A cigar can be a perfect holiday gift for the smoker in your life, and one that is sure to make him or her very happy. Many a gift cigar has been ruined while waiting under a holiday tree to be opened, however.

If you will be giving a cigar to someone this holiday season, a few extra precautions can help to make sure that it will arrive in their hands in perfect condition, ready to be smoked or stored in their humidor.

In wrapping your gift safely, the principle is to keep the cigar in an environment that mimics the recipient's humidor as much as possible.

Ideally, a cigar should be stored at a temperature of about 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit, and at 70-75% relative humidity. A number of things can happen to a cigar once it leaves these ideal conditions. At above 80 degrees, if tobacco beetle eggs are present on the cigar, the beetles could hatch and devour your gift. If the cigar is too dry, the tobacco could become brittle and crack, or the flavor of the cigar could become harsh and bitter. A cigar that is stored in an environment that mimics the one in which it was grown will be a cigar that tastes natural, and burns at the right speed, without falling apart.

To assemble your temporary humidor, you will need these items:

* Two Ziploc-style bags, large enough to store your cigar

* A paper towel

* Distilled water

* A gift box

Dampen the paper towel with distilled water. The distilled water is important because you don't want to introduce impurities which could cause mold or bacteria to develop when the recipient places the cigars into their humidor. You also don't want the paper towel to touch the cigar directly. Place it into one of your plastic bags, then place it along with the cigar inside the other bag. Seal the outside bag tightly, and leave the inside bag with the paper towel open. The paper towel will slowly release moisture into the bag, keeping your cigar at the proper level of humidity until it is opened. Place everything into a box, and it will be ready to wrap.

Before you get ready to wrap your gift, remember that timing is very important to the success of this method. Although it is very effective in maintaining the proper level of humidity for a cigar, it can only do so for a few days. To keep your gift in the best possible condition until it can be smoked, it is best to buy and wrap it a maximum of 3-5 days before it will be opened.