“I don’t see the point of gift boxes,” I hear you say. “Why not just wrap it up in tissue paper and put it next to the fridge?” Well, if you have a lot of gifts, or are trying to keep costs down, then the answer is simple. You can get gift boxes for cheap – and they’re great for wrapping presents, too! Here’s how you do it.

The first thing to note is that you should always buy your large gift box from a reputable online retailer (you’ll find some excellent ones on our list). If you’re buying from a local store, make sure you check their return policy before you buy (or ask them what their returns policy is) – some stores will charge you more than others if you return a gift box (which would be annoying!). But this is where shopping around comes into its own. When you’re looking for good deals online, you’re going to need to compare prices between different retailers. This means comparing shipping rates, so try and get the cheapest possible rate (it’s worth spending a few extra dollars to save yourself a few hours’ work!) 

Once you’ve got your gift box sorted out, you’re ready to start giving. The key is to choose something the recipient won’t really mind receiving. As long as you select something that isn’t going to end up in the bin, it doesn’t matter whether it’s expensive or cheap (and it also doesn’t matter whether it’s something you actually like); there’s no harm in getting a little creative with your selection process. Just remember to stick to one style per purchase – if you go for something bright, for example, then be consistent across all your purchases.

And if you don’t want to spend money on wrapping paper, why not use a clean piece of fabric? It might look a little messy, but it’ll be far better for the environment than using a newspaper, and it’s certainly better for your wallet. If you’re feeling particularly frugal, then you could even cover the whole box with a sheet of foil! 

So, here’s a quick run-down of the best options available: 

For small gifts, you can get plastic gift bags from supermarkets for less than $1 each. And if you’re only planning on gifting a couple of items, then these will probably do the job perfectly well. They’re also ideal for storing unwanted items until you’re ready to give them away – simply tie the bag closed, pop it into a larger bag, and you’re all set. 

If you’re gifting smaller items, you may want to consider getting a few different types of bags so that you can match them to the type of item you’re gifting. For instance, if you’re making a bunch of fruit baskets for someone, you could get one of each type of fruit basket (grapefruit, melon, etc.) Then when you’re sending the basket, you can just add the appropriate fruit inside each individual bag. 

You can also get fancy and buy some gift bags designed specifically for the purpose of gifting (for example, some people have been known to buy a big bag of chocolate chips and fill it with wrapped chocolates). These are also useful for wrapping large gifts; for example, you could stuff two huge presents inside one bigger gift bag, and then finish off by tying it up with a bow. 

If you’re gifting more serious items, then you should think about finding a quality box to ship them in. A cardboard box is generally best, although if you have a lot of items to send, then you should definitely check out the alternatives. Some companies offer padded envelopes, which are ideal for delicate items such as jewellery, CDs and DVDs, and other fragile things. 

Of course, if you’re gifting something a bit weighty, you could always opt for a wooden crate, or even an old suitcase. These tend to last longer than most cardboard boxes, and are much cheaper than shipping crates too. But if you’re worried about damage, you can always wrap the items in bubble wrap before you ship them. 

Now that you know what to look for, let’s take a closer look at how to pack your goods. 

When packing your items, it’s important to keep everything flat and stable in order to avoid any dents that might occur during transport. There are lots of ways to do this, and depending on what you’re sending, it might be easier to simply stack the items rather than wrap them individually. But if you’ve bought a lot of gifts, it can help to wrap them individually (although remember to remove the tape by the time you reach the recipient). 

If you’re sending multiple items, you may want to consider grouping them together. For example, if you’re sending a bunch of books to a single person, you could group them together in a box of their own. Alternatively, if you’re sending a number of similar items to a family member, you could bundle them together in something like a pillowcase. 

If you’re gifting food, then it’s usually best to wrap it in cling film or aluminium foil. This will prevent odours from escaping, while also keeping your loved one safe from any potential health risks (e.g. salmonella from raw meat).

One final tip when packing your items is to ensure that you’re not leaving anything behind. You never know when you might have forgotten something, or where you might need to go back to pick it up again. So once you’ve finished wrapping your goodies, make sure you wrap the original packaging up neatly and carefully. Otherwise, you might forget to pick it up later – and you really don’t want to leave a present lying unopened in the post office… 

Finally, if you’re really struggling to find a gift box, you can always turn to the internet. There are plenty of websites selling gift boxes for less than ten bucks, although obviously this option isn’t suitable for those who want to send expensive gifts.