Pretty Egg Packaging: Vintage Style Egg Cartons
Vintage Style Egg Cartons are a beautiful way to showcase your farm fresh eggs! These are the best supplies to give your egg packaging irresistible farmhouse appeal.
If you are looking into selling eggs or want your eggs to stand out at the farmer’s market, don’t underestimate the importance of beautiful, memorable packaging. Packaging your farm fresh eggs in a charming, eye-catching way is very easy and much LESS expensive than you may think!
Attractive stamped egg cartons draw potential buyers’ attention and reflect the care you put into your flock. Customers are also willing to pay a little more for thoughtfully and carefully packed eggs. It’s hard to resist fresh farm eggs packaged with vintage country charm!
You’ll find my favorite tips, tricks, and products are to give your eggs that irresistible vintage farmhouse appeal below.
Why Vintage Style Packaging for Eggs?
I have a fondness for all things vintage and old-fashioned aesthetics, so of course, I will be drawn to charming nostalgic packaging. But I am not alone in thinking eggs in vintage-style cartons make sense. As you will see briefly, there are plenty of options for beautiful vintage-inspired egg cartons.
I am not an expert on consumer behaviors and have never taken a consumer psychology class. But I think that most people buying farm-fresh eggs at a local farmer’s market are looking to avoid food produced in large-scale commercial facilities. A nostalgic carton featuring an idyllic design evokes small family farms, country life, and simpler times. It sets your fresh eggs apart from what’s offered in stores.
Purchasing food at a farmer’s market or roadside stand is an experience. Beautiful packaging enhances the customer’s experience. A hand-stamped carton can make a stunning first impression that reflects the amount of care you have put into your flock. Shoppers can enjoy the experience of buying beautifully packaged eggs that are of higher quality than those they’d find at the store.
Stand Out With Stamped and Printed Egg Cartons
Whether you are selling hatching or eating eggs, buyers adore the attractive, reusable packaging, and gift recipients will appreciate the irresistibly cute farmhouse charm! If you are interested in stepping up your packaging, you have a couple of options. You can either buy printed egg cartons or invest in a rubber stamp and add your branding onto blank egg cartons.
Comply with State and Federal Laws
Whatever method you choose, research your state’s egg selling laws to see what information you must have on the carton and select your stamp(s) accordingly. You can find New York State’s Regulations for Selling Eggs On the Cornell Cooperative Extension Website.
Federal law requires that cartons intended for sale marked with “Fresh” or “Farm Fresh” must have been professionally inspected and graded. It is OK to use the word “Fresh” on free eggs being gifted. But you should opt for “Hand Gathered Eggs,” “Farmhouse Eggs,” or similar wording if selling at farmer’s markets. FDA Safe Egg Handling instructions must appear on the outside of your carton, and should read:
SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria: keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly.
Printed Egg Cartons
If you are on the fence about your branding, you may be hesitant to invest in a complete stamping system. I have found generic Stamped Cartons from Amazon to be a nice compromise. I still get the adorable vintage style graphics and lettering, but without any long-term commitment. There are some super cute egg cartons available on Amazon. I am currently using the Henlay Split carton and love it. Because it is designed to be split in half for a half dozen eggs, the center of the carton is a little weaker, but I still find them to be great-looking and durable.
Custom Egg Carton Stamps
Hand stamping your egg cartons is a cost-effective way to customize your egg cartons with your farm name or family name and meet the local and federal required labeling. There are SO many cute options on Etsy, and I really enjoy working with small sellers vs. large companies.
I have worked with Etsy sellers to mock up rubber stamps for my egg cartons. Right now, two of my favorite Etsy Shops for Egg Carton Stamps are Authentic Heirlooms and Silver Homestead. I’ve listed some of my favorite items from their shops below! But no matter who you decide to work with, I have a couple of tips for you:
- Many Etsy sellers do not accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations on custom orders. Make sure the seller can supply you with a digital proof of what your stamp will look like once completed. Even if only the text is being customized. Capitalization, font choices, and even kerning between letters all affect the look of the final stamp.
- Not all rubber stamps are created equal! You’ll want a good-quality rubber stamp that can hold up for a long time and produce a clear image. Do your research to find a reputable seller that can create high-quality work.
- Invest in a good ink pad! (Ranger Archival is a good brand). Keep in mind the size of your stamp when purchasing your ink pad.
Blank Egg Cartons
If you are going to personalize your egg cartons with customized rubber stamps, you will need plain or blank egg cartons. Look for egg cartons made out of recycled cardboard material. I have found it sturdy and more substantial than paper pulp egg cartons. Recycled cardboard cartons are sturdy enough to be reused but still biodegradable and compostable.
I think packaging eggs in pretty vintage-style cartons to create a memorable brand that enhances your customer’s experience is a great idea. Vintage-style cartons can create a sense of nostalgia and reflect the amount of care you’ve put into your backyard flock. How do you package your eggs?
