Comments on: How to gift wrap certificates?

Question: How to gift wrap certificates?

ultraultraboomerang — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:57:54 -0800

Clever/pretty ways to "wrap" gifts that are just pieces of paper?

For Christmas this year, I'll be doing a few of these sorts of things as part of my presents for my family. Since the actual gift is intangible, I'll just have certificates printed from my computer to physically hand to everybody. I could of course just roll the certificates up like scrolls and tie with a ribbon, or stick them in envelopes, but can you incredibly clever people think of some prettier/more interesting ways to present them?

Thanks muchly!

By: Fuzzy Skinner

Fuzzy Skinner — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:11:06 -0800

How bout a container or inexpensive trinket appropriate to the charity?

For example, the animation on the site shows a gift to building playgrounds. You could glue miniature toy playground equipment in a (clear plastic?) box with a lid, and put the certificate inside. You can then wrap the box. The box/trinket could be personalized with a sharpie to commemorate the year, and would serve as a keepsake to the recipient. Shoeboxes, jars, thick colorful plastic "permanent" lunchbags, chinese food cartons, brightly colored document folders and other interesting, inexpensive containers can be found at craft stores. Look for inexpensive dollhouse furniture, party favors, toys, or related items at your local dollar store.

By: JuiceBoxHero

JuiceBoxHero — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:27:58 -0800

Oragami?

By: ocherdraco

ocherdraco — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:28:17 -0800

Message in a bottle.

Envelopes with wax seals.

Paste the paper on cardboard and cut it into a puzzle.

By: alpha_betty

alpha_betty — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:37:47 -0800

My dad gave me a certificate as a gift once. It was rolled into a scroll and then he did the tiny-box-inside-small-box-inside-bigger-box-inside-medium-box-inside-large-box-inside-huge-box trick.

It was annoying, but it did the job.

By: Tomorrowful

Tomorrowful — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:51:34 -0800

Wrap it around a chocolate bar, then wrap that?

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:52:00 -0800

Paper planes

By: kg

kg — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:05:31 -0800

Could you put it in a cracker? The only problem is that people might not see it inside, but if you're there when they open it then that would be okay.
You could either get ones and try to open them to put the certificates inside, or you can get kits to make your own. It's still got the fun of the banger inside too!

Beats a bad joke any day!

(Just checked: you might not have Crackers where you live. Here's wikipedia)

By: HeyAllie

HeyAllie — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:27:05 -0800

Chinese takeout boxes you decorate yourself. Either buy from your local restaurant or crafts stores have them.

Go to a thrift store and buy used stuffed animals, then have the scrolls wrapped between the stuffed animal's paws.

Print the certificates on thick paper, then cut up in a puzzle pieces into pretty little glass bottles (cheap at craft stores). Watch people have fun put the pieces together.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:04:38 -0800

Tie it to helium balloon. Put balloon in box. Giftee opens up box, balloon floats out with certificate attached.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:16:03 -0800

New York magazine recently did a piece on eight creative ways to wrap a box.

By: l33tpolicywonk

l33tpolicywonk — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:21:02 -0800

My relatives used to sneak them under the lid of a giant can of cheese balls. Any sort of snack food with an opaque lid and one of those "safety-seal" papers covering the lid provides a nice middle ground to sneak something in.

By: kaudio

kaudio — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:55:25 -0800

One year I made a donation to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) in the name of a friend for Christmas. I went to a local branch to make the donation and brought my camera. They let me take photos of the animals and I chose the best shot to frame and give to her for Christmas. She still keeps that picture on her desk at work. ;)

By: oneirodynia

oneirodynia — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:13:50 -0800

We used to get things like that in a paper towel tube, filled with little extra gifty bits and nicely wrapped.

By: whatzit

whatzit — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:29:09 -0800

Tie it to helium balloon. Put balloon in box. Giftee opens up box, balloon floats out with certificate attached.

This has to be one-upped: Fold certificate, insert in balloon, inflate balloon. Then what jessamyn said.

By: timepiece

timepiece — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:45:35 -0800

Not exactly creative, but the Bilz Box is fun for everyone (other than the frustrated recipient).

By: i_am_a_fiesta

i_am_a_fiesta — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:45:31 -0800

Anthropologie and Starbucks (and others, I'm sure) package their gift cards in pretty fabric envelopes decorated with buttons, stitching, etc. If you're crafty, you could make this sort of thing yourself.