfect packaging solution through a process of trial and error.

Building Your Packaging Foundation

At the core of all beautiful packaging is the structural base of the box, bag or container that houses the gift or product. The box, bag or container is the packaging's foundation and without it there would be nothing to look at, nothing to hold and nothing to protect the item inside. Until you have chosen a structural base for your packaging you have no idea of the potential of your packaging or what it will look like once completed.

We are huge fans of using cardboard boxes as packaging foundations for all of your DIY gifts and products. They are the most basic of packaging items and yet so versatile and so very creative! First and foremost, boxes are protective. They keep your items safe from breakage and damage and also from getting squished or crushed. And once you have selected your box, you can then use all of the many different decorating techniques to customize it to your hearts content. Stamping, painting, decoupage, paper wrapping and so much more. Because cardboard boxes are natural and of a neutral color, they can be paired up with just about any color scheme or style of packaging that you can think of.

Size matters when choosing a box, not just for the project at hand but for the items that you will be placing in the box as well. A box that is of the right size for the items that you are placing in it will look much better than a box that is too big for the items. This is because the box will look like you put some thought into choosing the box for the items as opposed to choosing a box and then having the items look lost inside of it. This is why it is so helpful to have a variety of different sizes of boxes to use for different projects.

The Wax Paper Difference

One of the most underused packaging materials is wax paper. Of all the materials you could use to create your DIY packaging, wax paper is one of the few that falls into a category of its own. It is not like tissue paper or indeed standard wrapping paper as it is transparent. This means that wax paper can be used to create layers within packaging that give it a whole lot of depth and add a lot of visual interest. Crafters discovering the possibilities of the wax papers find that this single material addition transforms their packaging from pleasant to genuinely memorable.

Wax paper is also ideal for gift wrapping of food items such as homemade biscuits, brownies, cakes and even chocolates. By individually wrapping each item in wax paper before placing them in a kraft box, not only does it create an attractive vintage presentation, but it also prevents the food from becoming damaged by the cardboard. Furthermore, when the recipient opens the box, the sound of unwrapping the wax paper creates an added sensory experience that further heightens the occasion.

Creative applications for wax paper in packaging include:

Lining box interiors to create a clean, fresh appearance that elevates the presentation of contents
Wrapping individual items in a box to allow for discovery of each item individually within the box
Using a piece of wax paper to create a window in a box, whether a circular or square cut out or even a die-cut shape
Folding into simple envelope shapes for enclosing cards, notes, or small flat items
Folding multiple sheets to create different folds and textures and layering them in different orientations to create depth and interest
Using wax paper as the base of your design and then covering with items such as dried botanicals to stop them from marking the packaging

Decorative Techniques That Cost Almost Nothing

There are some really powerful techniques that use very little money but make a real difference to DIY packaging, some of which we will explore below.

Rubber stamps remain one of the highest impact packaging decorations for the lowest cost. A collection of various stamps mostly containing botanical designs, some geometric patterns, and a few pieces of text can create almost an endless variety of packaging designs. All packaging made from kraft materials takes the ink of rubber stamps very well, and the strong contrast of the dark ink upon the material's natural brown color creates a very graphic and bold look that even high-end printing cannot match. Even the simplest of stamps can be used to great effect, and as you gain more experience with packaging creations, your stamp collection will grow as well.

Adding natural botanicals to packaging is another fantastic option as they are natural, inexpensive and can add some fragrance to your package. Sprigs of dried lavender, eucalyptus or rosemary look great tied up with some twine and can add a lot of interest to a simple package. Also look out for some dried flower heads, seed pods and small pine cones as these can be used as great packaging accents on kraft surfaces. These natural elements can add a lot of color and interest to packaging and can look great.

Hand lettering and calligraphy also can be added to boxes, creating a unique personal touch that is not possible with printed labels and stamps. Once you learn how to hand letter and create calligraphy even the most simple lettering can add a very special touch to packaging. Chalk markers, brush pens and fine-line permanent markers work great on corrugated, cardboard and kraft packaging materials.

Kraft Box Packaging as Creative Canvas

Kraft boxes are a versatile packaging solution. In terms of DIY packing materials, they are one of the best, most creative items that packers can use to make creative packaging. The neutral material is a great canvas for DIY packing ideas, for most packing decorations and to create special packaging for gifts, for packing for market and for your online shop. There is an extensive range of kraft box packaging in different sizes available, making them ideal for businesses and creative individuals alike.

When it comes to DIY packaging supplies, businesses and individuals alike have discovered that the simplest of materials can be created into multiple forms of presentation packs for special occasions. There is nothing to stop a crafter from using kraft boxes in making Christmas presents, birthday presents, wedding favors, packaging items for sale of handmade crafts, and items to display on market stalls, to name but a few uses. All of these packages can be transformed using a different selection of techniques, materials, and packaging methods.

Kraft boxes also have a very pleasant texture to them and when used as a packaging solution that will be left with the recipient for some time, they have the ability to add another dimension to your work. Many smooth white boxes are now used for packaging and while they can be dressed up beautifully with paper, ribbon and other materials, they can also feel very plain to the touch. In contrast kraft boxes have a rougher surface than most other packaging materials and this in itself can make for interesting packaging.

Creating Cohesive Packaging Systems

Creating a personal packaging system involves deciding on a few core materials, colors and techniques to use, and then applying them consistently to create packaging for all of your DIY projects. This creates a form of packaging that looks considered and looks great and gets recognized as coming from the same person or small business.

Creating a personal packaging system for a DIY packager can consist of choosing a few core materials, colors and techniques to use for each package. These can be changed from time to time but should generally remain the same for most packages. For example, a simple packaging system could consist of using kraft boxes of a few different sizes, using twine in a particular color for tying up the boxes, stamping a particular design onto the packages and then adding in items such as botanicals for different occasions.

You can set up your own simple packaging system by following these steps:

Choose your structural base by selecting kraft boxes in two or three core sizes that will cover the majority of your gifting and product needs
Establish a consistent closure element such as kraft paper twine in one color that will be used across all packaging projects
Create a signature brand mark using a rubber stamp with your initials, logo, or a distinctive motif that appears on every package you create
Add seasonal variation through natural dried botanicals that change with the seasons and occasions while keeping the overall system consistent
Document your system by photographing successful combinations so you can replicate them efficiently for future projects

There is little cost in setting up such a system but it will have the desired effect of creating recognisable, beautiful packaging that recipients immediately associate with you.

Photography and Presentation for Social Sharing

Show off your beautifully made packaging in photos and share them on your social media sites for other crafty types to be inspired by. If you are a business then photos of your product and packaging can generate interest in your wares and even lead to sales.

Using natural light in your packaging shots is far better than using artificial light and produces much better results for packaging made from natural materials such as kraft packaging. The warm tones in the natural fibers of kraft boxes and packaging, the translucency of wax paper and the colors of the natural botanicals all are showcased in the best light when shot using natural light. Ideally shooting near a window using soft natural light such as in the morning or afternoon is ideal for creating beautiful packaging shots.

Flat-lay photography, laying out all of the items in a flat formation, is also really effective when it comes to photographing packaging. The closed kraft box, the open kraft box revealing the items inside, along with any packaging decorations and packaging accessories such as greeting cards and tissues, can all be positioned in a flat formation so that they are all clearly visible in the resulting image. Such images really convey the full packaging experience to the viewer and so tend to receive a lot of engagement on social media.