Selabrations Gift Boxes

Today we chat with one of our favorite people- Sela Jane Hopgood from Selabrations Gift Boxes. 

Sela curates fabulous gift boxes for any occasion and he attention to detail is unsurpassed. But I'll hand over to Sela to give us the down low herself.  

Tell us a little bit about your business (what you do, where are you based etc)  

My name is Sela Jane Hopgood and I am the founder and director of Selabrations.

Our small business is your go-to hub for when you want to send a memorable gift box or hamper. We aim to scale up your gifting situation with our modern, sustainable presentation and we want to ensure that the traditions of gift giving remains in today’s society.

Selabrations is a home-based business with an online store in Auckland. Our business name is a play on the word celebration and the director’s first name because every celebration is a gift and deserves to be acknowledged with a thoughtful gift from the heart.

What was the inspiration that led to you starting out?

In December 2020, my husband Tim asked me for help in making some gift hampers for his work colleagues. Whilst tying a ribbon, I joked saying “I should get paid for this,” to which he replied, “yes you should!” and with that confidence boost, I started an Instagram account in January 2021 and have been selling online since. I have always been into curating gift hampers since high school. It was my go-to for baby showers, birthdays, weddings etc, so for me to now run a business that’s all about that and coming full circle is incredibly special.

Tell us about a day in the life at Selabrations.

I work full-time as a journalist, so Selabrations is a side hustle that I run in the evenings as well as a couple of hours during the weekends. If we take Saturday for example, I would start off with packing any orders that has come in the past 24 hours. Once that’s all sorted, I start planning and then filming content for my social media (Instagram and Tik Tok). Then I’ll do an inventory check to see if there are items close to expiring or items I need to restock more of and take note of. I then head to my desk and check emails as well as update my website before calling it a day.

What types of products go into a Selebrations gift box and who are they suitable for?  

How each gift box/hamper company differs from each other is the taste of each owner when it comes to gift items. I’m a huge supporter of NZ and Pacific small businesses. I also love researching and discovering items that you wouldn’t necessarily find in your local supermarket or Warehouse. If an item supports a cause that I align with, I’m likely to also include them into my gift boxes and hampers.

It’s the reason as to why people are wanting to gift. When you go to purchase a gift box on my website, there’s a section you need to fill called “Message” and it never gets old reading the messages people write and their purpose for the gift box. Thoughtful gestures are never out of season.

 I have a section on my website called ‘Under $100’ which is simply gift boxes under $100. We’re always looking for ways to budget daily and this category allows for you to choose a sleek, meaningful gift whilst not breaking the bank. I’ve had many people share how that section has helped them ensure they mark an occasion in style without the financial burden.

12th Avenue Candles would like to thank Sela for taking the time out of her very hectic schedule to chat with us about her bespoke Gift Box company, so pop over to her Instagram and give her a follow and check out her gorgeously curated boxes that will be just the tick for your next hassle free gift. 

We look forward to our next collaboration with Selabrations.

Love and Joy

Louise