Gift cards are the presents of modern times. Rectangular pieces of plastic that hold the means to new adventure. So why are gift cards usually just stuffed into an envelope and handed out?
While many are deciding between the best gift cards to give or whether a card is a worthy present , others are finding ways to spruce up the packaging of gift cards for the holiday season.
Gina Miller from Creditcards.com reminds us that we must keep the theme of the cards in mind when glamming up the gifts. She suggests gathering objects that coincide with the subject of the card to use as a way to present it.
As the Detroit Free Press reports, there are many other ways to get creative when giving gift cards . Bet David, master designer of gift presentation at Hallmark, says to change up the dimensions.
“It’s somewhat easy to throw off the recipient by simply changing up the size of your package. I once gave my son a gift card attached to a brick, wrapped in a box about the size of a shoe box.”
Hiding gift cards is another way to add some whimsy. Start by taping a card onto an everyday object that the receiver won’t expect, like the back of a light switch plate. Wrap the plate and watch as confusion and disappointment transform into delight.
As for wrapping, try new techniques. Maybe put the card inside a glass jar and decorate to your heart’s content. For gift cards to a restaurant, put the card into a takeout box with a menu. For coffee lovers, try nestling the card down into a mug or a Starbucks cup filled with coffee beans. There is also the every popular box-in-a-box-in-a-box, a favorite of fathers, or at least mine.
As a book lover, I suggest buying a book you know the person wants and then slipping a gift card among the pages. The book can be wrapped and decorated just as any other gift.
EHow Home gives some simple and cute wrapping ideas on their YouTube channel.
Don’t forget that the addition of popcorn (for a movie themed gift card) or candy is always a good idea. Just slip the gift card into a bag of popcorn or a bury it in tin of candy and the recipient will surely smile.
The creative members of Pinterest have a board dedicated to presenting gift cards in cute and whimsical ways , and it is teeming with ideas.
Of course, you do not always have to wrap a gift cards. Taking the recipient on a scavenger hunt is a good idea as well. Wrap the first clue as you would any other gift. You can make the scavenger hunt as long, or short, as you want, and at the end there is the payoff for the hunter– a well earned gift card.
Just remember that gift cards don’t have to be handed out in envelopes — they are a present just as any other, and should be treated as such.
[Image via Pixabay ]
