How To Custom Package A Sculpture / Delicate Artwork for Shipping - Reclaimed Cardboard Boxes

[@Chill1332]

"You are not going to find the perfect box, because that's not how life works!" LOL. So very true! This is super interesting! Great method.

[@evanmcgonagill6262]

This box is a sculpture unto itself. Amazing

[@m1k3ssnt]

Wow you really put in alot of effort in making the shipping box. Thx learnt something new today, usually I just crumpled newspaper and stuff it in the box 😅

[@stephanie.kilgast]

well, it depends how sturdy your sculpture is! If your work is not that delicate and it's safe like that, then it's ok :)

[@grandpacharlieh]

Great ideas for how to stabilize my wife’s sculpture we need to ship. I was thinking spray foam but didn’t know how to control it. The layers of cardboard look easy to control and plenty sturdy. Thank you!

[@WoM]

Very interesting. I do wonder what your shipment results usually are. Carriers are often rather careless in the US.

[@stephanie.kilgast]

I've shipped something like 30 sculptures so far and had only one breakage. That breakage was really a structural problem of the sculpture itself. (basically didn't have a strong enough armature and the clay I used should have been flexible) So the breakage was not due to the packaging but to my mistake as a sculptor. Too bad I had to learn it the hard way ^^'

[@RoeRoe123]

@@stephanie.kilgast proves your character 👏

[@taylor3950]

I love that you put so much care into packaging!

[@stephanie.kilgast]

^^

[@zombiebrideX]

you're so mother for this + the music is top tier xD

[@stephanie.kilgast]

🙌😊

[@sublimechimp]

thanks again for this video. useful, practical and strategies that really work. remembering it is helping me in my life right now

[@stephanie.kilgast]

glad you found it helpful!

[@sublimechimp]

Beautiful sculpture and beautiful, simple packaging job. Thanks for sharing!

[@RyanHaworth]

Merci! This was a great explanation to answer a question I've had as I consider creating my own sculptures.

[@christy7635]

Thank you!

[@pinkskin1998]

Beautiful.

[@janehouck1906]

Wow. What attention to detail ❤️

[@bevsartsandcrafts715]

Brilliant. Thank you xx

[@kokosotto4763]

Thanks, very helpful.

[@RoeRoe123]

Genius packaging. Now I'm going to your channel. This piece is GORGEOUS ❤

[@Masterninjagogeek]

This is a very handy tip for packaging !

[@stephanie.kilgast]

glad it helped :)

[@christiedecker2724]

Yes, this video is VERY helpful. I didn't know how to package my sculptures of life-like florals. I took them to a shipping store. They didn't know either and wouldn't ship them for me. This is such valuable information! Thank you!! Chrissie of Chrissie's Cards and Creations - Forever Flowers Plus.

[@stephanie.kilgast]

I'm sure there are other ways, but this is the method that I came up with. Not easy shipping weird sculptures! :) Glad it was helpful!

[@russelldavis6159]

patricia here--- wow you really go all out for your art work miss Stephanie!! lol i would expect nothing less than your best in what you do cause you're awesome like that... lol well done!!

[@stephanie.kilgast]

thank you Patricia :D

[@gingerbreadandtea]

Thank you Stephanie, that was very helpful!

[@RetroChallenge]

juste incroyable ce tutoriel. Merci infiniment je vais clairement m'en inspirer pour mes envois de diorama. Mais je me demandais quand meme pourquoi vous n'avez pas "fill the gap" dans la premiere boite. SI j'amaiq votre construction vous fait défaut si vous avez rempli avec genre les chips en polystyrene ca pourrait éviter le pire ? Apres j'imagine que vous avez éprouvé votre méthode !

