The holidays are hectic, but that doesn’t mean you have to choose between a thoughtful personalized gift and getting it there on time. According to a survey by the National Retail Association, almost 60% of people polled say they’d like to receive gift cards this year. Requests for store cards including Target, Best Buy, Walmart, and Kohl’s are up from last year, but running to the store and the post office is an unnecessary and time consuming hassle. eGift cards offer the best of both worlds. Selecting a store specific to your recipient makes it a more personal gesture than sending cash and since they’re delivered electronically, you don’t have to worry about them getting delayed in the mail. You can even place your order in advance and schedule delivery so the e-gift card arrives as a nice surprise on Christmas morning.
Online gift cards are delivered via e-mail or SMS text message. Send them to your recipient or send them to yourself and print them out to wrap or use as a stocking stuffer. Here are some creative ways to wrap online gift cards:
Diploma Style
For a recent or soon-to-be graduate, roll the e-gift card up and tie a ribbon around it to resemble a diploma. Place it in your recipient’s stocking or hide it among the ornaments on the tree.
Message in a Bottle?
Send your recipient on a cruise with the Celebrity Cruises eGift Card. Tightly roll the printed out online gift card and wrap a rubber band around it to keep it tight or use a bottle with a wide neck to make it easier for your recipient to retrieve the card. I learned this the hard way while testing this wrapping method.
Camouflage
Find an appropriately sized box for what the e-gift card is intended for. An jewelry box is perfect for wrapping a Zales eGift Card or use a tackle box to wrap an e-gift card for fishing gear. Your recipient can fill the empty box with the items purchased using their gift card and the present is camouflaged with the other wrapped presents under the tree.
Treasure Hunt
Leave the first clue in a small box or in the stocking and send your recipient on a treasure hunt. For younger kids, tie a string or thread of yarn to the tree and weave a path through the house. At the end of the string, they find their treasure.
Small, Smaller, Smallest
Santa nesting dolls or boxes varying in size is a good way to prolong the unwrapping process. Once your recipient gets to the final container, they’ll unfold the printed out gift card and with it, some holiday cheer.
Sweet Treat
Is your recipient a candy fiend Buy a bag of their favorite treat, individually wrapped candies work best, and place the rolled up online gift card in a jar or coffee mug. Fill the container the rest of the way up with the candy. Adorn with a ribbon or bow for a decorative touch.
Know of some other creative ways to wrap e-gift cards? Tell us about them on our
Facebook page. If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy
Six DIY Ways to Wrap Gift Cards and our
DIY Gift Card Wrapping board on Pinterest.
Rebecca Killam
Marketing Associate
