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Packaging How-To
Packing a gift box for courier delivery requires a different approach to hand delivery. This step-by-step guide covers box selection, base layers, item nesting, the lid test, and outer carton sealing — so your boxes arrive looking as good as when they left.
Packing a gift box for hand delivery and packing one for courier delivery are two very different things. A box that looks stunning when you close it can arrive with shifted contents, crushed filler, and a disappointing unboxing experience if it wasn't packed with transit in mind.
South African courier networks — including The Courier Guy, Aramex, Dawn Wing, and RAM — handle high parcel volumes. Boxes are stacked, sorted on conveyor belts, and loaded into vehicles where they shift during transit. This guide shows you exactly how to pack a gift box that arrives looking as good as when it left.
Not sure how much crinkle paper you need? Use our Crinkle Paper Calculator or see How Much Crinkle Paper Do I Need?
The single biggest packing mistake is using a box that's too large for the contents. When items have room to move, they will move — and no amount of crinkle paper fully compensates for a box that's two sizes too big. Choose a box where your items fill roughly 80–90% of the volume before filler is added.
Add crinkle paper to the bottom of the box and press it down firmly to create a base layer at least 3–4cm deep. This is your shock-absorption layer — it cushions the items from impacts when the box is set down or dropped. Don't skip this step or use a thin layer; the base is the most important part of courier-safe packing.
Fluff the crinkle paper as you go — it should feel springy and resilient, not flat and compressed.
If your box contains glass, ceramics, or anything breakable, wrap each item individually in tissue paper or bubble wrap before placing it in the box. Crinkle paper provides cushioning between items and the box walls, but it is not a substitute for individual item protection when fragility is a concern.
Place your items into the crinkle paper base, pressing them in gently so they sit in a "nest" rather than resting on top. Items should feel stable and not rock or tip when you gently shake the box. If an item moves, add more crinkle paper around it until it's held firmly in place.
Key rule: No item should be able to move more than 1cm in any direction once placed.
Look for any gaps between items and between items and the box walls. Fill these with crinkle paper, pressing it in firmly. Pay particular attention to the corners — these are where items tend to shift toward during transit.
Once all items are secured, add a generous top layer of crinkle paper for presentation. This is the layer your recipient sees when they open the box, so take a moment to arrange it attractively — fluffed up, even, and covering all the items below.
This is the most important test before sealing: close the lid and press down gently. The lid should compress the top layer of crinkle paper slightly. If the lid closes with no resistance, your top layer is too thin — add more crinkle paper. If the lid won't close at all, remove a small amount.
The slight compression creates internal pressure that holds everything in place during transit. A box where the lid closes with zero resistance will have shifting contents by the time it arrives.
If you're sending the gift box inside a plain shipping carton (recommended for valuable or fragile gifts), pack the gift box into the carton with void fill around it so it can't move inside the outer box. Seal the carton securely with packing tape — at minimum one strip along the centre seam and one strip along each side seam.
Label clearly with the recipient's address and your return address. Mark "Fragile" if the contents warrant it, though be aware that courier handling of fragile-marked parcels varies.
For courier delivery, choose a crinkle paper colour that still looks intentional and beautiful even if it gets slightly compressed in transit. Dense, rich colours — like deep greens, navies, blacks, and burgundies — tend to hold their visual impact better than very light pastels when compressed. That said, any colour works well if the box is packed firmly enough that compression is minimal.
Browse our collections to find the right colour for your brand:
Courier-safe packing uses slightly more crinkle paper than hand-delivery packing because you need a firmer, deeper base layer and a top layer thick enough to create lid compression. As a rule of thumb, add 15–20% to your standard quantity estimate.
Use our Crinkle Paper Calculator to get a starting estimate, then apply the 15–20% courier buffer.
Enter your box dimensions into our free calculator and get a practical estimate for your packaging.
