Easter isn’t going to be the same again this year, but at least we have a reason to send cards! Here’s a free Easter Card SVG.
I’m not one for long, overdrawn stories and blog posts, I love it when people get to the point and just show me how to get it done. So here we go!
Step 1: Download the file here. There’s 2 versions depending on how you want to make your card. The card files default as 3.5″ H x 5″ W.
Step 2: Upload your file into Design Space, change the scoring line from ‘cut’ to ‘score.’ Then attach your scoring line to the larger rectangle.
Step 3: Make! It will prompt you to cut the first rectangle and then when that’s finished, you can cut the second part of the card.
Step 4: Glue it together! It’s important to dab the glue over the cut out areas or else glue chunks might get stuck inside the letters.
I ended up using the Cricut to add some text from a Gelly Roll pen (I know what you’re thinking… “Wait?! HOW DID YOU USE A GELLY ROLL PEN WITH THE CRICUT?! “Check out our post here: How to: Use Sharpies and Other Markers with your Cricut) <— and that my friends is how you do a shameless plug for yourself.
Starting an Etsy shop can be kind of daunting, adding listings and just getting your store setup is already a big feat, but then you realize there’s so much more to it after that. There’s a whole lot that goes behind mailing out one package so I’ve compiled a list of resources that have helped me cut costs on business and also streamline the whole shipping/packaging process in general.
In this post I will cover:
Shipping Providers
Shipping in Canada
Canada Post Flat Rate Boxes
Lettermail
Shipping in the US
SHIPPING PROVIDERS
So you’ve heard of Canada Post, UPS, Purolator, Fedex, DHL and you might assume that’s the beginning and end all of courier companies, I thought so too. But after some research I realized their are a lot of alternatives who often piggy back off these major couriers for significantly less cost to you. Here are 5 shipping companies I’d recommend for small businesses:
Canada Post Small Business – If you haven’t registered for an account, go and do it! It’s free and offers a lot of great perks.
Chit Chats – You’ll get $5 in free postage for signing up through my referral link.
Shipping in Canada
I ran a comparison using each companies quote calculator (there are some discrepancies in whether or not fuel charge and additional charges are included in some of the quotes so these are definitely not 100% accurate)
Shipping From: Toronto M5H 2N2 Package Size: 10 in x 10 in x 2 in Weight: 500 GShipping From: Toronto M5H 2N2 Package Size: 10 in x 10 in x 2 in Weight: 1 KG
If you’re located in a more rural area, most of these may not be available to you. Thankfully Canada Post Small Business Account has some very competitive rates. BUT if you use this, make sure you check the prices with Etsy postage (which runs through Canada Post) because I find buying your CP postage through Etsy can actually be cheaper sometimes. Or check out the Canada Post flat rate boxes.
Canada Post Flat Rate Boxes
When these first came out the Canada Post Flat Rate Boxes were an amazing deal, but as time has passed, Canada Post has significantly raised their prices on these so it’s not the first method of shipping I’d recommend, but there are definitely occasions when these come in handy. For example, if you’re shipping to Middle of Nowhere, Canada, these boxes will be cheaper. Or if you live in the middle of nowhere, it’s not a bad idea to order these. Sizes and rates are below:
Source: Canada Post Website June 2020
Lettermail
Etsy really pushes sellers to offer free shipping and it really isn’t possible when you sell items under $20 because to build it into your cost could almost double your price if you’re using any form of tracked shipping. Enter Lettermail. Some people love it, and some people hate it. But for all the headaches it may cause, Lettermail prices can’t be beat and so long as your package fits in the slot of doom (less than 2cm thick and weighs less than 500g) then you’re good.
Benefits of Lettermail
The cheapest way to send mail domestically in Canada
Convenience of dropping mail in street level boxes
Negatives of Lettermail
No tracking, which means you will have customers asking where their packages are
Size restrictions (under 500 g, less than 2 cm thick)
Potential of customers lying about not receiving their packages
Verdict:
Use lettermail when sending cheaper easily replaceable items.
IF mail gets lost, I resend the second one with tracking just so that I know it’s guaranteed to get to my customer, at the end of it, I usually still net a bit of money off that sale, or I break even. BUT you have to think about all the business you’ve gotten because you offer free shipping and it heavily outweighs charging people $10-$20 to ship something small.
I’ve been using lettermail for about 2 years and have sent over 700 packages using lettermail. I’ve probably had to resend 3 packages due to ‘lost mail.” But there’s no way I would have made that many sales if I charged tracked package rates on my items.
Lettermail Knowhow
A few tips on using Lettermail:
Slotboxes: these are boxes guaranteed to fit through the slot. Ideal for smaller items.
