If you are anything like me and are extremely busy leading up to the holidays, you may not have a lot of time to think about gift giving. For busy moms, gift cards can be the perfect solution! While it may seem like they are not as personal as an actual gift, you can make it seem like a lot more thought was put into it by getting creative with gift card giving.
Here are some of the ways I have made gift card giving fun and creative:
Put it in a snow globe.
I made a trip to the Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby (during their 50% Christmas sale) and picked up some plastic globe balls, small cotton snowballs, small figurines of reindeer, Christmas trees, snowmen and Santas, and some ribbon. I spent less than $10 on the supplies and they will make four different gifts. All you have to do is hot glue the snow and figurines to the inside lid of the snow globe ball, then add some extra loose snow and fit the gift card in between the figurines. The last step is to glue some ribbon around the bottom part of the snow globe. 
Make a reindeer ornament and attach the gift card to the back.
I got my supplies at Hobby Lobby (also at 50% off). I bought a pack of four plastic round ornaments that are flat on the back and a pack of brown pipe cleaner that also included the red balls for the nose. I already had googly eyes at home. The brown shredded paper was at the Dollar Tree. All you have to do is stuff the ornament with the brown shredded paper, wrap the pipe cleaner around the top of the ornament for the antlers, glue on the eyes and nose, then attach the gift card to the back! You will also have to cut some small pieces of pipe cleaner to form the antlers, but it’s super easy! You can tie some ribbon to the top of the ornament or attach a name card with ribbon or yarn. In my picture, it’s hard to see the gift card, but it looks really cute, I promise!
Attach it to a mini picture frame.
I have found these mini picture frames with clips in the dollar spot at Target, the Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels. This is one of the easiest ways to give a gift card, but I like it because the picture frame can be used year round. I clipped in the pinecone/berry decoration, so it can be removed and replaced with something else, depending on the occasion. I found them at Hobby Lobby.
Put it in a goody bag with decorative shredded paper.
This is my go-to way to give a gift card if I am out of all of my other supplies. You can take any color or style gift bag, fill it with decorative shredded paper, add the gift card, and tie a ribbon around it. You can buy all of these supplies at the Dollar Tree. It’s quick and easy, but looks really cute!
Put it in a mini stocking.
You can find these mini stockings at Target, the Dollar Tree, and craft stores. You can make it more personal if you use a stocking with the person’s initial, but any mini stocking will do. You can add tissue paper or decorative shredded paper to fill the stocking so it appears full.
Make a snowman out of chocolates, socks, and white paper.
You can buy some fuzzy socks and chocolate to make a snowman and add the gift card to the hat. To make the hat, roll one the socks and slip over the top of the bag of chocolates. For the scarf, tie the other sock around the bottom of the chocolate bag, then use some string to tie the bottom of the scarf so it won’t stick up in the air. Once tied, twist the string around so it’s out of sight. Finally, draw a snowman face on white paper and tape to the chocolates. I recommend taping the white paper on first, and then drawing the face. Mine is definitely not centered on the paper, but that’s ok. It’s still super cute and easy!
Put it in a container from the place of purchase and fill with shredded paper.
When you purchase the gift card, politely ask for a container from the place of purchase. At Dunkin’ Donuts, I asked for a clear cup and lid. Then, I added decorative shredded paper and put the gift card inside. At Chick-fil-A, I asked for a small chicken nugget box. I filled it with shredded paper, added the gift card, and closed it. Once you close it, you can add a ribbon or a bow to the outside. You could also ask for a fry box, add shredded paper, and put it into a clear or cellophane gift bag.
Some other ways I have given gift cards in the past include:
- Fill a martini glass (or any other glass from the Dollar Tree) with shredded decorative paper, add the gift card, wrap the glass with cellophane wrap, and tie a ribbon around the top. I wish I had a picture of what it looked like when I made it, but unfortunately you will have to envision this in your head. It was adorable!
- Ask for a clear empty cup and lid at Starbucks, fill it with brown shredded paper and add the gift card. You can attach an ornament to it for a more personal touch. Again, I don’t have a picture, but it was really cute and fun.
- Make print outs of fun sayings and attach the gift card to the paper. For example:
- Dunkin’ Donuts: “Thank you for all that you do for our little munchkin (for day care or teachers, of course); Hope you enjoy your holidays a latte!”
- Starbucks: “Enjoy a cup of holiday cheer! Wishing you a latte joy this holiday season.”
- Target: “Wishing you a Christmas that is right on Target!”
- Amazon: “Hope you have an amazon Christmas/holiday season!”
These are so fun Meredith!