Giving gifts can feel great, but wrapping them? Not so much. Finding the perfect box and wrapping paper to fit your present are often the beginning of a tiresome process that often intimidates even the most thoughtful of gift-givers. We get it, more often than not, it is simpler to just throw the gift in a bag with some tissue paper and call it a day. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Wrapping gifts can feel just as great as giving gifts if you’re armed with the right supplies, tips, and attitude.
We’ve put together some creative and easy-to-follow tips for gift wrapping that will make even the least seasoned gift wrapper excited to pull out the paper and bows.
Basic Tools of the Trade
It’s ideal to have the following supplies on-hand while gift-wrapping:
- Wrapping paper (depending on the size of the gift you can also use newspaper or another fun alternative)
- Straight-edge ruler
- Scissors
- Double-sided tape (you can use decorative tape or Washi Tape if you don’t have any double-sided tape)
Tips for Wrapping Gorgeous Gifts
- Use a straight-edge ruler to measure the dimensions of your gift box. It’s okay if your measurement are a little off. You’re still learning. It’s better to have a little too much paper than not enough because you can always cut off the excess if you need to.
- Make sure you cut your gift wrap so that you have double the width of wrapping as the width of your box.
- Cut along the edge of the ruler to keep your lines straight.
- Make sure you have just enough paper left on each end to go up the height of the box.
- Use double-sided tape to avoid unsightly tape lines. Place the tape right along the crease at the edge of the package. If you don’t have double-sided tape, you can use Washi tape, so the visible tape lines get a fun touch of design too.
- Smooth out the edges by pressing along the creases after closing the wrapping with your tape.
Now that your gift is wrapped, you can add some special touches to personalize your gift even more:
Origami Ornaments
We re-used pages from our 2015 holiday catalog to create these cute origami gift ornaments. For the origami heart in the video below get the folding instructions here, for other fun origami projects check out this site.
Gift Tags
Print our free gift tags here: http://www.uncommongoods.com/fun/free-downloads/free-downloads
- Bonus tip: Use a decorative hole-punch to add extra pizzazz to your present.
Twine
Measure your twine so it is approximately six times the width of your gift box. Wrap the twine around the top of the package, cross it at the bottom of the package and then wrap it back around to the front to create the shape of a plus sign. Insert your gift tag or other origami ornament over the twine before tying it in a bow or a knot.
We hope these tips help make your holiday preparation a little easier, and add a little extra twinkle to your giftees’ eyes before they rip open their perfect presents. Happy holidays–and happy wrapping!
