Composing your own Christmas hamper or business gift: budget, box, and planning
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
Assembling your own Christmas hampers or corporate gifts costs less than you think, provided you factor in the packaging. This is how you determine the quantity, budget, box size, and planning — with an example calculation per hamper.
Those who distribute Christmas hampers or business gifts in December usually start far too late. You can tell by two things. The calculation doesn't add up, because the packaging and delivery haven't been included. And the box you had in mind is no longer available in the quantity you need by November. So, late August is not an odd time to start addressing this.
This guide is about packages that you assemble yourself: you choose the contents, you choose the box, and you arrange the delivery. This takes more time than ordering a ready-made package, but you see exactly where your money is going — and you can vary it per recipient.
Start with counting, not with the contents
Before you even pick out one gift, write down three numbers:
The number of packages. Count employees, regular customers, and suppliers separately. Include three to five reserve packages; someone is always forgotten.
The amount per package. Include the box, filling, tape, and shipping. This will save you a painful correction later.
The delivery method. All to one address, or to individual home addresses?
That last point has the most impact. A package distributed in the office can be large and heavy — you only need to choose a nice box for it. A package going to home addresses must also survive a trip through the sorting centers and preferably not end up at a collection point. This requires a different box and different contents.
Calculate per package, including packaging
Packaging seems like a detail until you multiply it by a hundred. Here are a few concrete prices from our range, so you can see how small or large the items are:
The box is by far the biggest expense; tape, cards, and seals combined cost less than a quarter per package. Want to save money? Start by looking at the box size, and only then consider the additional items around it.
The box determines how the package is perceived
A rattling package feels cheap, even if the contents are not. Therefore, choose a box that fits what goes inside, and not the other way around. A few directions:
Filling has two functions: it keeps the contents still and it makes opening more fun. For fragile items, bubble wrap of 50 x 500 cm (€ 5.00) works well for small quantities; for larger quantities, the 500-meter roll (€ 12.95) is much more economical per meter.
For sealing shipping boxes, use a roll of packaging tape 48 mm wide. If you are sealing more than a hundred boxes, a multi-pack is more convenient: 6 rolls of 48x66 mm cost € 21.00. A tape dispenser with 2 rolls (€ 9.95) will save your wrist after the third hour.
A handwritten card does more than an extra product in the box. With 500 greeting card envelopes for € 2.95, it's not worth a budget discussion. If there's something inside that shouldn't be opened during transit, affix a VOID security seal (€ 9.95 for 60 pieces) over the closure.
Distributing at the office or shipping to home
If you distribute on location, you only need to transport the packages. A moving box of 480x430x330 mm (50 liters, € 3.50) is the cheapest way to move ten at once without denting the gift boxes.
If you're shipping to home addresses, be aware of the rush in November and December: delivery services often have their own cut-off dates around the holidays, and these vary by carrier. Check them in October on your carrier's website and plan your shipping week accordingly. If you're looking for a package that fits through a letterbox, you'll be looking at a maximum height of around 3 cm; the recycled letterbox box 255x160x28 mm (A5+), bundle of 100 costs € 24.00 and is designed for this.
A timeline that works
Late August / early September: determine quantities, set budget per package, request address list.
September: choose contents and order samples. Pack one complete trial package — then you'll immediately see if your box size is correct.
Early October: order boxes, tape, and filling all at once. This is when stock levels are still complete.
Late October: look up your carrier's latest order dates and schedule your packing day.
November: packing. Work in a line: box, filling, contents, card, seal, label.
Another practical point: while packing, set aside one complete package as a reference. That way, no one has to ask halfway through whether the card goes above or below the filling.
Get started yourself
For boxes, check Gift Packaging & Gift Boxes and Boxes. You'll find filling materials under Protection & Filling Materials, tape and dispensers under Tape, and the rest of the shipping assortment under Packaging & Shipping. If you're unsure about the box size for a larger quantity, or want to know what's in stock for November? Email your quantities and the dimensions of your heaviest item to info@verpakkingdeals.nl, and we'll help you out.
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