[@stephanie.kilgast]

Alors effectivement beaucoup de sculpteurs font du remplissage. Moi ça me pose problème en terme d'environnement et comme c'est le sujet de mon travail, je me vois mal acheter des petits trucs en plastique impossible à recycler. Et je ne veux pas non plus acheter ceux qui sont en amidon de maïs, parce que, mine de rien, il faut de l'énergie pour les fabriquer. Le truc c'est de faire en sorte d'avoir une construction très solide.

[@RetroChallenge]

@@stephanie.kilgast je ne m'attendais pas a cette réponse. Mais je comprends d 'office votre position. Je ne savais pas que c'est votre sujet d'étude, je suis tombé par hasard sur votre vidéo. En tout cas j'ai testé et j'ai approuvé votre méthode

[@kjirstenboucher9682]

So helpful! Thank you.😊

[@komttycat]

That's brilliant!

[@anthonywaggett9317]

Thank you Stephanie, some time back I created my first sculpture - Mermaid on a rock - mixed media, resin, plaster and epoxy clay. To be fair it is a learning process, it has some flaws, but the person I created it for was over the moon. However she was in a temporary home so she left it with me and I have been wondering how to package it in safe transport, the base is solid and square which is good but the mermaid tail and dreadlocks are delicate. This has given me the info I need to package it. Plus the art you make is beautiful.

[@micass3561]

Thank you for sharing!

[@lisajames5188]

This is exactly the information I needed thank you!!!

[@Pinkhearts0]

Hey great work

[@stephanie.kilgast]

thank you!

[@Pinkhearts0]

@@stephanie.kilgast np

[@ibrahimkhazzaka2140]

Thank you very much, this was very helpful!

[@stephanie.kilgast]

glad it could help!

[@JV-uy7ex]

I had a small diorama break in shipping. It was super embarrassing but thank you for this video you’re a life saver! 🎉❤❤❤

[@stephanie.kilgast]

Don't be! I've had work break as well. It's often how you learn the limits of certain materials as well.

[@janapennington7567]

I love your videos! Thank you!

[@stephanie.kilgast]

you're very welcome :)

[@guadalupenunez8570]

okey. this sculpture is FUCKEN BEAUTIFUL

[@stephanie.kilgast]

🙏😆

[@jadeetdaly]

je te le confirme l'emballage est aussi une vraie oeuvre d'art je récupére je recycle car étant bloquée quasiment à la maison je partage envoie (reçois )beaucoup mais là c'est dantesque merci merci pour toutes ces idées sacré boulot ! et à bientôt ps l oeuvre est impressionnante dis donc

[@stephanie.kilgast]

merci ^^

[@jadeetdaly]

@@stephanie.kilgast ♥♥♥

[@stealthflower]

Such a useful video; thank you!

[@RavinkaMalinka]

This was very useful! I was considering getting into sculpting again, this time for business, but heck, I was discouraged because I had no idea how to package them. Thank you!

[@stephanie.kilgast]

well sculptures are a bit of niche in the art market. For one because most people buy paintings (everyone has walls but not everyone has shelf spots) but also because it's a medium that is quite difficult on the whole to master. However, if you can hone your skills and enjoy sculpting and find your artistic voice, it's easier to stand out as a good sculptor than as a good painter.

[@RavinkaMalinka]

@@stephanie.kilgast you are right indeed, although I am not good (at least not yet) to be distinguished. But with this analogy - hmm, how about wall sculptures? :D Maybe you can for instance thrift an old frame and kinda fix your sculpture in it? Like some sort of 3D painting :D

[@stephanie.kilgast]

@@RavinkaMalinka that's been a plan for a while indeed. But in general I find trying to figure out how to put sculptures on a wall mostly annoying XD the other option is to frame your sculptures, but that's not an option where I live (I just can't find a good enough framer) and it's also very expensive. And then on a personal level, I find sculptures look best when they stand on their own, but that's just personal taste ^^

[@mahasells_artwork]

Wow!!

