Talk up your effort

The origin story
Let's say that your gal likes her gift and the wrapping job you did on it. She enjoyed reading what you wrote in her card and you handed her gift to her in a memorable place...not on a messy couch with ESPN playing in the background. There's just one more thing you've got to do if you want to go for maximum emotional impact. You need to share the gift's origin story with her.

Tell the tale
While she's still feeling the bliss of having just opened her gift, go ahead and tell her how much you thought about what to give her. Tell her why you felt this particular gift was just the right one. Describe how you bought her gift months ago and how you've been sitting on it since then, looking so forward to giving it to her.

Explain how you searched high and low for this exact gift and how just when you thought you might not find it, you came across it like it was meant to happen. Tell her about the strings you had to pull, the favors you had to call in, and the deals you had to make in order to get her the perfect gift for this particular occasion.

Be truthful
Don't lie, but make the most of the truths that you have available. (I'll let you interpret that last part as you see fit.)

Gals love hearing how hard you fought to take care of her and make her happy, so communicate this to her. Let her know how proud you are that you came through for her...but be sure to stop short of the point where it could sound like bragging, as that would make the gift seem to be more about you than her.

Be sparing
Don't use this tactic with every gift. Sometimes there simply isn't an interesting story to tell, and that's okay. Gals also like a little mystery from their guys, so sometimes, just tell her you love her and leave it at that. If you feel like you have to say something more, then tell her something like, "I have my ways of getting things done." That should be enough to get her all giddy.

Last thought
Talk up your effort and take credit for it once in a while. It lets your gal know that you're willing to go the extra mile to take care of her and make her happy.