The worst part of gift giving might be the gift wrapping. There’s all the supplies you need — scissors, ribbons, tape, wrapping paper — and even the deftest fingers can get caught in twine and gift tags. (There’s a small horror in seeing your hard work torn apart in seconds, too.) The easier solution? Getting your gift wrapped by a retailer and having it shipped directly to your recipient. That said, most retailers let you add a gift message at checkout, but only a few offer gift wrapping that deserves to be front and center under a tree. Luckily, I did the digging — and here, you’ll find retailers big and small with gift wrapping that will charm and delight your giftee. Also, if you happen to be looking for a gift to wrap, I flagged gifts from each retailer that have all appeared at least once in the Strategist archives. And make sure to check out every gift guide we’ve written for the holiday season, too.
Amazon offers wrapping in a gift bag for almost anything that says “sold and shipped by Amazon.com” below the buy now button (you’ll see it in the same spot on some third-party seller pages, too). It’s an extra $3.49 for each gift. The packaging comes in different prints — from metallic green stripes to shimmery yellow triangles — that are all equally (and non-denominationally) festive. You can also add a gift message that’s printed at the top of the package at checkout, and opt to have a gift receipt sent to your recipient after the gift is delivered (so there are no ruined surprises). If you’re in need of more gifting inspiration, check out our guides to the best gifts under $5, gifts under $10, and gifts under $25 that are all available on Amazon, too.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
I spent much of my holiday-season shifts as an Anthropologie employee hunched over the checkout counter, scrunching tissue paper for the gifts customers were giving. It’s not a store-only service, though — online, there’s an “add gift wrap” option before checkout. Your gift will be packaged inside a bag, box, or tote that’s themed to the season (this year’s print for the holidays features a snow scene with Christmas trees made from yarn) and a gift tag for a message (you can type one after putting in a shipping address). It’ll cost you $4 for every gift — or for $2, you can get a kit that includes everything you need to DIY.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
The department stores get the art of gift wrapping. If you’re ordering a gift from Bloomingdale’s, it will arrive in a black-and-white box (not its Big Brown Bag) that’s tied with an elastic ribbon. Just remember that the total of your order determines shipping costs, and for gift wrapping there’s an additional fee of $5. Once you pay that $5, you can get gift wrapping on any item in your order — and each gift will come individually gift-boxed, making this a good option if you’re checking off multiple people on your list in one order. You can also check a box at checkout to include a (sans price) gift receipt.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
Byredo offers complimentary wrapping on every order. The gift wrap includes papered confetti inside a white box with a big B on the lid and a black-and-white ribbon on each of the box’s corners (plus, they’ll get free perfume samples). The brand introduces new holiday gift wrapping every year: Last year’s was fairy-tale themed, with boxes featuring scenes from Swedish folklore, while this year’s is tartan in shades of blue, green, red, and yellow.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
Opening up something from Catbird is always a delight — especially when it’s gift wrapped. Catbird’s wrapping includes paper illustrated with swans and sealed with glittered tape, plus a little rose, a Catbird-branded pen, and a ring sizer. And for free of charge, at checkout you can opt to have ribbons tied to the boxes that the jewelry comes in, too.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
Lower East Side home-goods store Coming Soon stocks gifts you don’t see everywhere — think oyster bottle openers and legs that can light up. It even has a Gifting Hotline (online, not over the phone), where you can opt to have every item in your order come gift wrapped (see a video of how everything’s packaged) in pink wrapping paper that resembles newspaper pages.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
Back when Strategist writer Lauren Ro started receiving gifts off her wedding registry, she was especially impressed by Crate & Barrel’s packaging: a white box with a black grosgrain ribbon to tie it all together. Years later, the two-toned logo’d box and the branded tissue paper haven’t changed. There are two ways to box your gifts: All items in one order can either be placed in one box for $6.50, or each item is placed in individual boxes, at $6.50 per box.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
