New Pacifier Clip Packaging!

I’m so excited to share my new packaging for my Pacifier Clips!

If you don’t know me, I used to work on packaging for a national retailer, and I looooved it. I’ve always been a sucker for gorgeous packaging, from the bright, cheery pink of Barbie packaging I loved as a child, to pretty much anything Apple makes (go ahead, Apple haters, roll your eyes, but you have to appreciate the aesthetics of Apple’s packaging).

But when faced with designing my own packaging, I had a boatload of challenges:

1- I’m not at the point to get anything professionally printed. Believe me, I got quotes.

2- I’m printing it myself on my average HP printer (aka, hated-wireless-device-who-shall-not-be-named), which can only go as wide as 8.5″.

3- I’m strapped for time (aren’t we all?).

The main motivator for packaging wasn’t for craft shows; I have ways of merchandising that are a great Band-Aid until I get to slapping my brand and packaging on my handmade items (someday!).

It was retail. I sell my items in a few local shops, and I want them to sell well and be recognized for what they are…I didn’t want reactions of, “oh, these are [insert product that is totally not my product]!”

While a hangtag does the trick for many of my items, the Pacifier Clips were the most challenging. Not only are they a small item, they also require warning labels on the packaging. I consider Pacifier Clips one of the most dangerous items I make, which is why I ensure the metal components I use are lead-free, and that I obsessively test the snaps once I install them to ensure they are properly installed.

Even so, without parental supervision, these little conveniences can be dangerous if not used properly. Hence the warning labels. You can never be too careful, and the new parent unaware of the dangers, might just read my warning label and become informed of their proper use.

ANYWAY.

Here’s my old packaging.

Just a little piece of cardstock folded over and *ahem* stapled.

Classy!

Branding? Check.

Warning label? Check.

Easy to merchandise by brick-and-mortar shops?

Not so much.

Here’s the new packaging:

Seriously, this took me for flipping ever to develop. The biggest challenge was making the backer card thick enough to hold the clip itself; I tried individual layers, I tried super thick cardstock, I tried “fancy” cardboard layers, legal-size cardstock, you name it. Had I decided to just drop some cash on getting these suckers professionally printed, I probably wouldn’t have had such a hard time with this item. But the cost of packaging versus the cost of the item itself wasn’t worth it.

My husband came to the rescue, after seeing some of my failed prototypes, and instead of me cutting two to three layers individually, he simply combined everything. One Pacifier Clip package is one piece of Letter-size cardstock, and it all folds to make what you see above. YAY! He is seriously amazing and always the voice of reason when I’m spinning my wheels.

Now that I have them developed, I just dropped off a small assortment of Pacifier Clips at Crafty Wonderland; we’ll see if the new packaging works, or if tweaks are needed.

Now that I have this little item checked off my Packaging To Do List, I feel like I can take on all my items, and they’ll be considerably easier than this one.

On to the next!