We all know the feeling of a package arriving.
Doorbell goes. There’s a box on the step. You think, What did I order at 1am that I forgot about?
Turns out it’s a gift... from someone else. And that moment? It changes the whole day.
But here’s the thing: not every gift feels like a gift when it turns up.
Sometimes it’s just a plain box with a packing slip inside. Functional, sure. But magical? Not really.
That’s why, at Metalbird, we make sure unboxing one of our birds feels like opening something special. Something you’d hand to your mum across the table. Something that says, I saw this, and I thought of you.
Why Packaging Matters
When I started Metalbird, I wasn’t thinking about packaging. I was too busy cutting steel in the garage, chasing my kid off the tools, and figuring out how not to lose a finger.
But pretty soon, people started buying our birds as gifts. For birthdays, for memorials, for mates who just needed a pick-me-up. And they told us the same thing, again and again:
“I want this to feel special when it arrives.”
So we listened.
Because giving a gift isn’t just about the thing itself. It’s about the moment you create when someone opens it. It’s about the pause, the smile, the wow, look at this moment.
The Mum Test
When we designed our packaging, I had one rule: it had to pass the Mum Test.
That means it had to be:
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Easy to open (no scissors needed, no wrestling with plastic wrap)
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Beautiful enough that you didn’t have to re-wrap it
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Protective, so the bird turns up in one piece... not bent like a dropped pie
So we made custom boxes. The kind you don’t want to chuck straight in the recycling bin. Kraft cardboard, not shiny plastic. Designed to open like a book, not a warehouse delivery.
Inside? You’ll find your bird nestled snug, along with a note telling the story of how this whole thing started. No advertising junk. No plastic bags. Just a bird and a message.
It’s simple. But simple is hard to get right.
What It’s Like to Open a Metalbird
I’ve watched people open our birds in real life... mates, customers, family. And every time, it’s the same reaction:
They run their hands over the box first. Feel the weight of it. Slide the lid open.
Then there’s that little moment of surprise when they see the silhouette... cut from raw Corten steel, ready to develop a protective patina that locks in over time, saving the bird from decay while it ages beautifully in the garden.
One woman told me she opened hers at the kitchen table with her mum. It was a Robin, bought as a memorial for her dad. They both cried. But it wasn’t a sad moment... it was a together moment. That’s the kind of thing packaging can do when you get it right.
Gifts That Don’t Feel Like Homework
Let’s be honest, we’ve all had that experience where you buy something online, it shows up, and you think: Well, now I’ve got to wrap the bloody thing.
That’s fine when you’ve got time. But most of us don’t. Especially when you’re sending something across the world to a mate or your mum or someone who’s just had a rough year.
So we wanted our birds to arrive ready to go. No extra wrapping paper needed. No awkward “Oh sorry, it’s just how the warehouse sent it” text message.
When a Metalbird turns up, it feels considered. Like you’ve thought it through. Like you’ve sent something with meaning... not just clicked a button and hoped for the best.
From Our Hands to Theirs
Every Metalbird gets packed by hand.
We’re not some faceless factory operation. We’ve got real people standing at the packing tables, checking each bird, making sure it’s sitting right in the box.
Sometimes I’m one of them. Sometimes it’s my daughter. Sometimes it’s the team. But the care is the same.
Because we know that when someone opens that box, it might be in the middle of a tough day. Or it might be the highlight of their week. Either way, it’s a moment we don’t take lightly.
More Than Just Steel
At the end of the day, it’s not just about what’s in the box. It’s about what the box means when it’s opened.
It says: Someone thought of me today.
It says: I’m remembered. I’m loved.
And that, to me, is the perfect gift.
Want to Send a Bird That Feels Like a Real Gift?
We’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to. Pick the bird that speaks to you, and we’ll make sure it arrives ready to open... no scissors, no stress.
Find your perfect gift here.