Ummm...the first thing that I thought of was that the KIND of certificate it was might determine what kind of wrapping or container to put it in.

For example, if it was a gift certificate for a dinner out, for example, I might put it in a "takeout" container from that restaurant.

I'd have to say it would depend on what the gift certificate was to too.

One year I froze my brothers ski lift tickets in a block of ice. Had to thaw it to find out what the gift was.

I saw a book once that had cash and certificates baked into bread loafs. Put into a small picture frame, tucked into socks or mittens. I got one once where the gift cert. was wrapped in several boxes, each one wrapped and nesting in a larger box, the first box I opened was huge. I have also wrapped one into a huge ball of crape paper wrapped around and around like a ball of yarn. How about putting it into a ballon before inflating it with hellium. Tickets for my sons for Maui where taped to the outside of a pineapple juice can. and cash for trip was taped to sunscreen and beach towels. My mom who knew about the trip also taped cash to pre addressed and stamped post cards.

It wasn't a gift certificate, but when I was 8 I disguised a small gift to look and feel like a large one. It was a tiny little jacknife for my Dad, and I put it in a small box and wrapped it. I then placed the wrapped box in a little bigger one, put that one in a still bigger one...you get the idea. My family are great ones for recycling boxes, and I ended up using 25 boxes in all, that last being a really big one. I wrapped the final box to look like a gift, and every fifth box was also wrapped--so he kept thinking he was at the end of all this box opening. I have pictures of my Dad surrounded by all these damned boxes, holding a tiny pocketknife in his palm and looking bewildered, and my Mom laughing so hard that she was literally laying on her side next to him.

Even more fun was listening to everyone complain for two weeks before Christmas that they couldn't find a box to wrap anything in! :)

hi, I thought I was the only goofy one those boxes made laugh and cry because me and my father exchanged knives for 20 yrs. the block of Ice was great ,I grw up in a ski area and have seen people do anything for that lift ticket .
It depends on what kind of gift certificates .
lumber yard ..between two boards
my goofiest one when I was 8or9 I gave my sister a ring and thought the package was to small and she woould know what it was so I put it in a towel tube and filled it with dog food and wrapped it twice and the dog food fell out all over the room ,she was mad but it was funny because she was real prissy and WOULD NOT TOUCH THE DOG FOOD ever it was my revenge for having to feed the dogs and her laughing at me.
a few yrs ago I gave my father a red ryder b.b. gun because he had never had one when he was a kid and he also had terrible problems with weeds in his tomato patch so I wrapped the box in a lg roll of weed fabric that took 20 minutes to un roll and he loved the weed gaurd and the bb gun.
another one we owed my dad a little money yrs back and he would not take it back so he had a rifle that he never shot so I bought shells for it and wrapped the box in 5 and one dollar bills with clear tape in layers 75$ he could,nt throw the wrapping paper away so I got him
also same story that started a trend we still owed him and his wife a little money and they would not take it so I sent it to the electric co. in care of their bill they never figured out what happened .since that time we have sent electric co,s money in at least 3 other people addresses works great for folks that you would rather not give cash to and people that have everything or just need it .
o.k gift certificates I gave my wife a g.c. to beauty place make over place upscale 100 dollars, a lot for me I set it up got her the day off a sat. then arranged to have a cab take her there ,from here , and give her the gift certificate when she got there.she loved the idea but the salon trip was,nt all that whoopie (to crowded) I stole the idea had a boss that used to send a limo for his wife to go various places for a day , out of the blue no holiday usually cost him about a grand for the day ,lots of brownie points .
we have also given gasoline g.c,s tofolks because it something they need, maybe I should have put them on oil bottles .
I sent you a real nice letter thanking you but my e mail crashed sorry if I could send you one off your g w page it might not crash .
let us know what kind of g.c they are and you will really get folks imaginations going Rick

I think it depends on what kind of gift certificate you're giving.
I gave one to my brother that was from a music store, and they put it in a CD box.
You could fold a bookstore certificate like an origami book mark and put it inside a small book.
You could origami fold any gift certificate and put it in a small shadow box or frame.

I enjoyed the ideas. I give my kids,nieces & nephews money every year but like to make it fun. Can you tell me how the person baked the $$ in the bread idea? I am always looking for new ideas. Here are some I have used.

The first year I orderd little snowmen ornaments from oriental trade catalogue. They were wooden and opened up and I hid the money in them, bought a cheap gift and wrapped the gift and used the ornament as a decoration to the gift wrapped box. I had to watch because they did not care about the ornament and threw them aside. I have one daughter in law who I have decided can smell $$$ and usually figures it out.

In the past I have orderd plastic puzzle boxes but it is expensive. Also they did not have patience and hit the box with a hammer to get to their loot.
I have used an old book and glued pages in back section together. Cut out a section dug like a hole and put money in. If you ever saw a hide-a- book, it is along that line.

I also purchased the chineese take out boxes and filled them with fortune cookies. A special fortune cookie had $$$ in it. I have a pattern to make fabric fortune cookies(easy & Cheap) So I put the $$ in the fabric cookie you could use real ones but they break easy. Another take on this is to change the fortune to you will receive $$ in your future and wait to give it to them later in the day or in another time.
I have used cd boxes nesting boxes picture frames, and balloons. I used stockings that I made for them and put $$ in it ,a double gift.

Here was a favorite
I ordered money machines-they were a small box with money printed all over and said money machine and a slit in the box and a tab that said pull. You taped the money together with removable tape roll it and put it in the box attache dto the tab & they pull the tab and money continues to come out. You could make them your self with any box or even use a kleenex box, cover it with play money write money machine yourself and do like above. They really liked this one.
They assume by now it will be money every year.

This year we bought a new house and have not sold the old one yet so they knew we were really tight on money and have heard that all year long so...
I used a roll of indiviually wrapped toilet paper. Separated the roll 1/2 way in using a table knife and my fingers and folded the money and stuck it down in there. the card board roll inside bends but I straightned it back out fluffed the edges of TP. Put it back in its wrapper. I made up a poem about times are tough and we don't have much money so we wanted to get them something useful but funny. It went on about something that would last and they would remember how much we loved them all year through.(You are on your own there or e-mail me and I will send it).
I have to admit this one really stumped them becasue at first they are looking around shaking the roll,turning it upside down and then got this look on their faces like I think they mean it and started thanking us for the gift and changing the subject real fast. I have to admit I had a funny look on my face and could not make eye contact. I can't lie very well. A few minutes went on and guess who figured it out?(money smeller girl)She was searching for it under the table so we would not see her just in case they weren't getting $$

I have anohter idea but some of my family live in differnt states sometimes thay are home and sometimes we ship gifts. I want to plan a scavenger hunt and wrap clue #1 then hide the clues #2 #3 #4 each wrapped of course until they find the final gift. I give them all the same amount so it won't matter what one they find or pick up. We also celebrate different days so that will help but will take some planning.
2009
I am going to use glycerine soap. I am going to the local craft store and buy supplies to make my own bars of soap around the money. I saw this idea in a catalogue but it was expensive and you did not get a guarantee on how much money was in them. I may make different shapes for different interests or not. I have 11 months to worry about that.
I am always looking for new ideas so keep them coming.
becca elf