[@bigsmoke8955]

Hello, first of all, unbelievably amazing work you do! Thank you for these beautiful things! I think your polymer clay is great, may I ask where you can get the same one you use? best regards

[@amitmukherjee4736]

Yes, your video is so much helpful 😊😊

[@stephanie.kilgast]

:)

[@PuppyMintMocha]

This was incredibly helpful!

[@stephanie.kilgast]

glad it was! 😊

[@mahmoudzaefi2958]

thanks

[@carmelootto5523]

Nice video

[@Savousepate]

Très intéressant, merci de nous avoir montré comment vous procédez ! On peut dire que le packaging est aussi un art dans votre cas ;) C'est toujours un énorme stress lorsqu'on envoie une de nos créations par la Poste Malgré toutes les précautions que vous prenez pour protéger vos sculptures, est-ce que c'est déjà arrivé qu'il y ait de la casse ?

[@stephanie.kilgast]

Oui, j'ai eu une sculpture cassée une fois. Récemment. Mais l'erreur était dans mon choix de matériau au moment de sculpter. En gros j'ai choisi un matériau dur mais rigide et j'aurais dû opter pour un matériau plus flexible.

[@Savousepate]

Quel dommage ! J'espère que c'était réparable. D'un côté c'est rassurant de savoir que ça arrive même aux meilleur(e)s ! ;)

[@Darkdemonoflite]

Thanks you!!! which pen did you us for the silver on the black paint? i'm looking for a good silver writer

[@stephanie.kilgast]

"liquid chrome" from Molotov

[@kiki-drawer2669]

I just shipped out a sculpture😭 hopeing it arrives in a ok condition! I wish youtube recommended this to me before! But. First time for everything I supose! Thank you for sharing this knowledge 🙏

[@stephanie.kilgast]

Ah well, next time! And you're welcome 😊

[@busgeeth-ilemaurice6642]

Hi Stephanie. Always a pleasure to watch your videos. We'll the best packing ever. Hard working intelligently always pays. Upcycling/recycling is the best thing to do. Now I know I'm not alone collecting those boxes. Lol. Do u work with epoxy resin too? Bon courage. A bientôt madame. Bisous de l'île Maurice, Océan Indien.

[@stephanie.kilgast]

Boxes are often useful! 😆 I don't work with resin but I do work a bit with epoxy clay.

[@srrfounder1]

Have you ever found your inlets to scratch your sculptures from rough handling in flight? Loved your packaging video... THANKS SO MUCH, STEPHANIE!!! 💚✌

[@stephanie.kilgast]

no, but I do varnish all my pieces and I often add silk paper to protect them from the inlets.

[@zeinnerdepaula]

I'm currently working on a piece that is 120x60x50 cm. It's the largest I have ever done and I will (I hope) be the first one I ship. I will definitely follow this guide in case I ship it. Given the size of it, are there any other precautions I would need to take?

[@stephanie.kilgast]

Well your sculpture sounds really big so it will be quite heavy. In that case maybe look into wooden crates for the outer box, as you'll need a sturdier box than cardboard I'm afraid.

[@zeinnerdepaula]

@@stephanie.kilgast Thank you so kindly for your reply! Wood crates sound like a good idea indeed, a relative had recommended me that as well. Another question that comes to mind is: would shipping it by mail work just fine or should I seek another, perhaps more specialized way of sending it?

[@stephanie.kilgast]

@@zeinnerdepaula well, specialized couriers exist but they're very expensive. Or so I've heard. I personally ship through things like fedex or DHL right now, but mostly because it has real tracking and is fast. I have shipped a lot through regular postal service (in France La Poste) but with the covid everything is slow so now I just use couriers. However I use a website that is called boxtal to get a bit cheaper prices. Depending where you ship regular postal service is good. Or if you're in Europe there are other options has well that are very cheap. but again, with the current pandemic everything is more expensive.

