As we start to think about Xmas, we start thinking about what present we will buy for our friends and family.  Some of our loved ones may be abroad or at least live a distance away, so we need to think about postage and packing once we have purchased the items.  If a present has to be sent in the post, we need to think about the cost of sending the present, and calculate weight and packaging into the equation.  Gift boxes are available in all shapes and sizes.  It depends on the item you want to send as to how you want to pack it.  Breakable items must be packed with more care than unbreakable items, and you may also want to make the packaging look pretty, especially if it is for a child.  You can buy cardboard boxes of the right size and wrap it in pretty paper, or you can select a gift box  for the occasion.  If you are sending glassware or crockery, there are bespoke boxes for you to slot the item into, with packaging which wraps snugly to avoid breakages and the items moving about in transit. Parcels should be securely wrapped to avoid them breaking open in the post, even if they are not breakable.  If a pretty, flimsy box is used, another layer of more robust wrapping should be on the outside, including perhaps putting the flimsy box inside a sturdier cardboard box and closing it firmly with tape.  Don’t forget to include the card.

Packing a present when it is an awkward shape, such as a vase, is an art in itself, and if the item is to arrive with the wrapping and present intact, then it must be packed with extra care.  Layers of cardboard and plenty of masking tape are the answer for the outer packaging and this can be removed, leaving the pretty package under the tree for Xmas morning.