Festive Packaging: colored boxes, metallic envelopes and seals
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
Festive packaging doesn't cost much, but it needs to be acquired in time and shouldn't eat into your margins. Here's how to choose boxes, envelopes, and seals for the December rush.
In October, your shipping boxes will look the same as they did in June, but orders will change. From mid-November, there will suddenly be a note: "Can it be gift-wrapped?" Anyone who only thinks of this in December will be improvising with brown cardboard and a roll of tape while the stack grows. Festive packaging costs little, but it needs to be in stock on time and shouldn't eat into your margin. Here's how to make that choice now, without regretting it in December.
First, calculate, then beautify
Festive packaging is an expense per package, not a one-time purchase. Therefore, calculate it before ordering. A Red Shipping Box 15x10x4 cm costs €1.99, a Holographic Shipping Box 20x13x3 cm costs €3.99. On an order of €15, that two-euro difference is substantial; on an order of €80, it's negligible. The question is not "which box is the most beautiful," but "at what order value do I recoup this."
A simple method: give yourself one festive packaging option per order size. Small orders in a colored envelope, medium orders in a colored box, only expensive orders in the glossy box. That way, you don't have to think about each order in December and you know the cost beforehand.
Does it still fit through the letterbox?
This is the pitfall of festive packaging: beautiful boxes are often thicker. According to PostNL, a letterbox package may be a maximum of 38 x 26.5 x 3.2 cm and no heavier than 2 kg. A box 4 cm high therefore falls outside of that, no matter how beautiful it is. Always check the current terms and conditions of your own carrier, as these vary by party and may change.
If you want festive and letterbox-friendly, look in the flat section. The Red Shipping Box 13.5x8.7x2.6 cm (€1.99) stays under 3.2 cm. The same applies to the Recycled Letterbox Box 180 x 115 x 28 mm (A6), €17.95 per 100 pieces, and the larger A5+ version of 255 x 160 x 28 mm for €24.00 per 100. These are brown and plain — but you can easily stick something on a brown box, and that's cheaper than a thicker box that suddenly costs a parcel rate.
When it comes to envelopes, pay attention to two things. First: the stated size is the outer dimension including the adhesive strip, so your usable space is smaller. Place your product in it once before ordering a hundred pieces. Second: a bubble envelope protects against rubbing and bumps, not against pressure from above. Anything that can bend – cards, frames, thin packaging – still needs a sturdy box or cardboard reinforcement.
Boxes your customer will want to open
If the order has some volume, a colored box works better than wrapping paper. In the same 15x10x4 cm size, besides red, you also have black and pink, both €1.99. For cube-shaped products, there's the Cardboard Shipping Box 15x15x15 cm in white (€1.99).
The inside can remain plain, as long as it does its job. A roll of Bubble Wrap 500 mm x 500 m costs €12.95 and lasts a long time; cut it to size instead of wrapping until it fits. If you still want something eye-catching inside the box when opened, a bag of Pink Foam Hearts (± 77 pieces, €4.99) is enough for a few orders — use it as an accent, not as filler.
Close it with tape that won't let you down when it's cold in the van. KINZO Packaging Tape 50 meters x 48 mm costs €3.00 per roll. If you sell something where customers want to see that the shipment was unopened, put a Security Seal Sticker VOID on it — 60 pieces for €9.95. These seals leave traces if someone removes them, which especially helps with discussions about returns in a busy month.
An ordering moment that gives you peace of mind
Count back from your peak. If you want to be able to pack festively from mid-November, order by the end of October at the latest, so you still have time for a test run: pack a real order, weigh it, and see if it still falls within the same shipping class. That test package is the whole point — you'd rather discover a box that's two millimeters too thick now than at order number four hundred.
Then order in two rounds. First, a basic stock for your expected quantity, then a replenishment when you see which color or size is selling fastest. This way, you won't be stuck with three hundred gold-colored envelopes in January. And keep one neutral box on hand: not every customer wants glitter, and business orders are often better off with brown cardboard and a sleek label.
Get started
Take a look through Packaging & Shipping for boxes, tape, and void fill, through Letterbox Packaging if your shipments need to go through the letterbox, and through Gift Packaging & Gift Boxes for anything going out as a gift. If you're torn between two sizes or want to know what a certain quantity costs per week? Email your product or box dimensions to info@verpakkingdeals.nl and we'll help you decide before you place a large order.
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