Expert Tips for Packing and Shipping Holiday Gifts

As the holiday season approaches, many of us are preparing to find the perfect gift for our friends and family. To ensure your carefully selected present reaches its destination in one piece, it’s important to use proper packaging techniques.

“Give your gifts the care they deserve by using a suitable sized box, taping and filling,” recommends Steve Moorman, senior vice president of franchise operations at, The UPS Store Canada. “Keeping your gifts cozy in the right packaging materials will ensure that they are delivered in their original condition.”

Here are Moorman’s top tips for packing and shipping items:

1. Transporting fragile items

Choose the right-sized box and aim for two inches of space between the contents and each side of the box. Use packing materials to fill open spaces, making sure to place some on the bottom, top and sides. A minimum of 10 per cent overfill of packaging materials on the top will prevent migration of packaged items inside the box. Pack breakables tightly and protect each item individually before bundling together.

2. Shipping perishable items

Protect perishables with icepacks, Styrofoam and silica gel packets. An airtight container will fill in any gaps with bubble wrap and prevent food from arriving damaged. Avoid packages tied up with string or wrapped in paper because they may tear and get caught on sorting belts.

3. Transporting heavy items

Start with a new box and create an H-pattern with your tape, also known as the six-strip method, by using 2 or 3-inch-wide packing tape on the top, bottom and seams. Stay away from duct or masking tape because they lose their adhesiveness in colder temperatures.

4. Shipping apparel

Lay gifts flat and separate them into small packages that will fit into a mail slot to save money. Padded envelopes are a great alternative to boxes for items such as these. Avoid folding apparel and sending it in a box.

5. Convenience around the corner.

Give your loved one the gift of convenience by shipping holiday gifts to a UPS Access Point location like The UPS Store. With UPS services, your friends and family will be grateful that they can pick up their gift when they want from a safe and secure location.

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