10 Simple Steps to Papering Perfection

Not only does beautiful wrapping conceal the contents, but it’s another way of showing someone how much they mean to you. What’s more, it also adds more excitement when it comes to opening their gift.

There are oodles of different ways to wrap pressies, but the real secret to papering perfection is measuring the gift wrap properly. Instead of using more than you need, using less allows wrapping to be an easier procedure, not to mention make your gift look uber chic.

Nail this, and you’ll breeze through that mountain of present wrapping – whether it’s a birthday, wedding, christening – with carefree composure.

1. Take off the price sticker. Surely you don’t want Mum to know her perfume was bought from a charity shop or that your partner’s electric toothbrush was bought from the clearance shelf, right? To avoid a very awkward moment, remember to remove the price tag. If it can’t be taken off, get a black pen and black out the price.

2. Place the gift in a box, if it’s not in one already. This’ll make wrapping a hell of a lot easier and save you a lot of time. If your box comes apart easily, use a bit of tape to keep it from coming open during the wrapping process. Just make you don’t use so much that the person will have to use a chainsaw/machete/scalpel to open it.

3. Choose the right paper. Select a medium-weight gift wrap big enough to cover the gift with a few inches to spare. Unroll a length of wrapping paper onto a hard, solid surface.

4. Get the measurement right. Firstly, put the item on the wrapping paper and measure how much paper you’ll need. Make sure you have enough paper to go around the box once and that the width leaves extra on each side. It’s always best to have a bit more than you need so the wrapping overlaps.

5. Mark your cut-lines. If you find cutting difficult, mark your cut lines using a straight edge like a ruler. Alternatively, you could neatly fold along the line you’ll need to cut along, unfold, and then cut along the fold.

6. Let the wrapping commence. Put your gift upside down in the centre of your gift wrap.

7. Fold the paper around the item. On the horizontal side of the paper, take one side and fold it over to the bottom of your gift. Taking the other side, fold that over, too. This is where the extra inch comes in! Take the longer side and fold it under so you have a nice, smooth crease rather than a rough cutting. Place it over the other end and pull it firmly. Tape it together.

8. Fold one side of the box at a time. On one end of your package, fold the corners in so you have a sort of triangular shape. Fold the straight end over, and then pull it to the top of your parcel. Tape it. Do the same to the other side.

9. Add a few finishing touches.To make it look super pretty, ribbon’s always a winner. Make sure it’s long enough to go right around the gift tin in your desired pattern. If you want to go for a classic look of a cross on top and bottom, you’ll need twice the amount of ribbon: that’s twice the width, twice the height plus enough to tie it and make a bow. Once you’ve tied the bow, why not curl the ends with scissors?

10. Add a card. For a beautiful, personal touch, tape a card on top of the present. If you have awful handwriting, type it out instead. If you don’t have a card to hand, neatly cut out a piece of wrapping paper and turn it into a card. Voila!