For $5 (or for free, if you’re a member), the MoMA Design Store will wrap gifts — picture a Hay lamp or Fredericks & Mae cutting board — in wrapping paper that’s almost the same turquoise as Tiffany’s boxes, but with a blue MoMA sticker. As Strategist writer Liza Corsillo notes, it’s the signifier of “a very good gift inside.” But one word of warning: Some items sold on the website aren’t eligible for gift wrapping, including those that are unusually shaped or shipped directly from the supplier. (Helpfully, MoMA will note on the product page what can’t be gift wrapped.) Only one gift message can be printed per order.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
Neiman Marcus’s gifting service costs $7.50 for every gift in your order. Your recipient will get their gift inside a box that comes with “Neiman Marcus” embossed in foil and a shimmery ribbon tied around it. A bonus: The boxes are made from biodegradable and recyclable materials.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
Unless you willingly click “basic packaging” at checkout, Net-a-Porter will place almost any online order in one of its beribboned black boxes. (They’re very chic, from personal experience.) Former Strategist writer Chloe Anello describes the wrapping as “really fancy,” enough to make a gift recipient think she spent a couple hundred dollars on their gift, even if it cost much less. There’s no additional cost for the gift wrapping, and you can add a note as well. Note that Net-a-Porter doesn’t offer returns for your recipients — a refund can only be issued to the original gift purchaser.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
There’s a step-by-step process for Nordstrom’s gifting options at checkout. First, you select each gift in your order you want wrapped. Next, you can choose between having it shipped in a reusable, patterned bag for $5 or getting a DIY box kit that’s the same price. Then, you write a gift message in the “to” and “from” required fields. Just note: The availability of the gift-wrapping checkout option depends on the product’s size. For reference, Dusen Dusen’s bathrobe (that’s not exactly small) can be bagged. If you’re in need of more gifting inspiration, check out our guide to the best gifts for your whole list that are all available on Nordstrom, too.
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There are different ways to get your gift wrapped at Officine Universelle Buly. For free, it can be enveloped in newspaper-y printed paper and slipped inside a green-marbled pouchette or Japanese papers (which will be either flowered, checkered, or striped) that are origami’d. For $2, it can be put in the brand’s red-ribboned official Officine bag. For $10, your recipient’s initials can be embossed on a textured paper (you can note a paper-and ribbon-color preference and the apothecary will try to accommodate based on availability). And you can add on a message written in calligraphy for $5.
[Editor’s note: Officine Universelle Buly lists its prices in euros, so the costs shown are an approximation to dollars.]
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
Porta’s packaging is like its stock of European tableware: simple and just so nice (see a video of how everything’s packaged). For $12, your gift comes wrapped in white wrapping paper that’s sealed with a sticker and brown craft paper with Porta-branded tape — and there’s a keepsake card included. There’s an optional gift-message text box before checkout, too.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
The Brooklyn Heights and East Village general store will gift wrap almost anything, including French rain boots and its Picnic at Hanging Rock nightgowns, in its white boxes with the words “Salter House” in gold lettering, for $5. You can indicate that you’d like gift wrapping for items before adding them to your cart, then write separate gift messages for every item in your order.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
If you’re shopping for a home cook, a pantry nerd, or a wannabe gourmand, there’s no place like Williams Sonoma. It’s where Strategist beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton gets things her giftees might never buy for themselves, “like bread baskets (for prolonging your bread’s life-span), citrus juicers (that catch all the juice and make sure the seeds don’t fall in), or cake stands (if I know they have a sweet tooth).” Williams Sonoma’s gift wrapping, starting at $8.50 an item, includes red wrapping paper that’s printed with tiny pineapples. (And most items it sells can be monogrammed for an additional $12.50). One big caveat: You won’t know what can be wrapped until you’re already checking out your order — for example, our Best in Class chef’s knife can’t be, while our pick for the best high-end panini press can.
Things we’ve written about worth wrapping …
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