What the Shredded Paper in Gifts Is Called and How to Use It
That soft shred cushioning a gift has a name, and knowing it is the easy part. The real win is turning it into a branded unboxing with the box, tissue, and sleeve around it.
The shredded paper in gifts is called crinkle paper, also sold as crinkle cut paper shred and known historically as excelsior. It is thin paper crimped into a zig-zag so it springs back, cushioning the product, filling empty space, and holding items upright in a box or basket.
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The shredded paper in gifts, in one paragraph
The shred that fills a gift box is crinkle paper, historically called excelsior. It is crimped paper strands that spring back to cushion a product and fill space, made mostly from recycled kraft. On its own it is just filler; inside a printed mailer box with matching tissue and a branded sleeve, it becomes an unboxing that sells your brand. The diagram below shows how the layers stack.
What the shredded paper in gifts is called
The soft, springy shred that cushions a gift inside a box has a name: crinkle paper. You will see it sold as crinkle cut paper shred, crinkle fill, gift box filler, or simply paper shred, but it is all the same product. Thin strands of paper are crimped into a zig-zag so they spring back instead of lying flat, which is what lets a handful puff up and fill a box.
There is an older name you may run into: excelsior. Long before paper shred existed, excelsior meant fine wood wool, meaning thin curled shavings of wood used to pack fragile goods. Modern crinkle paper is the paper version of that same idea, and the excelsior name still trails it around on packaging supply sites.
So if you searched for what the shredded paper in gifts is called, the short answer is crinkle paper, historically excelsior. The more useful question is what to do with it, because the fill is only half the story. The box, tissue, and sleeve around it are what turn plain shred into a branded moment, and those are exactly the pieces you can print. Start with a custom mailer box and build outward.
What crinkle paper is made from
Almost all crinkle fill today is made from paper, most often recycled kraft or dyed colored stock. The paper is run through a crimping cutter that shreds it into narrow strands and presses a continuous zig-zag into each one. That crimp is the whole trick: it gives the strands loft and spring so they hold their shape and resist being crushed flat.
Because it starts as recycled paper, crinkle shred is light, clean, and usually curbside recyclable, and when it is uncoated it is often compostable too. That makes it a natural fit for brands moving away from plastic void fill like foam peanuts or bubble film. Pair it with a recycled mailer box and paper tissue and you get an unboxing that is entirely paper.
Color is where it stops being generic. Shred comes in every shade, so you can match the fill to your brand palette rather than settling for plain brown. When the shred color echoes your printed sleeve and custom tissue, the filler stops looking like packing material and starts looking like part of the design.
Types of crinkle paper filler
Four kinds of shred cover almost everything you will see in a gift or subscription box. They differ in how the paper is finished before it gets cut, which changes the look, the body, and whether the fill can go in the recycling with the box. Whichever you choose, match it to your custom tissue paper so the two layers read as one palette rather than two accidents.
| Type | Look | Material | Best for | Recyclable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft shred | Natural brown, matte, slightly rough | Uncoated recycled kraft paper | Eco-first brands, food and farm goods, anything that should read as honest and unfussy | Yes, and usually compostable while it stays uncoated |
| Colored shred | Flat solid color, matte, the most common shelf option | Dyed paper stock, often recycled | Brand color matching, seasonal boxes, retail gift baskets | Yes in most cases, check that the dye is water based |
| Metallic and foil-look shred | Reflective, glittery, catches light in the box | Paper with a metallized or laminated film layer | Holiday and celebration boxes, luxury gifting, anything meant to look festive on camera | Usually not, the film layer takes it out of the paper stream |
| Tissue shred | Soft, feathery, far less body than the others | Cut tissue paper rather than crimped stock | Light items, jewelry, cosmetics, and topping off a box that is already cushioned | Yes, though it flattens quickly and does not cushion much |
If sustainability is part of your story, kraft or plain colored shred is the safe pick, and the metallic option is the one to think twice about. If presentation is the whole point, metallic in a dark box is hard to beat for a holiday run.
How to use crinkle paper in a gift box
Using crinkle fill well is less about volume and more about technique. The goal is a product that sits snug, survives the trip, and looks intentional the moment the lid opens. It comes down to a few simple moves, which the step list below walks through in order.
Start by fluffing the shred so it springs open, then build a one to two inch cushion across the bottom of the box. Nest your product into that bed and press the fill up around its sides so nothing can slide. For anything breakable, wrap it in tissue first, then let the crinkle paper take the outer shock. Top off until the fill meets the closed lid, and finish with a branded card or sleeve so your name is the first thing seen.
The same method scales from a single gift to a full subscription run. If you are building repeatable boxes, our guide on designing product packaging shows how to lock the box, insert, and fill into one consistent system.
The branded packaging crinkle paper pairs with
Crinkle paper is the supporting act. The pieces that actually carry your brand are the box, the tissue, and the sleeve, and those are the parts worth printing. A plain shipping box with nice shred still reads as generic. A printed mailer box with matching fill reads as a brand that cares.
Three layers do most of the work. Custom tissue paper wraps the product and adds the soft first-touch when the box opens. A printed mailer box gives you a branded interior and exterior instead of bare cardboard. A packaging sleeve or branded tape seals the whole thing and puts your logo on the outside before the box is even opened. Together with the crinkle bed, they turn a shipment into an unboxing.
Our online design tool lets you set up each layer, and printing the box, tissue, and sleeve together keeps every color consistent. Browse the full range in the packaging collection to see mailer boxes, sleeves, tissue, and tape side by side.
