When you buy an item as a gift either in my Etsy shop or here on my website, you can choose to have your item gift-wrapped in eco-friendly materials, in colours to suit the season.
It’s a service I love to offer, as I enjoy making things look pretty, but I know it’s also a really helpful service for busy people or people with limited dexterity.
If you choose the gift-wrapping option at checkout, I will carefully wrap your items in 100% recycled paper, using recyclable paper tape, and I’ll finish the parcel with a pretty bow in matching paper ribbon.
In some cases with some of my more awkwardly-shaped items, I will use 100% recycled tissue paper and/or a smart reusable, recyclable cardboard box. My boxes are also made at least in part from recycled materials, but the percentage of recycled materials varies from case to case.
If you’ve marked the order as a gift, the recipient will receive a gift receipt, with no price details shown and containing your own personalised message. (Note that I don’t use Etsy’s gift receipt which – very strangely – shows/names the gift. Who wants the surprise spoiled like that?!)
Here’s what it’s like to receive one of my kits gift-wrapped:
Having me send your gift directly to a recipient that you don’t see regularly can also save you money as you are not paying for postage for the item to reach you and then paying again to send it to the recipient.
It was important to me to keep the gift-wrapping minimal and if not re-usable, then easy for you to recycle yourself. I know other sellers choose to effectively gift-wrap all orders, which can be lovely, but it would add to the cost of everything, so I prefer to make gift-wrapping a choice you can opt for or not.
I’ve had to think carefully about not only the gift-wrapping, but how the gift-wrapping then affects my outer postal packaging, as in some cases this will have to be different to how I pack non-gift-wrapped items for the post.
Gift-wrapped items will be packaged securely for the post in either a cheerfully upcycled box from my constantly-replenished stash…
…or a rigid cardboard envelope made from 100% recycled material…
…or a sturdy cardboard box, made from a percentage of recycled material (depending on the box). I’ve had to source these boxes and envelopes in quite a range of shapes and sizes to fit all my different items!
If you didn’t already know, my postal packaging is completed with recyclable, plastic-free paper parcel tape, 100% recycled brown paper and tissue paper, and 100% recycled ‘bubble’ paper if necessary. All my packaging slips and other paperwork are also printed on 100% recycled paper. The whole caboodle – labels, tape and all – can be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin for cardboard and paper.
I always include details of the gift-wrapping and packaging materials in every parcel, so the recipient knows what it is and how to recycle it.
If you ever have any questions about the packaging you receive, just get in touch and I will be able to give you the full details. There are so many permutations it’s hard to summarise (and Etsy gives me just 150 characters in which to do just that!)
I adore beautifully-wrapped items and as a customer, I have not been disappointed. It makes a difference to me how my purchases are presented and will influence where I buy.