How to wrap beautiful Christmas gifts

It’s always a relief when you’ve finished the Christmas shopping, but if you’re not especially handy with the scissors and tape, wrapping it all up can be just as stressful. Lucky for you, help is at hand. Just follow our simple step-by-step instructions and you’ll soon be gift wrapping like an elf in Santa’s workshop.

Preparation

Before you get started, don’t forget to remove any price tags (unless you want them to know how much you spent).

Consider placing awkward shaped gifts into boxes. Not only does this make them easier to wrap, it also makes the gift seem more exciting. A box could be anything!

You should wrap your presents on a hard, flat surface. Make sure you have plenty of room and lay out everything you’ll need nearby: scissors, tape, gift tags and ribbons.

Cut your lengths of tape first, or use a tape dispenser, so that you don’t have to hold down the paper and do the one-handed wrestle with a roll of sticky tape.

Measuring, cutting and wrapping

First work out how much paper you’ll need by placing your gift box on the sheet of wrapping paper. A good estimate is to cut a piece three times the width of your gift, which will wrap around the top of the box. The paper at the sides should be a little less than the height of the box.

 

Try folding the paper before you cut it for a neater edge. You may not be one of the superhuman few who have mastered the skill of gliding through paper in a single sweep of the scissors, so cutting along a fold will keep you on the straight and narrow.

Wrapping a box

Place the box in the middle of the paper and pull one end over so it covers the top.

Fold the paper inward at the edge you’re going to stick down to create a crisp seam. Pull it tightly over the box before taping it down.

 

Repeat the process from the opposite side, folding the edge to create a seam, pulling it tightly over and then sticking it down.

 

To seal the ends, push the top piece of wrapping down in the middle, and then fold the edges at the sides to create two triangles or ‘wings’.

 

Pull each of the wings in towards the box, creasing along the bottom to create another seam.

 

Finally, pull the flap up towards the box and tape horizontally at the top.

 

Repeat the process at the opposite end. Finally, for a professional finish, run your thumb along all of the edges to create clearly defined seams.

 

If you’re still having trouble here’s the full video courtesy of My Home Ideas.

Wrapping a tube or cylinder

Lie down your cylinder in the middle of the wrapping paper, and cut the paper to the length you need to wrap it around the tube. Don’t tape it closed just yet.

 

To measure the paper at each end, fold it up to the centre of the tube, and cut it at that length.

 

Roll up the cylinder in the paper, leaving an equal amount of paper at each end, and tape it in place.

 

Now for the ends - they’re a little tricky! Fold the paper into the centre of the tube.

 

Keep folding the paper into the middle, back on itself, at regular intervals, so that it looks forms little triangle shapes.

 

Once you have gone all the way around, tape it in place.

 

Repeat the process at the other end, and finish with a ribbon.

 

You can watch this great ‘how to’ video, courtesy of Videojug.

Wrapping awkwardly shaped gifts

As we all know, gifts can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so how do you wrap, say, a pineapple? 

Well, it’s worth repeating the idea to put awkwardly shaped items into boxes so you can then wrap the box. But if that isn’t your cup of Christmas cocoa, here are some tips that may help:

• For really large gifts, tape several pieces of wrapping paper together and wrap in the usual way. You could also try mixing and matching different patterned paper.

• Use coloured tissue paper instead of traditional wrapping paper; it’s extra flexibility means it can bind itself to the shape of your gift.

• Similarly, use ribbon instead of tape. This offers greater flexibility and also looks a lot more exciting than plain old sticky tape.

• Pop your present in a gift bag lined with tissue paper, tape the top closed, or tie it shut with a ribbon: this is an especially good method for a bottle of wine.
• Try wrapping your gift up like a Christmas cracker by leaving excess paper at each end, twisting it, and tying it with ribbons. This is easiest to do with tissue paper, which you can layer with several different colours to look really special.

How to tie ribbons

There’s nothing like a ribbon to finish off a gift and make it look truly beautiful. But if the thought of tying one makes you go all fingers and thumbs, follow these useful steps and you’ll have a pile of perfect presents in no time.

First, decide where on the box you want your ribbon to be: this could be in the middle, or towards one of the corners. With your thumb, hold one end of the ribbon on that point, leaving enough excess to tie the bow with later.

 

Wrap the ribbon around the length of the box, back to the point you are holding with your thumb, making sure it doesn’t twist. Turn the ribbon through 90 degrees, holding both layers with your thumb, and wrap it around the width of the box, back to your starting point.

 

Hold the ribbon in place and cut it so that both ends are the same length. Bring the newly cut end under the first layer of ribbon.

 

Then knot it, and tie the two ends into a bow the same way you would tie your shoes. For satin ribbons, trim the ends diagonally, or if you’re using thinner ribbon carefully run one blade of a pair of scissors along the loose ends so that they curl, for the final beautiful touch. Voilà!

 

Want to see a pro in action? Then check out the full video from Howdini.

You’ll find everything you need for the perfect present - from high quality wrapping paper, to adorable patterned ribbons - in Rex London's Christmas range.