I took way too long thinking this through. Ha! But I finally figured out what I think is the best way to approach wrapping Christmas presents for other people to make extra money this holiday season.
Keep it simple, start small, and make sure you're actually making money!
I've broken this down from the simplest to the more involved ways you could offer Christmas gift wrapping services.
First, Let's Get the Business Stuff Out of the Way
If you're doing things by the book, it's not quite as simple as saying, "I'll help you wrap presents, and you can pay me $30 an hour in cash."
Depending on where you live and how you operate, there may be requirements for:
Business licensing and registration
Zoning restrictions if you're operating from home
Federal income and self-employment taxes
Collecting and reporting sales tax, if applicable
Business insurance to protect yourself and your customers
You may also want to open a separate bank account to keep your business income and expenses organized.
I know! It sounds like a lot for wrapping Christmas presents!
But once you've figured out what applies to your particular situation, you'll be in a much better position to get started with confidence.
You can check with your state and local government to find out what's required. If you're in Washington State, the Washington Department of Revenue is a good place to start.
Now, let's get to the fun part!
1. The Simplest Way: Get Paid by the Hour to Wrap Other People's Gifts
This is my favorite approach for someone who wants to make extra Christmas money without investing a lot in supplies.
Here's how it could work:
Offer gift wrapping to friends, family, and friends of friends.
Charge by the hour, perhaps $30–$50, with a two-hour minimum.
Go to their home and wrap their presents, or arrange for them to drop off their gifts and supplies at yours.
Have your customer provide the wrapping paper, tape, ribbon, bows, and gift tags.
Decide how you'll accept payment, such as cash, Venmo, or PayPal.
Decide how far you're willing to travel and whether you'll charge an additional travel fee.
If you're working in someone else's home, make sure you're comfortable with the arrangement and feel safe.
And if customers are dropping off presents at your home, be sure that's permitted where you live.
How Much Could You Charge?
Let's say you decide to charge $40 per hour with a two-hour minimum.
That's $80 for a two-hour appointment!
You could also consider charging a $25 appointment or service fee to help cover scheduling, setup, and travel expenses.
That would bring your two-hour appointment to $105.
Of course, you'll still need to account for taxes, business expenses, and the time you spend driving and communicating with customers.
And these are example prices to test, not guaranteed rates that people in your area will pay.
The point is to set your prices high enough to cover your expenses, allow for taxes, and make sure you're earning worthwhile money for all the time you're spending—not just the hours you're wrapping presents.
Why spend your own money on supplies if your customers already have everything they need?
You're providing a service that makes their lives easier, and that's worth something!
2. The Next Level: Offer Gift Wrapping Packages
Another approach is to charge by the number of gifts rather than by the hour.
This might work well if you're wrapping presents from home or have customers who want a large number of gifts wrapped.
For example, you could offer:
Small gifts: $10 each
Medium gifts: $15 each
Large gifts: $20 each
Oversized or unusually shaped gifts: Custom pricing
You could also offer package deals, such as 10 medium-sized presents for $140.
Just make sure you're not discounting so much that you end up giving away your earnings!
Here's a little tip: Wrap a few small, medium, and large presents and time yourself. That will help you determine how much work is involved and whether your prices make sense.
If you're providing the supplies, you'll also need to account for wrapping paper, tape, ribbons, bows, gift tags, and other materials.
I would also consider setting a minimum order amount so you're not spending a lot of time coordinating tiny orders that don't pay very much.
3. Another Option: Find Gift Wrapping Jobs Through Taskrabbit
Have you heard of Taskrabbit?
It's a service that connects people who need help with tasks around their homes with people willing to do those jobs for pay.
And yes, they advertise gift wrapping services!
I've never personally worked through Taskrabbit, so you'd need to look into how their system works, whether they're accepting new Taskers in your area, and what fees or requirements apply.
But it might be another way to find customers without having to advertise entirely on your own.
You could also explore similar local service opportunities.
4. Take It Up a Notch: Offer a More Professional Gift Wrapping Service
If you really enjoy wrapping Christmas presents and want to turn it into something bigger, there are plenty of ways to expand.
For example, you could:
Purchase your own beautiful wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and gift tags.
Create one or two signature gift wrapping styles.
Wrap sample gifts and photograph them to show potential customers.
Offer premium wrapping with special ribbons, decorations, and personalized touches.
Advertise your services in local community groups and online listings that allow service advertising.
Offer gift wrapping for local businesses, real estate agents, and companies that give holiday gifts to their employees or clients.
One thing I especially like is the idea of creating your own signature wrapping style (see ideas below).
Instead of offering dozens of different wrapping papers, you could choose a few beautiful combinations and make those your specialty.
That would help you keep your supplies organized, purchase materials more efficiently, and create beautiful, consistent results.
You could also offer a premium gift wrapping option for people who want something extra special.
Keep Your Wrapping Supplies Simple
Creating a signature gift-wrapping style using just a few versatile supplies helps simplify and keep costs and storage down. Neutral kraft or white wrapping paper paired with beautiful ribbon and coordinating gift tags can give your packages a consistent, professional look without requiring a large inventory.
Here are a few supplies to consider:
(Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Shop brown kraft wrapping paper on Amazon (make sure to check the paper's thickness and size roll as part of your evaluation before purchasing)
Choose colors and styles that work well together so you can easily repeat your signature look.
Yes, People Really Do Pay for Professional Gift Wrapping!
I came across a company called Nifty Package Co., which offers professional mobile gift wrapping services in Southern California.
They offer individual gift wrapping, hourly services, and other premium options.
It's interesting to see how a business can take something as simple as wrapping presents and turn it into a professional service!
Of course, an established company offering premium services is very different from someone just starting out.
But it does show that gift wrapping is a service people are willing to purchase.
So, Is Wrapping Christmas Presents Worth It?
That's really the question I want you to think about before getting started.
Just because you're bringing in money doesn't necessarily mean you're making enough money to make the effort worthwhile.
You might love wrapping presents, but if you're spending hours shopping for supplies, driving around, coordinating appointments, and wrapping gifts for very little money, you may find yourself working much harder than you expected.
This is why I like the simplest approach best.
Let customers provide the supplies, charge a fair hourly rate, set a minimum appointment time, and keep your expenses as low as possible.
Then start small and see how it goes!
You might find that you love doing it and want to expand.
Or you might decide it's not worth the time and effort.
Either way, you've learned something valuable without investing a fortune into a business.
And remember, the purpose of starting a business to earn extra money is to actually make money!
You can absolutely enjoy what you're doing, but you don't need to give away your time and skills in the process.
Have Your Own Idea for Making Extra Money?
Maybe wrapping Christmas presents isn't your thing.
Maybe you enjoy sewing, making handmade gifts, shopping for people, organizing closets, or doing something else people might be willing to pay you for.
I love helping women figure out how to make money doing the things they enjoy.
Not just by saying, "Yay you! Go for it! You've got this!"
But by saying, "Let's take your great idea and figure out HOW you can actually make money doing it."
How much could you charge? What would your expenses be? How much time would it take? And would the money you earn actually be worth your time?
I'm considering offering personalized small business idea evaluations to help women explore those questions before spending a lot of time or money getting started.
Would you be interested in having your own money-making idea evaluated and planned out for you?
Leave a comment below and let me know! You don't need to share your actual idea publicly. I'd just love to know whether this is something you'd find helpful.
— Shannon