What branded packaging costs and how to order
Crinkle fill itself is inexpensive and sold by weight, where one pound covers several small boxes once fluffed. The cost that shapes your unboxing is the printed packaging around it, and that price scales with a few clear levers: quantity, box size, stock, and finish. More units lower the unit price, larger boxes use more material, and premium stocks or finishes add to each piece.
With us you set those options in the configurator and the price updates live as you adjust, so you can see exactly what a heavier stock or a bigger run does to the number before you commit. A run of custom mailer boxes lets you dial size and quantity to your budget, and sleeves and tissue price the same way.
Use the live specs and pricing panel below to see sizes and price-per-unit, or order free paper samples first so you can feel the stock in hand before you print a full run of branded packaging.
Wally names the filler, then upgrades the box
Crinkle paper is easy; a branded unboxing is the real win
Wally will tell you straight: the shred is crinkle paper, once called excelsior, and it costs pennies. What actually makes a box feel like a gift is the printed mailer, the matching tissue, and the branded sleeve wrapped around the fill. Print those three together at 4OVER4 and the crinkle paper stops being filler and starts being part of your brand.
Print your branded packaging →Step by step
Fill a gift box with crinkle paper in 6 steps
- Fluff the crinkle paper firstPull a handful loose and gently separate the strands so they spring open. Fluffed fill takes up more volume and cushions better than a flat, compressed clump.
- Build a cushion on the bottomLay a bed of crinkle paper across the base of the box, about one to two inches deep, so the product never rests on the hard bottom.
- Nest the product into the bedSet the item into the center and press the fill up around its sides so it sits snug and cannot shift when the box moves.
- Wrap fragile items in tissue firstFor anything breakable, wrap it in custom tissue paper before nesting, so the crinkle fill handles the outer shock and the tissue guards the surface.
- Top off to the lid lineAdd a little more fill over the top until the paper meets the closed lid. A slight overfill keeps everything locked in place during shipping.
- Finish the reveal with a branded touchTuck a printed card, wrap the whole thing in a sleeve, or seal it with branded tape so the first thing the recipient sees is your brand, not just filler.
Specs and pricing
Custom mailer box specs and live pricing
Crinkle fill is the easy part; the branded box around it is what you print. Here are the live specs and price-per-unit for custom mailer boxes at 4OVER4.COM, straight from the configurator.
| Quantity | Price Per Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | $2.85 | $711.78 |
| 500 | $1.42 | $711.78 |
| 1,000 | 79.7¢ | $797.02 |
| 2,500 | 53.5¢ | $1,338.30 |
| 5,000 | 44.6¢ | $2,231.42 |
| 10,000 | 40.4¢ | $4,044.70 |
| 15,000 | 39.0¢ | $5,844.45 |
| 20,000 | 38.3¢ | $7,657.73 |
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Common Questions
Common questions about crinkle paper filler
What is the shredded paper in gifts called?
The shredded paper used to fill gift and retail boxes is called crinkle paper, often sold as crinkle cut paper shred or crinkle fill. The older, traditional name for the same type of loose packing material is excelsior. All of these describe the same thing: thin strands of paper, crimped into a zig-zag so they spring back, used to cushion a product and make a box look full and gift-ready. You will also hear it called paper shred, gift box filler, or basket filler depending on where it is sold.
What is crinkle paper made from?
Most crinkle paper is made from paper, usually recycled kraft or colored stock, that is fed through a machine which shreds it into narrow strands and crimps them into a continuous zig-zag. That crimp is what gives crinkle paper its spring and loft, so it holds shape instead of lying flat. The original excelsior was made from fine wood wool, meaning thin curled shavings of wood, but paper versions have largely replaced it because paper is lighter, cleaner, recyclable, and easy to color-match to a brand.
Is crinkle paper the same as excelsior?
They describe the same job, which is loose fill that cushions and presents an item, but the material differs. Excelsior traditionally means wood wool, the curled wood shavings used as packing long before modern shred existed. Crinkle paper is the paper version of that idea and is what most gift and subscription boxes use today. If a listing says excelsior, it may mean either the classic wood wool or, loosely, paper crinkle fill, so check the material description if the distinction matters for your product.
Is crinkle paper recyclable?
Paper crinkle fill made from recycled kraft is one of the more sustainable void fills available. Because it is paper, it is generally curbside recyclable and, if it is uncoated, often compostable, which is a strong selling point for brands that want plastic-free packaging. It pairs naturally with recycled mailer boxes and paper tissue for an all-paper unboxing. Always confirm the specific product is uncoated and free of plastic film before promising recyclability to your customers.
How much crinkle paper fills a gift box?
A good rule is a one to two inch cushion on the bottom plus enough fill to bring the top up to the closed lid, which for a small to medium mailer usually works out to a generous handful or two once the paper is fluffed. Fluffing matters more than raw weight, since loose, sprung fill occupies far more volume than a compressed clump. Buying by weight, one pound of crinkle shred typically fills several small boxes, though exact coverage depends on box size and how deeply you cushion each item.
How do I make crinkle paper look premium in a box?
Presentation comes from the box around the fill as much as the fill itself. Start with a printed mailer box so the interior reads as intentional, add a layer of custom tissue paper in a matching color, nest the product in the crinkle bed, then close it with a branded sleeve or sticker. Color coordination is the quiet trick: a shred color that echoes your brand palette turns generic filler into part of the design. Print the box, tissue, and sleeve together at 4OVER4.COM so every layer matches.
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Ready to turn crinkle fill into a branded unboxing?
Print the mailer box, tissue, and sleeve together at 4OVER4.COM and let the crinkle paper do its job inside packaging that carries your brand. Adjust every option and watch your price update live.
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