CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Before you worry about mailing deadlines or which service to use, the most important part of shipping holiday gifts is making sure everything is packed correctly.

“Morning in America’s” Nick Smith spoke with Danny Scott, owner of a UPS Store franchise in Chicago, about proper packaging.

The first step is selecting a box with the right burst strength. That’s how much weight it can have stacked on it before it incurs damage, thus damaging the material inside. Boxes designed for shipping have a higher burst strength than those not made for the purpose, so stick to those.

Be sure to pick the right size box, one that will allow room for packing material to cushion what’s inside but not so large that it will cost you more to ship or be less sturdy. Tape it securely using packing tape, not the same stuff you use on your gift wrapping.

Then it’s time to select your packing material. We all have memories of receiving packages full of wadded newspaper used as cushioning, but bubble wrap is a far superior material, and you can always get some stress relief popping the bubbles on unused material. Wrap the item, then line the box with an additional layer of wrap for double protection.

Close the box and tape the lid just as securely as you did the bottom, and then comes the most important step: Be sure the to and from addresses are easily readable on the box. Using a shipping label is preferable, but if you don’t have one a Sharpie can do the job just fine.

Get the package on its way with your preferred carrier, and if it’s something valuable, be sure to get insurance on the contents.