When you think of a gift topper, your mind most likely goes straight to bows. While bows are the quintessential gift topper, you can use plenty of other surprising things for this embellishment. Our list ranges from a Santa hat to a bouquet of flowers—find your next topper among our list of favorites.

Santa Hat

The time of year we give the most gifts is typically around the holiday season, so why not add a Santa hat to one of your presents? This makes the gift more festive, and it’s an added extra for your loved one because they can keep the hat! We suggest balling up a chunk of wrapping paper to stick inside the hat before taping it to the top of the gift so it appears bulkier and as if the present is wearing the hat.

Graduation Tassel

If someone in your family or friend group is graduating from high school or college soon, you can create a gift for them by placing a graduation tassel on top. This fits the occasion’s theme and makes the present more fun. Ensure you’re choosing a tassel color and wrapping paper matching their school colors so everything goes together seamlessly.

Pom Poms

When someone special in your life has an upcoming birthday, adding a pom pom topper to your gift is the perfect embellishment! You can use any material to make these pom poms—fabric, paper, ribbon, and more. Consider making the topper out of construction paper and using a grosgrain ribbon supplier to complete it with strands of vibrant color.

Balloon Cluster

Balloons are often a symbol of celebration because we use them to decorate parties and events. So, why not add them to a present? Maybe someone in your life recently accepted a new position at their company; giving them a gift topped with balloons is unique and not something you usually see.

Pro-tip: Don’t blow up the balloons entirely. Only fill them with half the standard amount of air, so they’re smaller and don’t overpower the gift.

Bouquet of Flowers

Is it Valentine’s Day or Sweetest Day? A surprising thing you can use as a gift topper is real flowers! Add more love to your present by cutting the stems on a bouquet of roses so they’re smaller and can fit perfectly on top of a gift. We recommend placing the stems in floral foam on top of the gift, so the bouquet stays in place until you can give the present.

You can use many more items as gift toppers than a bow. Don’t be afraid to use your imagination. Ultimately, the gift will look more unique than any others brought to the party or occasion. Which topper on this list do you think you’ll use first?