We all know the feeling; a reminder pops up on your calendar that there is an important birthday looming. No-one likes the pressure of trying to find the perfect present that doesn’t leave the recipient underwhelmed and misunderstood. This is where a curated Gift Box comes into it’s own.

If your first thought in response to a looming occasion is “I literally have no clue what to buy them!”, then please allow us to assist: The Little Paper Shop team are about to up your gifting game and give our top 5 tips on how to wow a loved one with the perfect gift box, full of considered treasures and treats guaranteed to put a smile on their face – and brownie points firmly in your lap.

Theme it!

Gift boxes are just perfect for a theme. Think about what you are trying to say with your present, and curate a special selection of goodies that will tie in beautifully together. For example, if you’re sending a gift box to cheer up a loved one who is feeling unwell or rather down (which btw, kudus to you – what a thoughtful individual you are!), you can choose a collection of gifts that are focussed around wellbeing and nurturing the recipient. Our ‘Calm’ pulse point roller oil is a great example here. You’re trying to say “I love you; I see that you’re struggling and I care enough to send you some things to help you feel better”. 

What will make them smile 

Take your gift buying back to basics and think about ultimately what the recipient enjoys – what will make them beam ear-to-ear when they unwrap their gift box? Hobbies are a great steer to help you choose. No need to scratch your head if they spend many-an-hour pursuing an expensive hobby such as photography; you can still gift within your budget by choosing a related book such as our “Read This if you Want to Take Great Photographs”, or even an art print inspired by their favourite pastime. Ultimately, whatever they are passionate about will always guarantee a smile upon opening!

Personalise

For the ultimate in gift buying, why not consider personalising your gift? It shows that additional thought and attention has gone into your purchase, and helps the recipient to feel extra special. It’s why we created our unique personalised labels for our TLPS gift boxes: the receiver of the gift is already going to be feeling excited with just the box in their hands, seeing their name and yours in print – and that’s before they’ve even opened it and unwrapped your careful choices! If you want personalise even further, why not consider adding a greetings card with a special message, or one of our personalised art print designs?

What are their values?

What does your loved one value and care about? Do they strive to shop small, supporting local, artisan makers and creators where they can? Or perhaps they are deeply eco-conscious, always seeking out the sustainable option where possible? Our natural fibre reusable face cloths and “Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race” handbook are great examples of gifts here for the passionate and conscious. Remembering your recipient’s guiding principles when choosing the contents of your gift box contents will always steer you right.

Consider the occasion

Although we strive to stock a broad range of design-led gifts here at The Little Paper Shop that are suitable for many an occasion, it still makes sense to consider what celebration you are buying the gift for? For example, though your recipient might love that riso-printed gold stag beetle art print they saw last week instore, the alternate risograph ‘Love’ print might be the better choice for an engagement gift box!

So there you have it!

Gift-giving does not have to be daunting, especially if you employ our tried-and-tested techniques to purchase a considered and thoughtful present. Our new TLPS gift boxes have made it super easy for you to build a special gift in 3 easy steps:

1. Select your box label design and accompanying mini-print – the team will then print to order so that your package is personalised to perfection!
2. Choose your selection of gifts – curating a fabulous selection of goodies using our tips above, and with a bonus 5% discount on the RRP when adding 3 or more items to your box
3. Add your message at checkout – we’ll do the rest! We can even ship directly to the recipient for you for easy-as-pie gifting…

Shop our new Gift Box collection here