Hi guys, i'm new to the BOB site, and i've gotten some requests for say 5 books.  I know regular manila envelopes won't hold them all, so I was wondering how you guys mail out these kind of requests, if there is a cheap way that I can do it without having to buy boxes all the time at the post office?  I think I may be having a brain fart but I just can't think of anything!  Any suggestions would be most welcome!

Keri

If they are all the same size it's not hard to make a "brick" out of them. Wrap them in plastic then use brown paper or even take a manilla envelope and cut it down the side so that it's flat. What ever works. I reuse boxes if I have them. I don't buy boxes.

The hard ones to wrap are when you multiple size books. Then you kind of need a box.

I save smaller boxes that I get from like Amazon.com or pet supply stores and then use them.  Maybe a box   for something you bought at the store - like a coffeepot. Any box will work as long as you cross off any markings on the box( like websites, etc).  Maybe even paper bags cut to fit would work if wrapped with enough tape.

I wrap 2 or 3 of the 5/6 books in saran wrap.  Make 2 saran packages.  Then I tape those two saran bricks together on all 4 sides.  I then tape printer paper together to form a large enough sheet to wrap around the now "large" brick like a Christmas present.  I then tape the label on the top and seal the edges/corners/addresses with packing tape.   For up to 7 books I do it this way. 

I have used shoe boxes and then wrapped it in the brown mailing paper (looks like gift wrap).  I guess you could also wrap it in a brown paperbag.  I don't like to wrap them in just the paper, because I am afraid of them being damaged by the USPS.  I have purchased some small boxes (7x7x6?) for 78 cents (new) from a store that sells both new and used boxes.  And this box actually holds up to 8 books.

I wrap in saran wrap bricks and brown paper bags that I've gotten from the grocers.  I also have a back-up roll of brown kraft paper (meant for usps packages) that I buy for a dollar at the dollar store. plenty of tape and never had anyone say that they have been received torn or damaged 'knock wood'.

Be sure it isn't the "sticky" variety of plastic wrap - that stuff leaves a residue on books.

keri,

a suggestion.......if you have a dollar store or one of those discount stores see if they have the brown paper there instead of michaels.  you will probably find that it is much cheaper.  the kind I get is called 'kraft' but it is for wrapping boxes and stuff for mailing.  I find it in the envelope/mailing supply area. that's where I get my tape from also.  I was originally buying rolls of clear packing tape from the usps but I found that the tape from the discount store is much cheaper and the quality is not any different .

When I did BOB, I recycled cereal boxes, waffle boxes, poptart boxes, etc.  They work great and you are recycling at the same time.  Just make sure that the box is the right size, you don't want too much left over space as that makes damage more likely.