How to Pack Gifts the Right Way

You've purchased all your holiday gifts and dutifully wrapped each one. But after the paper and bows comes the most important wrapping of all: preparing your packages for shipping. And doing it wrong can spell damaged goods and disappointment on Christmas morning.

Don't Touch That Old Shoebox
Avoid using old boxes in favor of brand new corrugated boxes to ship your package.  "The more times a box is used to ship, the more it loses its integrity," says Michael French, a UPS spokesman. "Even if it looks okay." French recommends using a double corrugated box for extra protection. 

If you're feeling green this winter, the USPS is offering eco-friendly boxes and envelopes.  "These supplies are 100% recyclable," says Michael Woods, a spokesman for USPS And with the USPS estimated to be delivering 19 billion cards, letters and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas, every little bit helps. 

Pack It Right
One common mistake, according to French, is that people underestimate the amount of packing needed.  Use Styrofoam packing material and peanut shells, not newspaper, terrycloth towels or hay.  The standard is to have two inches of packing on all sides of the box.  And if things are fragile, don't be afraid to bust out the bubble.  "If in doubt, bubble wrap," says French.  When using bubble wrap, the two inch rule applies as well. 

Tale of the Tape
All tapes are not created equal when it comes to shipping.  Use brown packing tape, not cellophane or duct tape because they're not designed to stick to cardboard.  "These packages are going through cold warehouses, and the adhesive on other tapes can break down," says French.  Also when taping up a box, be sure to not just tape once across the flap, but to tape up the other seams as well in an H pattern. 

And once you tape, call it quits.  Don't wrap the box in twine or cover it in cardboard.  "A conveyor belt can snag that string or that fold in the paper and send that package for a ride," says French. 

Leave it the Pros
If you're unsure of how to pack awkward items like the set of golf clubs for Dad or the five foot Navajo Totem Pole for Mom, talk to the pros.  "Every UPS location has trained professionals that can put together the right packaging for you," says French.  And don't think any item is too weird to pack.  "At the UPS testing facility, we've experimented with how to pack everything, including Christmas trees." 

Don't Be Late
According the USPS, over 960 million pieces of mail will be handled on December 15th, the busiest mailing day of the year.  French says that UPS has calculated their busiest shipping date this season to be December 18.  If you want your niece's Dora the Explorer Radio Controlled Wrangler Jeep to arrive by Christmas morning, be sure to ship by the following dates for domestic locations:

U.S. Postal Service
Ground: December 16
Priority Mail: December 20
Express Mail: December 23

FedEx
Ground: December 17
Two Day: December 22
Overnight: December 23

UPS
Ground: December 15
Three Day: December 19
Express: December 22
Next Day Air: December 23