One of my favorite Christmas traditions (when gifting to family members) is to wrap the gift in multiple layers of packaging. I've given a gift card placed in a tiny box, inside a small bag, inside a bigger bag, inside a wrapped box, etc....
You might want to wrap each sub-box with a layer or two of duct tape. When your friend sees all the work you put into wrapping it, he'll think, "Wow, this guy is a jerk. He must have given me something good, though, if he buried it like this!"
The gift your friend receives will most likely disprove his second thought, and emphasize the second.