by Nicole Hines January 12, 2026
5 min read
Valentine’s Day is one of the most emotionally driven gifting occasions of the year. Customers aren’t just buying a product; they’re buying a feeling. For retailers and brands, that creates an opportunity but also a challenge. How do you create packaging that feels romantic, thoughtful and special without investing in entirely new boxes for a single season?
At Foldabox®, we believe the answer lies in smart personalisation, not replacement. By using our range of premium accessories, particularly our FAB Sides® Decorative Side Panels, ribbons and luxury tissue paper, brands can transform existing gift boxes into Valentine’s-ready packaging that feels bespoke, elevated and emotionally resonant.
This approach not only saves time and cost, but also supports sustainability and long-term packaging reuse.
Why Valentine’s packaging doesn’t always mean new boxes
Seasonal packaging can be expensive, wasteful and difficult to forecast accurately. Ordering dedicated Valentine’s boxes often means committing to minimum quantities that may not reflect actual demand. Worse still, unused boxes can sit in storage long after the season has passed.
Personalisation accessories solve this problem. Instead of replacing your core packaging, you can layer Valentine’s design elements onto the boxes you already use. This allows you to respond quickly to seasonal trends, test new looks, and refresh your presentation year after year — all while keeping your packaging system consistent and efficient.
FAB Sides® Decorative Side Panels: The foundation of Valentine’s personalisation
At the heart of Foldabox’s Valentine’s packaging strategy are FAB Sides® Decorative Side Panels — a revolutionary and exclusive innovation developed to work seamlessly with our A5 Deep, A4 Deep and XL Deep Gift Boxes.
FAB Sides® fit neatly into the recessed sides of compatible boxes, instantly creating a two-tone or layered effect that feels completely bespoke. They can be changed as often as you like, making them ideal for seasonal campaigns such as Valentine’s Day, without the cost of custom-made boxes.
Hearts FAB Sides®
The Hearts FAB Sides® range is particularly popular for Valentine’s gifting. Featuring a laser-cut heart design, these panels allow the underlying box colour to show through, creating depth, contrast and visual interest. Available in Black, White, Pale Pink, Hot Pink and Red, they work beautifully across a wide variety of box colours.
One of the most creative features of the Hearts panels is their ability to be double stacked. Layering them over plain coloured FAB Sides®, such as gold foil, silver foil, rose copper, white or hot pink, allows brands to create striking multi-colour effects without additional printing or manufacturing. This makes them ideal not only for Valentine’s Day, but also for wedding keepsakes, beauty packaging, lingerie and gifts that carry a message of love year-round.
Floral & Textural FAB Sides® for Softer Romance
For brands seeking a more delicate or feminine Valentine’s aesthetic, Pink Peony FAB Sides® offer a beautiful alternative. The photo-realistic peony and ranunculus design in pink, peach and ivory tones creates a soft, romantic feel that works particularly well for beauty, lingerie, wedding keepsakes and premium gifting.
Texture also plays a powerful role in emotional packaging. Rose Pink Linen FAB Sides® add subtle sophistication through fabric-style texture, pairing especially well with White, Black, Natural Kraft, Sage Green Linen and Grey Linen gift boxes. The result is understated luxury that feels tactile and considered.
For bolder romance, Red Textured FAB Sides® deliver richness and depth. With a slightly pearlised leather-grain finish, they create a luxurious tone-on-tone effect on red boxes or a striking contrast against White, Black, Navy, Ivory, Silver, Pewter, Bronze and Kraft XL Deep gift boxes.
Love Doodle FAB Sides®
The Love Doodle FAB Sides® panels strike a balance between playful design and refined presentation. Featuring multi-coloured ‘doodle’ style hearts in grey, fondant pink and sage green, they add personality without feeling childish. These panels work particularly well with Black, White, Pale Pink, Silver, Naked Grey® and Pewter A5 Deep gift boxes, making them ideal for modern retailers who want Valentine’s packaging that feels stylish rather than cliché.
The psychology of Valentine’s colours in gift packaging
Colour plays a crucial role in how Valentine’s packaging is perceived. Red remains the most emotionally charged colour, associated with passion, desire and intensity, making it ideal for statement gifting. Pink introduces softness, care and affection, often appealing to beauty, wellness and lifestyle brands. White and ivory suggest purity, calm and sincerity, while metallics such as gold and rose copper elevate romance into the luxury space.
Interestingly, neutral and layered colour palettes are becoming increasingly popular for Valentine’s Day. Pairing bold accents, such as red hearts or pink florals, against neutral boxes allows the design to feel romantic without being overpowering. FAB Sides® are particularly effective here, as they allow brands to introduce Valentine’s colours in a controlled, elegant way.
Ribbons offer a simple upgrade with big impact
Ribbons remain one of the most effective ways to personalise packaging quickly. Foldabox offers over 180 FABulous ribbon options, including recycled ribbons made from plastic bottles for brands prioritising sustainability.
For Valentine’s Day, ribbons can be used to reinforce colour stories introduced by FAB Sides® or to soften a minimalist box design. Pre-cut 80cm ribbon lengths are ready to use with slot gift boxes, while ribbon rolls allow complete flexibility for no-ribbon boxes or custom wrapping styles.
A blush or red ribbon instantly signals romance, while metallics add polish and occasion-specific sparkle. For retailers, ribbons offer a low-cost, high-impact way to adapt packaging for Valentine’s Day without altering box stock.
Completing the unboxing experience with luxury tissue paper
Tissue paper is often underestimated, yet it plays a vital role in how a gift is experienced. Foldabox’s luxury tissue paper, available in 38 colours, allows brands to create layered, immersive unboxing moments that feel intentional and premium.
For Valentine’s packaging, tissue papercan be used to echo accent colours introduced by FAB Sides® or ribbons, or to introduce contrast inside neutral boxes. Soft pinks, whites, reds and blush tones are obvious choices, but even sage green or ivory tissue can create a more modern, refined romantic look.
The right tissue paper transforms the moment a box is opened, reinforcing the sense of care and attention that Valentine’s gifting demands.
Transform your gift boxes with custom branding
Did you know that you can also customise any of our stock gift boxes with your logo, explore branding options, and receive an instant online quote? From foil blocking and debossing to printing, we offer multiple branding styles to suit your preferences. Learn more about the various custom branding options available to you here. Please note that the minimum order is 24 boxes per size. Orders of 144+ are most cost-effective due to fixed setup fees.
How retailers and brands can use this approach
For retailers, personalisation accessories allow seasonal flexibility without over-committing to stock. Valentine’s looks can be introduced early, adjusted quickly and removed just as easily once the season ends. For e-commerce brands, accessories create Instagram-worthy packaging moments that encourage sharing and repeat purchasing. For luxury and corporate gifting, personalised details communicate thoughtfulness and elevate perceived value without increasing complexity. Most importantly, this approach supports sustainability. Reusing the same core boxes throughout the year while updating their appearance with accessories reduces waste and reinforces responsible brand values.
Valentine’s Day packaging doesn’t need to be expensive, excessive or disposable. With Foldabox’s innovative accessories, particularly FAB Sides®, ribbons and luxury tissue paper, brands can create meaningful, romantic and premium packaging without ordering new boxes.
By layering colour, texture and design thoughtfully, you can deliver packaging that feels personal, considered and emotionally resonant — exactly what Valentine’s gifting is all about.