Stamps: The cheapest way to buy stamps is to look for discount stamps on Ebay (they’re totally legal and usually a result of companies going bankrupt or collectors, or auctions) I buy mine from this seller here. It comes out to $0.63 cents a stamp (as opposed to $0.92 cents direct from Canada Post or $0.87 at Costco) That’s significant cost savings over hundreds of packages.
Shipping in the US
Honestly, the rates for Chit Chats in Canada isn’t necessarily what convinces me to use them as you can see above, they’re definitely cheaper in many cases but not always when shipping domestically. BUT if you plan on shipping to the States, you’re going to save yourself and your customers a lot of money if you use a different shipping provider. It’s almost no competition in our first chart here. Chit Chats basically has to be your go to for smaller lighter packages.
Shipping From: Toronto M5H 2N2 Package Size: 10 in x 10 in x 2 in Weight: 0.5 lbs
Things change a little when your package gets bigger. Netparcel/Paypal’s UPS rates are extremely competitive and are by far the best rate when shipping slightly larger packages.
Shipping From: Toronto M5H 2N2 Package Size: 10 in x 10 in x 2 in Weight: 2 lbs
I didn’t do any quotes for large packages as it doesn’t really pertain to my own store and I know a lot of Etsy sellers sell smaller goods. I hope you found this post helpful. I will be writing a follow up post to this on shipping supplies and where to buy the cheapest shipping materials.
We’re stuck at home with the rest of the world and running out of ideas fast to keep our 2 kiddos entertained. And well, teaching a 3 year old anything can prove to be a challenge. So I went and designed a cute little clock SVG file and cut it with our Cricut. It was definitely a hit with the toddler, he wasn’t so interested in learning about time as he was about just making it a toy he could play with. We’ll try again another time (pun intended) Ha!
You will need to purchase some brass pins (or sometimes called brass split pins).
You can download the free clock SVG here. The file is only going to be free for a limited time, so download it while you can. After the weekend, the file will hit our Etsy shop so if you’re late to the party you can purchase it there for a few bucks.
Happy crafting! Helaine and Ben too I guess.
THIS FILE IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. We have put a lot of time and effort in putting together this craft pattern and would greatly appreciate your respect of this license. This is the grant of a license, not a transfer of title, and under this license you may not: modify or copy the materials; or for any public display (commercial or non-commercial); You may not resell the files, redistribute or use as freebies or giveaways. You may not modify our designs and resell the digital files. You may not use our designs for mass production or for print on demand services.
Easter is our favourite day of the year (it beats out Christmas by just a smidge) because it’s the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour. The single greatest day in history and has come to define everything that we do because Jesus Christ has truly changed our lives.
The greatest day in history Death is beaten, You have rescued me Sing it out, Jesus is alive
The empty cross, the empty grave Life eternal, You have won the day Shout it out, Jesus is alive
He’s alive Oh, happy day, happy day You washed my sin away Oh, happy day, happy day I’ll never be the same Forever I am changed (Tim Hughes, Oh Happy Day)
If you have a Cricut machine, you know that certain materials and accessories can be limited to the Cricut brand, especially their pen selection. Their pens are great, but sometimes you just want to use the ones around your house. Often times this is a much more affordable option, so we’ve designed and created our own 3D printed pen adapters, and they work great! Check them out on our Etsy Shop (free shipping too!) or on our Amazon Store. So far we have made adapters for Sharpies, as well as Crayola, Sakura Gelly Roll, Staedtler Triplus Fineliner, Pilot, Prismacolor and BiC pens. If you’re interested in a different kind of pen or marker, let us know in the comments below!
Our popular Sharpie 3 PackSo much potential!Lots of options available in our Ultimate packs!
Easter isn’t going to be the same this year, but now we have a reason to send cards! Here’s a free Easter Card SVG.
I’m not one for long, overdrawn stories and blog posts, I love it when people get to the point and just show me how to get it done. So here we go!
Step 1: Download the file here. There’s 2 versions depending on how you want to make your card. The card files default as 3.5″ H x 5″ W.
Step 2: Upload your file into Design Space, change the scoring line from ‘cut’ to ‘score.’ Then attach your scoring line to the larger rectangle.
Step 3: Make! It will prompt you to cut the first rectangle and then when that’s finished, you can cut the second part of the card.
Step 4: Glue it together! It’s important to dab the glue over the cut out areas or else glue chunks might get stuck inside the letters.
I ended up using the Cricut to add some text from a Gelly Roll pen (I know what you’re thinking… “Wait?! HOW DID YOU USE A GELLY ROLL PEN WITH THE CRICUT?! “Check out our post here: How to: Use Sharpies and Other Markers with your Cricut) <— and that my friends is how you do a shameless plug for yourself.
Springbok Craft Supply 