How To Wrap A Gift Beautifully For Any Occasion Or Holiday

Sometimes I am stymied on how to wrap a gift, especially if it is large, bulky, has sharp edges, or otherwise just doesn't fit well in a box.

Photo by muffett

In addition, there are times where I just want some inspiration and fresh ideas for how to wrap a present, so it looks beautiful and elegant.

Below is a video I found that I think is really helpful. First, it goes step by step through the basics of how to wrap a present, using wrapping paper. Some of these hints are pretty basic, but it is always nice to have a bit of a refresher course, especially around the holidays or whenever you need to wrap a bunch of presents on any special occasion.

Before showing you the video here are my thoughts and ideas about the basics of how to wrap a gift.

Learn How To Cut Your Wrapping Paper Just Right - Not Too Much, Not Too Little Tp Save Yourself Time, Money And Headaches

The part of the video below I found most helpful was the suggestion for how to make sure you cut a piece of wrapping paper that is big enough to completely cover your present, without being so bulky that it is hard to fold and wrap it.

There is nothing worse than cutting a piece of wrapping paper just to find out it is just a bit too small, and have to start over wasting even more paper. It always seems to happen when you're at the end of the roll too, doesn't it?

To find the right amount of paper needed you should lay your present down, in its box, and gently fold the paper over the box and note how much is needed to completely wrap around the present. Then, give yourself an additional two inches of paper, and cut.

One of the first skills children need to learn about how to wrap a gift is not to fold or crease the paper while performing this step, and to cut a larger amount of paper when in doubt. You can always fold it over or trim more paper away, but you can't grow it back.

Then, center the box onto the paper you just folded and note how much paper you have for the sides where you are folding and taping. You don't need to wrap the paper completely around the present for these sides, but instead want to have enough paper to cover about two-thirds of the box on each side.

Cut your paper again, if needed, to acheive these dimensions. If you have too much paper on these sides then while you are wrapping the paper will bulk up, but if you don't have enough you will have the sides of the gift showing.

How To Wrap A Gift Quick Tip - Use Double Sided Tape

Have you ever noticed how professionally wrapped presents don't have any tape showing on them?

You can easily do this yourself by using double sided tape, which gives your packages and presents a more elegant look.

If you don't have double sided tape you can make something approximate by using regular tape, and making a little circle of it. The disadvantage is that it will stick up a little, so it really doesn't work as well.

My suggestion is just to use regular tape, and be careful not to use more than needed, and in inconspicuous areas, if you don't have any double sided tape laying around.

Video On How To Wrap A Gift

OK, so without further ado, here is the video about how to wrap a gift.

Besides the basics discussed above it also gives some great tips for how to wrap items which are unusual in shape or size, and that don't fit inside a box well.

You can also check out these additional pages on the site for more ideas on how to wrap presents that are unusual shapes and sizes, and how to make a bow for your present, for even more videos and tips.

Books With Ideas And Technique For Wrapping Gifts

I know I just scratched the surface of how to wrap a gift, so here are some more resources you may enjoy and that may give you additional good ideas for wrapping presents like a pro.