Gift Ideas You Can Fit in an Envelope

Gifts That Fit in an Envelope

If we had our druthers, we’d all send big, lavish presents to our family and friends every time there’s a gift-worthy occasion. But of course, that’s not always possible. Sometimes the event simply doesn’t warrant a splashy gift. You also might not have the budget for shipping something bulky. And we all have those people in our lives that are hard to shop for.

Whatever the reason, it can be preferable to send something small to show you care. Consider ideas that will fit in the card you’re already planning to send. That way, you can deliver your good wishes and gift using the same postage. When you already have an envelope, gift ideas that fit work great!

One caveat. Anything you place in an envelope adds weight. Before applying postage, weigh your outgoing card with all of its inserts to ensure you aren’t exceeding the standard first-class weight limit. If you are, use the correct postage to ensure that your card makes it to its destination.

So what fun items and tiny gifts can you stuff an envelope? Here's an assortment of the the most creative ideas we can find.

GIFT CARDS

This category is an old standard. When in doubt, gift cards are a perfect accompaniment to your good wishes. They work particularly well when you know what your recipient likes but don’t know how to narrow it down to a specific item.

Send them a gift card, and they can buy themselves precisely what they want. Those are much better odds than trying to find the perfect present yourself. As a bonus, gift cards fit perfectly in any size envelope and add very little weight. When you don't want to send just a card, gift cards come in handy.

If you need some inspiration, consider these options:

Coffee Lover: Get a coffee shop gift card for loved ones that have to have their morning perk.
Audiophile: Whether your friends stream music, podcasts, or books, an Apple gift card can get them the media they craze.
Movie Buff: A movie theater gift card is perfect for those that feel most at home in a darkened theater.
Blank Slate: Don’t know what your recipient might want? With Amazon, you can get virtually anything, so their card gives your recipient the widest selection.
World Shopper: Visa gift cards are even better than Amazon cards because you can use them anywhere that accepts Visa — and that’s essentially everywhere. Perfect for power shoppers.

PINS AND MAGNETS

When you want to mail gifts, flatter is better. Flat magnets are easy to include inside a card and are always a popular, inexpensive gift. Bulkier versions can also fit, though they may require extra postage. Small pins are also a great choice. Both magnets and pins come in a variety of styles. Choose something you know you’re recipient will love. They're inexpensive enough that your friends can build a collection for use as seasonal decorations.

Don’t forget to wrap pins in a bit of flat foam to help ensure the pin section doesn’t poke through your envelope. They're a fun gift that's evergreen.

SPECIALTY TEA BAGS

Teabags have three things going for them — they’re flat, squishy, and they weigh very little. Plus, they come with the promise of a nice cup of tea!

Feel free to send exotic flavors to the tea drinkers in your life. They’ll appreciate the departure from their routine. It may be better to stick with the more standard fare for those less adventurous. A nice black tea should appeal to nearly everyone. Whichever you choose, tea makes a thoughtful gift for family members, friends, clients — really anytime you want to brighten someone's day.

But there's no reason to stick with just one variety. A tea bag is small enough to include more than one in an envelope, so send your loved one a small sampler. When you send this gift you send a coffee shop in an envelope!

RECIPE CARDS

That mind-blowing family eggnog recipe that's been passed down through the generations would make a great gift for the holidays. So too would your grandmother’s matzah ball soup recipe. With recipe cards, you can give the gift of great food and beverages without a trip to the grocery store.

You can size a recipe card to fit nicely into any size card. Since it’s a gift, consider having it designed. You might hire a calligrapher or some other kind of designer to turn your recipe into a keepsake.

Photos

Because of cell phones, most of us have cameras with us everywhere we go, and we use them — a lot. That means we have lots of photos of other people that they’ve never seen. An excellent way to share that love is to have them printed. They easily fit in standard greeting cards and don’t add much bulk, even if you include five or ten. Photos are a lovely gift that's personalized to you and your recipient.

SEED PACKETS

Any avid gardeners and devoted landscape artists would be happy to receive a thoughtful seed packet in the mail. Research the sorts of plants that grow well in your recipients part of the world and then send them something unexpected — ideally something they’ve never grown before. If you give perennials, the plants will come back year after year, and your friends will think of you every time they do. Seed packets are small gifts that contain even smaller gifts that can grow into major blessings.

TEMPORARY TATTOOS

We can’t leave the kids out. Most of us have nieces, nephews, family friends, and other kids to whom we send birthday cards every year, but rarely a gift. Throwing in a few temporary tattoos gives your recipient something tangible to enjoy along with your birthday message.

Tattoos not their thing? You might instead include puzzles, patches, word hunts, coloring images, stickers, paper airplanes, candy bracelets, and more. If it’s small, flat, and fun for kids, it’s perfect.

A PERSONALIZED POEM

Don’t have a lot of money? Give the gift of your creativity. Compose a poem in your recipient’s honor and write it in your card. Better still, handwrite it on nice stationery and include it inside.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a poet. In this case, it’s truly the thought that counts. Your effort will be rewarded with smiles regardless of your skill level.

DON’T HAVE TIME TO HANDWRITE YOUR CARDS?

Handwritten cards are a wonderful gift by themselves, but they take time to create. If you send many cards, you may have to invest more time than you have available. Let Simply Noted pick up the slack. Our handwritten machines use real ballpoint pens to create a convincing illusion. Best of all, we’ll include any inserts you’d like, as long as you send them to us. We do it all, handwriting your cards and envelopes, adding your inserts, placing postage stamps, and getting them in the mail.

If you’re a business that sends a large volume of thank you, welcome, birthday, or holiday cards, you can offload the effort to us AND get inserts included for a very reasonable upcharge. Give us a call and find out how inserts and automated handwritten cards can work for you.