December is rapidly approaching, and now that we have got less time to get things ready for the festive season it is really time to nail down your plans and make sure you are organised. One of the things you can think about doing this winter ready for Christmas is send gifts in the post for those family members who live far away. Here are some of our top tips for posting Christmas gifts this year.
Send it early
Like everything else is at this time of year… postal services are BUSY. It is much better to send gifts through the post by the first week of December because then you can guarantee that your recipient will get their gifts early enough. If you can, send it this week and then you can simply place a note inside the gift telling the recipient not to open it until Christmas day.
Keep fragile items safe
In order to make sure that your gifts reach their destination safely, make sure that you use a trusted courier. An international courier such as DPD or Royal Mail can be ideal and they will take care of your parcel to make sure it arrives in the right way. You will also want to think about protecting fragile items like glass or ceramic with bubble wrap or air pocket packaging. Every layer of protection can make a difference and allow you to send off your parcel safe in the knowledge it will arrive as planned.
Wrap it securely
It is crucial when you are wrapping anything to be sent by post that you take the extra care to wrap it up securely. It can take a lot of time and effort to do, but it is always better to be cautious than sorry. Think about double boxing more valuable or fragile items and be sure that you use the best quality tape that you can find to secure it all up. You can even ask your courier to recommend the best materials so that you can ensure your money isn’t going to waste.
Make it festive
Even though you are packing up a parcel to be sent across the country to someone else, it doesn’t mean you have to forego the Christmas spirit! You can still have some fun wrapping up the gifts in festive paper, and you can add in some little touches such as some tissue paper and glitter as well as a festive stamp on the package for a gift like feel. It will allow you to keep the magic of Christmas alive and share something wonderful with your family even when you are worlds away in completely separate places to each other. Christmas is all about the spirit and a gesture like this could make their day.
Let them know it’s coming
If you want to make the gift sending process as stress free as you can, it is always a good idea to wait until you have a delivery date estimate and then let your recipient know that you have sent something over to them. This will give them ample time and warning to make an informed decision and to be at home when the parcel comes. You can also ask them to confirm when they have received the gift to ensure you haven’t wasted your money and lost the items.
Pick secure postage
If you are going to spend the money on a great gift, spend time wrapping it up festively and then packaging it for safe delivery, it only seems logical that you should also pick a special delivery with your courier and track the package. Often this will mean you can follow the product from start to end and you will be able to ensure it is looked after with priority. There’s nothing worse than spending money on a gift and packaging to find out that the parcel has been lost in transit along the way.
Choose a good date
If you are going to be sending a parcel to someone else, it is advisable for you to have a chat with them and find out when they will be around to take it. There’s nothing more annoying than coming home with a slip of paper to say that a parcel is ready to be picked up at the local depot. Make sure you ask your family member or friend what days will work best for them to avoid this happening.