How To: Wrap a Gift Like a Pro

‘Tis the season of gift giving and the perfect time to learn how to properly wrap a gift. With a little practice, you can forgo gift bags altogether, and learn to create perfect corners and tidy packages. And, we’ll even show you the sweetest way to wrap a bottle of wine. Grab your tape and scissors, your favorite roll of wrapping paper, and a spool of ribbon – let’s wrap.

Wrapping a Standard Box
 

1. Begin by rolling out your wrapping paper and placing your gift atop it. Be sure you have enough paper to fit around the entire gift (you can do this by simply pulling the paper around the gift and cutting a few inches longer than this measure). Cut your paper.
    

   

   

    

2. Bring paper from the long side of your box up to the center of your box and secure it with a piece of tape.

3. Pull the other side tightly to avoid wrinkles, fold the end of under (about a ½-inch so you have a crisp clean line) and tape it closed.

4. Moving on to the shorter ends of your box, face the open end toward you and push the right and left edges in to form flaps at the top and bottom.

5. Fold the top flap down to the box, pulling tightly, and tape it. Then, fold the very end of the bottom flap up (about a ½-inch to give you that crisp line), fold the bottom flap up tightly and tape it in place. Repeat on other end of package.

6. Add your bow. If you want your ribbon to extend around both sides of your box, cut a ribbon about 4-5 times the length of your box.

7. Fold the ribbon in half and center the middle on the center of your box’s center. Pull your ribbon around to the bottom of your box and cross the ribbon’s end. Extend the ribbon at a 90 degree angle and pull it around the ends of your box, meeting at your starting point.

8. Feed the ends of your ribbon through the bottom of the flat part of your ribbon, tie a knot, and then a bow. Add spruce tips of any accoutrements you like.

Bonus! Wrapping a Bottle of Wine

Last minute gift? Don’t worry about it; everyone likes a bottle of wine! Use a patterned dish towel as a clever way to wrap it. That way the recipient gets two gifts in one!

1. Fold your tea towel in half lengthwise.

2. Slip your bottle in to the open end and fold that bottom right corner in.

3. Roll the bottle all the way to the end of the towel, leaving about 6 inches at the end.

4. Fold the end in about an inch to create a smooth line and continue rolling the towel around the bottle.

5. Place a ribbon around the base of the bottle’s neck to secure it. Tie your bow and there you go!