Wooden packaging that adds elegance or personalises gifts

In the desire to make a gift as beautiful and attractive as possible, we think, almost equally, about both the gift and the presentation. There are various possibilities: glossy paper bags or bags made of 'newsprint' or wrapping paper, baskets made of cardboard or decorated cardboard boxes. Using decorative wooden packaging can make a gift look spectacular.

Packaging as valuable as the object it protects

Some wrapping boxes are so well made and so beautiful that they end up competing with the gift itself. I remember watching Dallas back in the day (because there wasn't much else ☺) and being fascinated by the wooden cigar boxes. They looked so good it didn't matter what was inside.

Years later we even had the good fortune to receive a box of cigars from a friend. As of course you can imagine, for me the real gift was the "packaging" - a very nice wooden box. It's a heavy box, probably of an exotic wood, unfortunately too covered in finish to identify the design. The finish is uniform, the wood is walnut-colored and the stain silky. The lid has a metal part that personalizes it. The hinges are discreet, and a fine plush "bed" is made for the cigars inside.

Even though it was just a wrapper, I kept the box. And now, more than 10 years later, I love it just as much.

Packaging can come in the most diverse shapes, colours and finishes

There are special wooden boxes for a wide range of items: wine bottles, jewellery, pens, teas, spices, coffee and the list goes on. Usually very high quality wood is used, special species such as walnut, cherry, oak, mahogany or other exotic species. They are well polished, smooth, with a pleasant wood grain. The wood is sometimes left in its natural colour or stained, even painted. The varnish that covers them can range from very matt to very glossy. They are fitted with elegant, sometimes discreet, beautifully crafted hardware in neutral colours.

Just as popular as the ones described above are simple boxes resembling old crates or recycled banal boxes. It is precisely this contrast between the precious object and the ordinary box that makes the gift even more appealing, even funny. The wood used is less precious, resinous, lime or poplar, and the finish is as simple as possible, almost non-existent, or mimics simplicity. Even the sanding is no longer as fine.

In this case, too, the wood can remain in its natural colour or be stained. There are also white versions with a varnished look. Patina, if used, is to give an antique look to recycled boxes or crates. The varnish layer is thin, possibly skipped here and there. The hardware is simple, looking makeshift - a crooked nail as a lock, a latch, pieces of leather hammered into studs as hinges. Such boxes have a special charm, but it's best to give them to someone who appreciates such 'jokes', otherwise the effect will be lost.

A gift is always received with joy, regardless of the presentation. But it's even more enjoyable when the presentation is elegant or includes a little joke.