Do you like gift cards? Personally, I love receiving gift cards. I also like to give them to friends and family on special occasions or just to say thank you. A gift card is a great present option but it may appear impersonal. Here are 12 ideas to turn your gift card giving into a more thoughtful present.
Gift Card with a Candy Bar – Place a gift card on top of a candy bar.
Bath & Body Works Gift Card– Attach an inexpensive small body wash, soap or lotion to a gift card. Better yet, get a free lotion when Bath & Body Works offers a coupon for a free 2oz lotion product like they recently did here.
Home Improvement Store Gift Card – If you’re giving a home improvement store gift card to someone who plans to redecorate with paint, then attach a small paint brush and a few paint chip samples. The paint chip samples are free and the paint brush was under $1. Another idea is to give the gift card with a a keychain measuring tape or small screwdriver set.
Bookstore Gift Card – Purchase a small journal or inexpensive book to wrap with a bookstore gift card. The hardcover notebook pictured above cost only $1 at Michaels found in their dollar bin.
Craft Themed Gift Card – If you’re giving a gift card to a craft store like Michaels, then attach a small inexpensive craft tool like a flower puncher. I bought the one pictured above for $1.
Starbucks Gift Card Idea #1 – One year while I was purchasing a Starbucks gift card, they ran out of gift card holders. The barista handed me an empty unused Starbucks Holiday red cup and suggested it would be cute to place the gift card inside. She was right. Fill it with small candies around the gift card, top with the white lid and tie with a bow.
Starbucks Gift Card Idea #2 – Another fun idea for a Starbucks gift card is to stuff brown and white tissue in a Starbucks clear cup and place Starbucks gift card inside. Top with a lid, straw and ribbon. I found this great idea over at Saucy Sprinkles.
Spa Gift Card – A spa gift card can be wrapped with nail polish. Idea found on Jacolyn Murphy.
Baking Theme Gift Card – For a baking themed gift card, place candy in a whisk and attach gift card to it. Love this “We WHISK you a Merry KISSmas” idea from Today’s Fabulous Finds. Another idea is to wrap the gift card with a spatula or oven mitts.
Movie Theatre Gift Card – If you plan to give a movie gift card, then use a popcorn bag, popcorn bucket, or make your own using a printable from In Between Laundry. Fill it with popcorn and candy and insert gift card. You could also wrap with an un-popped bag of microwave popcorn and a box of candy.
Gift Card in a Snow Globe – I love how beautiful these gift cards look in a snow globe. I found this on One Charming Party. They do note: They tested the gift cards after a week and they still worked. However, they don’t recommend leaving the gift cards in the water longer than a week.
Gift Card in a Jar with Candy – If you have jars and small candies, then this idea will be easy to do. This idea was found on Heavenly Homemakers.
Do you have any creative ways to wrap gift cards? Please share with us.
Find other creative gift wrapping ideas HERE.
(I’m linking up to I’m Lovin’ It, Tutorials & Tips Tuesdays, Works for Me Wednesday and The Frugal Girls!)
For the snow globe idea, you could forego the water and just add the glitter. Anthropologie has snowglobes like this in their stores now. http://thebluerobincottage.blogspot.com/2011/11/waterless-snowglobe.html
Hi Jennifer – A waterless snow globe is a great idea. Thanks for sharing!
Great ideas, thanks so much! I am stealing your starbucks coffee cup idea for teacher gifts
I bought a bass pro shops card for my uncle and attached it to a fishing lure. It’s super cute since fishing is all he does… I attached an empty shot gun shell to my husbands bass pro gift card. (Can you tell were a family full of outdoorsmen?)
I am giving a gift card this year to a sporting goods store and will be wrapping it in a sports bottle that I actually got from a race I did earlier in the year.
I bought porcelain angels from the dollar store and attached a Victoria Secret gift card to the wings with a hot glue gun…and I also bought my nephew in the oven a babies r us gift card and attached it to a pacifier with some blue ribbon
Thanks Lori!
Ashley, Carri, and Linda – Thanks for sharing. So many great ideas!
These are fabulous ideas! I don’t often give gift cards, but when I do I worry that they’ll seem paltry. These are great ways to flesh them out a little!
Great ideas! I’ll be using a few of them this year.
(BTW – I found this post via The Frugal Girls Chic & Crafty Party Linkie)
Has anyone got an idea for other restaurants besides Starbucks?
Any ideas for a gas card? I want it for my brother, so looking for a little more mascaline – such as the fishing luers Ashley posted about.
Jen you might want to get a small package of hot wheels, open the package carefully and slip the gas card in with the cars positioning the card so it is “visible” but not overtly obvious.
Another thought on wrapping a gift card. I live in Western Pennsylvania and recently purchased at a Giant Eagle Grocery store a hard cardboard tube with a lid designed for wine bottles. They come in a variety of decorative designs and only cost $1.99. I filled the tube with shredded left over Christmas wrap hiding the gift card, replaced the lid, added a bow and had a unique package for a gift card.
I love the cardboard tube idea and also the hot wheels with a gas card.
I love these ideas! For the gas card, purchase a refillable travel mug from the gas station or other store and place the gas card inside. You could also fill the empty space in the mug with travel snacks like m&ms or trail mix.
I have given gift cards to several different places in a picture frame. A baby shower card in a cute baby frame. A larger frame with multiple openings for a teachers gift from the glass with several gift cards to their favorite places. A multiple opening “family” frame for the parents with pictures of everyone in some and gift cards in the other openings.