How to: Wrap a present
‘Confession: I’m a gift-wrap nerd.
Aaron Spelling’s wife had three whole rooms in their Bel Air mansion dedicated to gift-wrapping. I dream about having a room (just one for me, thanks. I’m not greedy) in my house just like it one day.
I get upset when people hand me presents that aren’t wrapped properly. The art of gift-wrap has special significance – it shows respect for the person you are giving the gift to, and respect for the gift itself.
A beautifully wrapped gift is a kind of magic – it creates anticipation about what might be inside and it transforms the item into something meaningful, rather than just handing it over in the bag it came in. This Christmas put in some effort.
To perform the task properly, you’ll need the right tools: good quality paper, grosgrain ribbons, sharp scissors, sticky tape (matte finish is best, it disappears onto the paper) and some gift cards as well. If the present you’re giving is a funny shape, try popping it in a box before wrapping to make your job easier.
Step One: Measure twice, cut once.
The thing that ruins wrapping most often is excess paper. To measure your present properly, start with the width. Place the gift in the middle of the paper and fold the edges of the paper to meet in the middle. They should overlap by about an inch. Mark the spot with a pen or keep your finger on it. Move the item you’re wrapping to the correct spot and use it as a guide to cut your paper. If you’re really tricky and your scissors are really sharp, you can do that cut-in-one-long-motion like the pros do – it makes the finish a little more polished. To measure the length, move the box again to almost the edge of the paper. When you fold the paper up it should reach just over halfway up the gift.
Step Two: Fold and secure
Tape down the paper in the middle of the present. If you have straight, uncut edges here, it goes on top. If you have cut both these sides, try folding the edge under to make it a straight, seamless line. You can secure this lip underneath with some double-sided sticky tape. For the ends, get the vertical sides first and fold them onto the box while holding the present firmly in place. Then fold the horizontal flaps on 45-degree angles to form a triangular shape and overlap, securing with tape. Make sure your creases are precision! Again, if there’s a ragged piece left at the top, fold it neatly to a straight edge.
Step Three: Pimp your present
Don’t think for a second that you’re finished here. Take your decorative ribbon and wrap it right around the box, twisting it underneath so the ribbon runs both horizontally and vertically along the gift. Add your gift card and you’re done!
NB: If you do have a big, weirdly-shaped item that you think will go better in a gift bag, then by all means do that.
But we do expect it nestled in lovely folds of coordinating tissue paper, not just chucked in there with the price tag still on it. So now you have these tips – go forth, and ‘wrap it up’ for a person you’d like to spoil.
How to: Wrap a present
‘Confession: I’m a gift-wrap nerd.
Aaron Spelling’s wife had three whole rooms in their Bel Air mansion dedicated to gift-wrapping. I dream about having a room (just one for me, thanks. I’m not greedy) in my house just like it one day.
I get upset when people hand me presents that aren’t wrapped properly. The art of gift-wrap has special significance – it shows respect for the person you are giving the gift to, and respect for the gift itself.
A beautifully wrapped gift is a kind of magic – it creates anticipation about what might be inside and it transforms the item into something meaningful, rather than just handing it over in the bag it came in. This Christmas put in some effort.
To perform the task properly, you’ll need the right tools: good quality paper, grosgrain ribbons, sharp scissors, sticky tape (matte finish is best, it disappears onto the paper) and some gift cards as well. If the present you’re giving is a funny shape, try popping it in a box before wrapping to make your job easier.
Step One: Measure twice, cut once.
The thing that ruins wrapping most often is excess paper. To measure your present properly, start with the width. Place the gift in the middle of the paper and fold the edges of the paper to meet in the middle. They should overlap by about an inch. Mark the spot with a pen or keep your finger on it. Move the item you’re wrapping to the correct spot and use it as a guide to cut your paper. If you’re really tricky and your scissors are really sharp, you can do that cut-in-one-long-motion like the pros do – it makes the finish a little more polished. To measure the length, move the box again to almost the edge of the paper. When you fold the paper up it should reach just over halfway up the gift.
Step Two: Fold and secure
Tape down the paper in the middle of the present. If you have straight, uncut edges here, it goes on top. If you have cut both these sides, try folding the edge under to make it a straight, seamless line. You can secure this lip underneath with some double-sided sticky tape. For the ends, get the vertical sides first and fold them onto the box while holding the present firmly in place. Then fold the horizontal flaps on 45-degree angles to form a triangular shape and overlap, securing with tape. Make sure your creases are precision! Again, if there’s a ragged piece left at the top, fold it neatly to a straight edge.
Step Three: Pimp your present
Don’t think for a second that you’re finished here. Take your decorative ribbon and wrap it right around the box, twisting it underneath so the ribbon runs both horizontally and vertically along the gift. Add your gift card and you’re done!
NB: If you do have a big, weirdly-shaped item that you think will go better in a gift bag, then by all means do that.
But we do expect it nestled in lovely folds of coordinating tissue paper, not just chucked in there with the price tag still on it. So now you have these tips – go forth, and ‘wrap it up’ for a person you’d like to spoil.