The long discussion about mailing fabric to other countries clarified a lot of issues for me. However, now I am thinking of mailing fabric to someone within the U.S. I've mailed a lot of "media mail" packages, but I know that won't work with fabric!

Would a flat rate box be cheapest?

If you're going to cram a lot of fabric into a box and want it to get there with any sort of speed, the flat rate box is the way to go. If you send media, it's supposed to be media, and you can get busted for that, though I've never heard of anyone actually getting popped.

M

How much do you want to send?? Flat rate boxes are great and hold a heck of alot of fabric. For smaller amounts, be truthful. It doesn't cost much.

I get a lot of fabric I order online in the soft flat rate envelopes. Also first class is cheaper than priority mail.

We live in a small town, and that means we know the clerks at the post office... So, this may not be the same in a larger post office, but our clerks will give you all the options when they weigh the package to help you decide on the best way to ship!

Be sure and give them a smile and your appreciation! My daddy was a postman!

Happy shipping!

Sara

Flat rate is the way to go! I always ship Flat Rate Boxes. If it's just a little bit, I'll put it in a Flat Rate envelope, but I'll also have a regular manila envelope with me. I always ask for the difference in postage. They postman will tell you, just gotta ask.
If you use a Flat Rate box....cram as much as you can in there. They can hold up to 20 pounds. I keep saying I"m going to put stuff in a plastic bag, then suck all the air out of it, then see how much room is left. If there's more room, will try the plastic bag again and suck air out of that until I can get a full box. Then hurry and tape the box down before the air seeps back into it and explodes the box. lol

If you check the boxes connecting threads uses, you'll see it says media mail. On the boxes it says books and more. This is a box I got with fabric only :roll:

The last flat rate envelope I got with fabric from an online shop in it had a large puncture hole right in the middle of it. :shock: I'd stick with a box if I were you.

Thanks, everyone! I think I'll go with a small flat rate box and see how much it will take. :P

i can stuff 22 yards of prewashed fabric into the 11-7/8" x-3/8" x 13-5/8" box. the trick is to press it well, fold lengthwise (selvage to selvage) and then lengthwise again. wrap it around a 6.5" ruler. make 2 stacks of 11 yards each. smoosh down hard on the first stack as you slide it into the box. the second stack follows easily. i'll bet i could get more in if it wasn't prewashed, which seems to fluff it up quite a bit.

weight is not an issue with flat rate unless you're mailing outside the United States. the max weight of international flat rate - at least in that size box - is 20 lbs. 22 yards of fabric is well within that limit.

i can't get anwhere near as much into the other size flat rate box of the same price.

if you are a structural engineer, you can get 5 yards of unwashed fabs into a flat rate envelope but it needs to be reinforced with tape. one postal clerk fussed at me and said that constituted "modifying" the envelope. he almost refused to take it. the others i've handed packages over to didn't complain. (maybe he'd had a fight with his wife that morning. :lol: )