Earth-Friendly Shipping (for cheap!)

I promised to share my favorite shipping tricks with you.  I reuse things you get everyday at the store to ship items to family and from my shop.  

There are 3 things I love about shipping things this way:
1-So much more Earth Friendly (reuse, ship, they can recycle your shipping packaging)
2-Inexpensive (other than thread, there isn't anything to buy)
3-So much more personality in the packaging!

I've seen lots of ideas all over the web. This is how I make {This Little Shipping Project}:

I usually take my own shopping bags when I shop. But if I don't have them and I hear, "paper or plastic?" I say "paper."
Then I go home and take the bags apart :)


1-Start by cutting the two sides and the bottom of the paper bag away. This leaves you with just the front and the back of the paper bag.

2-Pick your favorite stitch on your sewing machine and stitch around 3 sides of the bag-leave the top open.


3- Note: If you are shipping small items, simply cut the front and back of the paper bag in half or thirds.

4- I am usually shipping things that don't break easily.  But if I need extra padding, I like to reuse plastic grocery bags.  If you wrap your shipment in them too then you've just made your packaging quite waterproof :)

I think a lot of recycling centers have packaging peanuts that you can get and reuse too.

5- You can sew the top closed or tape it if you have to.  Sewing is more environmentally friendly though.

6- Sometimes I need to ship in a box.  I have been able to pick up boxes easily at the grocery store-they have all sizes.  I love that they get reused this way.  And it doesn't hurt that they are free!

I really love that I can make shipping envelopes in any size I need, simply by reusing materials.

I think it's fun to use rubber stamps to personalize the package even more.   Then just address it and you are ready to go.  Enjoy {This Little Shipping Project}