What kind of Christmas gifts can be sent in an envelope and are cheap and durable enough to not break in the shipping process? I'm trying to figure out what to send as a Christmas gift for my pen pal in Japan. Thanks!
I have sent my sister in Europe little bits of jewelry wrapped in bubble wrap - any small, flat item would do - like lip glosses - charms, a fancy comb - an Xmas ornament - pocket stones with sayings on them, fancy pens/pencils/erasers - stickers - sample products - make sure that is very American so that it's unique!
I have sent Battenburg angel ornaments, crochet "snowflake" ornaments, crochet bookmarks,
other bookmarks, pictures, & pictures in sturdy cardboard frames.
A nice picture of something of interest to the friend, a small recipe collection, a very thin book (address book?), postage stamps, stickers, nice stationery..........have to think on this one some more, hmmm. Whatever you do decide to send, make sure the envelope doesn't bulge too bad; the post office sends the letters through a machine, and if if is a little bulky, the machine will rip through the envelope, and contents could be damaged.
A Visa, American Express or Master Card gift card is always nice and accepted in all countries.
You could send an American pocket calendar. Lang used to make some really nice ones. Or how about some of the nice envelope sachets that smell so nice. You can get them at craft supply stores or usually at candle shops and sometimes the dollar stores carry them.
I have a friend that I send a pretty scarf in a card in the same package as a card and it does not break the bank going overseas. I have also sent a pretty christmas towel. Hope this helps. Nan in NW Iowa
Perhaps you can find a small postcard size painting -- or if a large envelope is allowable, something slightly larger. I know a number of people who do painting on paper -- watercolor or oil or acrylic - and something original that is distinctive to Iceland would be nice, I think. There are also handmade cards that are nice.
What about a CD? You do not have to send the plastic box. You can package it in a cardboard sleeve.
I suggest a handkerchief. They aren't easy to find now, but maybe a department store or antique store (check carefully that there are no holes or spots). There are linen stores that sell on-line. This might not be thrifty, but it might be...I've seen lovely handkerchiefs at flea markets.
@pamphyila: The OP is from Iceland. :-)
Stickers are a nice, flat gift for people who do scrapbooking!
Depending on how big the envelope is:
Tee Shirt
Bracelet/necklace/earrings
Socks
Scarf/gloves/mitts
Bookmarks
Good Luck
recipes printed from your computer made into a cute book
keychain medallions
phone cards
themed pillow cases
fancy stationary
cute socks
You can buy printer magnetic sheets and make:
Handmade cards
single servings of gifts in a mugs like cake in a mug, hot cocoa in a mug
scented envelopes (I would place them in a sandwich bag first so they lose their scents)
bath salts
flat dangle earrings
flash drive or memory card with pictures or recipes or stories created by you already downloaded
mousepads decorated by you
you could sew up some checkbook covers or a cute wallet or makeup/toiletry bag
crochet/knit/buy a scarve or thin wrap
Book marks
felted ornament or change purse
checkbook covers
small books
photo calendar
photo album
personalized journal
fabric eyeglasses case
tea bags
hand crafted greeting cards
How about a CD with your favorite songs? One year, each member of our family picked two of their favorite songs, we put them all on a CD and sent with Christmas Package. The game was to guess which song was who's favorite!
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My boyfriend lives in Seychelles (it's close to Madagascar, but that's not the point). I want to get him a Christmas present, but I can't spend very much on shipping. I want to be able to fit it in an envelope that you'd send just a letter in, as well.
Please help me?
By Natasha
Write him a poem on pretty paper, send him a nice photo of yourself, and perhaps make some "gift certificates" by hand for redemption when you are together again.
A charm? a small pendant? Does he wear an earring? Sticky bubble wrap on both sides when you put it in the envelope.
I make narrow "pockets" which each hold a candy cane; one pocket is decorated to look like Santa's suit, another has a mustache with Santa's belt below, another has a little critter holding candy cane pictures, another has a picture of a snowman with a tag that says, "Love Never Melts", etc. They're ideal to mail. Instead of the candy cane, you could hand write a little note telling your honey why Christmas is so special to you knowing he's in your life, or something to that effect.
You could send a pre-paid gift card available through either Visa or Mastercard; that way it can be in the amount you can afford and he can purchase something he wants anywhere that accepts credit cards. Also, for a romantic touch, be sure to leave your lipstick kiss print somewhere on the inside of the card with a little squirt of your perfume ;-)
How about origami. It sounds a little corny, but you could use fancy paper and make something you could fold up to put in the envelope. He could hang it up to remind him of you. A gift certificate to an online service he likes might be nice, too. Hulu 0r Netflix maybe?