[@MDeLorien]

I do the same, i ship my creations in recycled boxes plus recycled bubble wrap. ♻️❤♻️❤♻️❤

[@stephanie.kilgast]

yay! 😊👍

[@amitmukherjee4736]

Great💓💓

[@Bandolero456]

Hello Stephanie, your sculpture in this video is pretty beutiful and your packaging method is very artistic and creative, however, wrapping the sculpture with a few plastic bags and masking tape and then spraying the bottom of the bos with a thin layer of spray foam, waiting for it to dryand then dropping the already wrapped sculpture in and then spraying the entire inside of the box with the spray foam, would have save you a ton of time and the sculpture would be covered and protected all over. You can always saw off any excess dry foam before you seal the box.

[@stephanie.kilgast]

sure not very eco friendly however, so I prefer my method :)

[@stephanie.kilgast]

also my sculpture are too delicate to just use spray foam, too many different materials, it'd be more of a pain than anything else to "just wrap it".

[@minkademko2335]

Spray foam expansion might damage a delicate piece, no?

[@mirnamartinez9901]

Hey Stephaine I have a quick question, what kind of paint do you use to paint the outside of your boxes? I have been using some leftover craft paint so it doesn't go to waste but I find that it warps the cardboard.

[@stephanie.kilgast]

I use acrylic paint, the big bottles of studio paint. However I used it without much water. Maybe you're using too much water.

[@Izaac_Artist]

Ha I remember I made a custom package as well But I was so scared it would brake I filled it up entire of Cotton Balls and Styrofoam 🤣

[@stephanie.kilgast]

many do that, but I would discourage from using those. They sometimes react to your sculpture (rot the paint or varnish) stick to it, leave residue. At the very least put some tissue paper around before.

[@ganeshaarya8986]

Thats a great packaging youve done right there but my suggestion perhaps you should package your artwork with a lot more safer packaging such as woodwork packaging (you could make it in wood workshop near your house) with precised solid stereofoam to filling up the void or empty space or area inside its package. Maybe itll be a little bit pricey but a lot more safety, effective, and efficiently for you and your artwork also it can goes further destination. You should try that. Goodluck n great success for your art! :))

[@stephanie.kilgast]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I find wood crates to be unnecessarily bulky, heavy and expensive. I refuse to use styrofoam because it has a terrible impact on the environment. Again, my technique is upcycled and it fits my work, and I've used it a lot already so I know it's safe.

[@Melscreativearts]

As a new clay artist, the packing and shipping for clients always stresses me out! Thank you for sharing this method! I truly appreciate it. People don’t realize how much work goes into it. I’ve only had one piece that was damaged but this method is much better than what I was using! I love upcycling as well, thank you!

[@stephanie.kilgast]

sending sculptures is really quite a headache! glad I could help :)

[@SandyHuntress]

It looks tedious, but very satisfying!

[@stephanie.kilgast]

ha! yeah, it is tedious!

[@acolley2891]

Your artwork is so mesmerizing and I love the environmental awareness aspect. Thanks for the tips

[@stephanie.kilgast]

😊🙏

[@sammarieperalta3470]

How much do you usually pay for shipping?

[@stephanie.kilgast]

too much XD it depends where it's shipped to, from France to the USA around 80 - 100 euro, from France to Australia it can go up to 150 euro :') Prices are also impacted by what happens in the world. With the pandemic, prices went up and I expect prices will keep getting higher in the future, as energy prices will likely get up too.

[@worrykills]

Foam gator board

[@theloneviking9145]

I’ve only done this a few times so I can’t say this is going to work all the time, but what I do is this: I take the piece and secure to a base of cardboard like she did and then I put shrink wrap over it after wrapping the item in bubble wrap all over. I wrap the shrink wrap so it’s secure to the to the piece of cardboard on the inside bottom and then fill the rest of the package with the bubble tape stuff or peanuts. Anybody else do that?

[@GMthunderbreak]

I see, so to ship your sculpture you made another sculpture lol.

[@stephanie.kilgast]

basically yes XD