Short answer: pour so that your resin reaches its full cure (often about 7 days for epoxy at room temperature; check your label) plus finishing time, packaging and shipping before the date you give it. A cold room stretches cure time: a common rule is about double for every 18°F (10°C) below the label temperature. Enter your numbers and this planner gives the latest pour date.
An epoxy labeled 7 days full cure at 75°F, poured in a 68°F room: 7 × 2^(7/18) ≈ 9.2, so plan 10 days. Add 2 days to sand and add cork backs, 5 days of shipping and a 3-day buffer for a redo: 20 days. To give it on Dec 25, pour by Dec 5. Warming the room to the label temperature saves about 3 days; UV resin pieces cure in minutes under a lamp and only need the finishing and shipping time.
Ideas: DIY resin gift ideas · ornament calculator · cure time by temperature · curing in a cold room.
Work back from the date: full cure at your room temperature plus finishing, shipping and a buffer. For many epoxy gifts that means pouring in the first week of December or earlier.
It's better not to: partly cured resin can dent, stick to wrapping or pick up marks. Wait for the label's full cure.
Keep the room at the label temperature (often 70–80°F) and use UV resin for small pieces. Don't change the mix ratio.
More tools: resin calculator · mix ratio by weight · cure time · mold volume · tabletop coating · pouring too thick
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