A practical guide for potters who want fewer breakages, happier customers, and packaging that still feels good for the planet.
Shipping ceramics can feel intimidating until the process becomes familiar.
1. The Core Principles
Everything in this system revolves around three ideas:
Cushioning
Fragile areas such as handles, rims, spouts, or thin additions need their own cushioning before anything else.
Distance
The pot should never sit close to the outer walls of the parcel. When a box is dropped or compressed, the outer box must absorb the impact, not the pot.
No movement
If anything inside the parcel can shift, it will. Movement is the most common cause of breakage.
These principles guide every step of the packing process.
2. The Double-Boxing Rule
Double-boxing is the single most effective protection method used by carriers and makers alike.
The pot is placed into an inner box that fits it snugly. That box is then suspended inside a larger outer box, with void fill between the two. The inner box should “float” with cushioning on every side. A well-packed parcel passes the shake test. If the inner box moves, more filler is needed.
For overseas shipments or heavier pots, the outer box should be double-walled to withstand stacking pressure.
3. Wrapping the Pot
Before a pot goes near a box, it should receive a clean and attractive primary wrap.
• Each pot is inspected carefully
• It is wrapped neatly in tissue paper
• A branded sticker seals the tissue (printed at home with simple shipping labels)
• Two layers of honeycomb paper are added, wrapped in opposite directions
• Jute twine holds the wrap securely
Honeycomb paper offers cushioning and looks presentable. Recycled bubble wrap is kept for delicate edges or large wholesale shipments, where weight and impact risks are higher.
Mugs are packed in smash-proof boxes. Plates go into heavy-duty cake boxes. More unusual shapes receive additional protection around protruding elements.
4. Preparing the Inner Box
The inner box creates the pot’s immediate protective environment. Any remaining gaps are filled using:
• scrunched recycled brown paper
• biodegradable starch peanuts
• reused air pockets from incoming parcels
The goal is a tight fit with no rattle. A business card and a handwritten note accompany each order.
5. Floating the Inner Box in the Outer Box
The inner box is placed into a larger outer box and surrounded on every side with void fill. Starch peanuts are particularly effective because they compress into place and hold the inner box firmly.
Paper and reused air pillows also work well when packed tightly.
The shake test is repeated. If anything shifts, more filler goes in.
6. Choosing Materials
Potters juggle four competing considerations: protection, sustainability, appearance, and cost. No material wins on all fronts, so the aim is the right blend for the situation.
Honeycomb paper
Beautiful, recyclable, and effective for most pieces.
Bubble wrap
Lightweight and unmatched in shock absorption, especially for complex shapes or long international journeys. Best used only when necessary and ideally reused.
Biodegradable packing peanuts
Light, cheap, compostable, and excellent at filling space.
Brown paper
Useful for small gaps but heavy in larger quantities.
Reclaimed boxes
A cost-saving favourite. Friends, neighbours, and even DIY stores become excellent suppliers of clean, sturdy boxes. Only strong, undamaged, odour-free boxes should be used.
Tape
Paper kraft tape is preferred, since it can be recycled with the box. It also holds better than plastic tape.
7. Packing Multiple Pieces
When shipping several pots in one parcel, each piece must be fully wrapped and isolated. Handles should never be allowed to collide with rims or other pots. Individual inner boxes or cardboard dividers work well. The rule remains the same: nothing inside the box should be able to touch anything else.
8. Protecting Delicate Features
Spouts, feet, sculptural attachments, and narrow handles need targeted padding before general wrapping. Small cushions of folded honeycomb paper or reused bubble wrap can prevent point pressure.
Lids are typically kept on the pot and secured with wrap, which avoids the common problem of loose lids chipping during transit.
9. Weighing, Labelling, and Postage
Accurate scales save money. A few grams can move a parcel into a higher postage band.
For UK shipments and international parcels under 2 kg, Royal Mail remains the most reliable and cost-effective for many makers. For parcels over 2 kg, services are often cheaper through comparison websites such as Parcel2Go or Parcel Hero, with UPS and DPD commonly chosen for larger or overseas shipments.
Thermal paper labels reduce waste and speed up dispatch. Ikea bags are unexpectedly ideal for carrying parcels to the post office.
10. The Drop Test
Before taping up the final box, we use a simple guideline:
If you wouldn’t be comfortable dropping the parcel from waist height, it isn’t ready.
A parcel will be dropped or compressed at some point in its journey. The packing must assume this as a certainty, not an accident.
Common Mistakes
• Leaving the pot too close to the outer box
• Failing the shake test
• Packing multiple items without dividers
• Trusting fragile stickers to solve structural problems
• Reusing bubble wrap after the bubbles have flattened
• Relying on courier insurance
Final Thoughts
Good packaging is part craft, part problem-solving, and part customer experience. With practice, it becomes second nature. The double-boxing method alone prevents the overwhelming majority of breakages. For potters who feel nervous about shipping their work, adopting a clear, repeatable system builds confidence quickly.
If any makers have tips of their own, we love hearing them. Sharing methods helps the whole community ship work more safely and sustainably.