Cool-Ass Mailing Materials

January 27, 2013 9:51 PM

Help me find awesome mailing materials, please!

I know they're out there. I'm looking for awesomely arty or otherwise cool mailing materials - tapes, envies, padded envelopes, tissue, everything - and nothing custom. This is just for sending care packages and stuff so if 3M makes an awesome tape, that's fine! I'd love to find just one place for this, but I don't mind shopping around.

Thanks!

posted by unlucky.lisp to shopping (11 answers total)

On the off chance you have access to a Kinokuniya, or any Japanese book/comic/stationery store, hie the hence, anon.
posted by Sara C. at 10:02 PM on January 27

AB Chao loves Inkkit.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 11:11 PM on January 27

Yeah, look out for supplies of Japanese tape. It's available in many different colours and patterns. Should be available via a shop or mail order, somewhere near you.
posted by The River Ivel at 4:14 AM on January 28

When I mail gifts I put the card and gift with tissue and confetti into a cardboard box. I then wrap the box with colorful, fun gift wrapping paper and then entirely cover the box with clear packing tape so the paper doesn't rip when I ship the package. So it's a really pretty shiny box!
posted by xicana63 at 4:54 AM on January 28

Paper Source
posted by it's a long way to south america at 5:21 AM on January 28 [1 favorite]

I am a sucker for fun mailing materials. This is a short list of things I keep for sending packages:

10x15 mailers in solid colors
This is Spinal Tape
DNA Tape
Lepidoptera Butterfly Tape
Botany Tape
Paisley Padded Envelope
Birthday Padded Envelope (search the Jillson Roberts Amazon store for more options)
this and this and this and this from Scotch
Scotch Brand Bubble Mailers
Scotch Brand Goody Box
seasonal shipping boxes and color shipping boxes from boxandwrap.com

I've linked to Amazon for many of these, so you can have one-stop-shopping. Scotch has a product locator, so you can find tape and mailers locally.

Japanese paper tape (washi) is often beautiful and found in a myriad of incredible designs, but I've found it's not durable for external use and would need to be reinforced with clear packaging tape for shipping purposes.
posted by ovenmitt at 5:30 AM on January 28 [5 favorites]

From already-linked Paper Source: traceable templates to make your own envelopes out of any paper you like.

Gelly Roll's neon and Moonlight pens show up as opaque on cardboard boxes, so if you like doodling you can decorate any package. Nearly every art supply and stationery store carries them.
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:45 AM on January 28

If you end up using the USPS pre-printed flat rate boxes, I like to use fun-size M&m's as the filler material (instead of bubblewrap or styrofoam peanuts or newspaper). Since they are flat rate, the extra weight of the M&M's doesn't add to the cost of shipping, and the care-packagee really appreciates them.
posted by CathyG at 6:56 AM on January 28 [1 favorite]

Keep in mind that you can mail just about anything as long as you take it into the post office and have it hand-cancelled, so be creative!

For example, I once mailed a large (~18") plastic pineapple to a friend, as is. The pineapple opened like a plastic Easter egg, and I used it to mail a single key. A week later I mailed her another package, sent in a plain box that I had covered in fake fur and wrapped with a heavy-duty (think bike lock) chain secured with a padlock. Whatever you do, make sure the package is securely closed and cover the address label with some clear packing tape. I've never had the USPO lose a package.

My favorite place to look for ephemera of any kind is Manto Fev. Very inexpensive stuff, very addictive.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:28 AM on January 28 [2 favorites]

Your local Michael's will have a fun selection of duct tape. I got some awesome penguins and mustaches lately.
posted by maryr at 11:37 AM on January 28

oh, i looove manto fev. and once sent a piece of toast through the mail!

y'all have given me an awesome start, thank you!
posted by unlucky.lisp at 3:03 PM on January 28