Most of what happens in the workshop gets talked about: the printing, the cutting, the pressing, the sewing. Packing gets none of that attention, and it is the part that decides whether the thing you ordered arrives the way it left. Here is what actually happens between the last check and the box on your step.
The short version
- Nothing gets wrapped until it has been looked over. A finished piece sits on the bench and gets a proper check before it goes anywhere near packaging.
- Every pack is done by hand, one order at a time. There is no packing station and no warehouse. It is one person, a roll of tape and a stack of boxes.
- Everything ships with real tracking. You should always be able to see where your order is.
- If something arrives damaged, tell us before you throw the packaging away. Photos of the box matter as much as photos of the piece.
The last check
Every craft has its own version of this, and none of them are skippable.
- 3D prints get their supports removed, the edges cleaned up, and a look over for layer problems. A print with a rough patch or a weak looking corner does not ship, it gets reprinted.
- Sewn goods get loose threads clipped, seams checked, handles given a tug, and the whole piece pressed and folded.
- Vinyl decals get checked for weeding mistakes and lifted edges, and are backed with transfer tape where the design needs it.
- Apparel comes off the press warm, gets a full look over once it has cooled, and any print with a lifted edge gets re-pressed or does not leave.
How each kind of piece gets packed
Packing decisions are made per item, because a tote bag and a decal have almost nothing in common once they are off the bench.
- 3D prints are the fragile ones, so they get the most padding. Small pieces are wrapped and cushioned, planters and larger parts get corner protection and space around them, and anything with a thin or protruding section is packed so it cannot take the weight of the box.
- Sewn goods are folded flat rather than stuffed, because a bag that has been crushed into a ball for a week arrives with creases in the handles that take a long time to hang out.
- Vinyl decals ship flat, in something rigid. A decal that gets bent in transit is a decal with a permanent crease across the design, so it never goes loose into an envelope.
- Apparel is folded flat and bagged so it stays clean and does not pick up marks from the box on the way.
Where a piece has instructions attached to it, or an application note for a decal, that goes in the box with it. If you have ever wondered how to apply a wall or vehicle decal without trapping air, that slip is the short answer.
Why there is no warehouse
Everything in the shop is made to order, so there is no shelf of finished stock sitting around waiting to be picked. That has a few consequences people notice after their first order.
- Your piece is packed the same week it is finished, not pulled from a bin that has been sitting since last season.
- Packaging runs out in small quantities. If we are waiting on a specific box size or a restock of mailers, that can add a day before an order goes out. We would rather tell you than quietly swap in something flimsier.
- Custom work gets packed to fit it. A commission does not have a standard box, so it gets measured and packed for its own shape.
Tracking and delivery
Orders ship with tracking, and that number is the honest answer to "where is it". A few things worth knowing:
- Tracking updates lag. A package can sit on "label created" for a day or two before the carrier scans it. That is normal and it is not a sign that something went wrong.
- Local and further afield are different timelines. If you need something by a specific date, say so when you order, and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.
- If tracking has not moved in a week, tell us. Sometimes a parcel needs a nudge from the sender's side and we can chase it faster than you can.
When it lands
- Open it before you need it. If a gift is going straight into a cupboard until December, open the box now. Damage that is reported a month later is much harder to sort out.
- Keep the box and the packaging until you have checked the piece over. A carrier claim needs photos of how it arrived, not just the broken part.
- Check the piece itself, not just the outside. A box can look perfect while a printed part has cracked or a decal has taken a bend.
- If something is wrong, send a photo through the contact page with the order details and what happened. If it is something we packed badly or made badly, we will make it right.
One thing worth saying
Packing is the least glamorous part of a one-person workshop and the part we think about the most, because it is the last thing we control. After the box leaves, the piece is in someone else's hands. Getting that box right means the thing you open is the thing we checked, and that is the whole point. The pieces themselves live in the shop, and every one of them is made after you order it.