5 Ways to Properly Wrap a Gift

No gift-giving occasion is complete without wrapping paper, and lots of it. At Waterleaf Paper, we offer biodegradable, eco-friendly wrapping paper to cover all of those important gift-giving occasions. While our wrapping paper can make a big splash thanks to the many beautiful designs that we offer, if your wrapping skills are lacking, your gift may be dead on arrival, visually speaking.  

Here are the methods to have you wrapping like a pro.

#1: The Traditional Method

The most traditional gift-wrapping method is also the easiest, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take some practice and finesse in order to make it look professionally done. To wrap a gift using this method, you’ll need some sharp scissors, some scotch tape and some embellishments if you’d like, such as ribbons, bows, etc.

First, place the gift face down on the rolled out paper, with the pattern facing down as well. Make sure to roll out enough paper that there is plenty of space on all 4 sides of the gift to successfully wrap around the gift without leaving gaps. Then, cut your paper along the crease of the roll.

Next, grab a couple pieces of scotch tape and fold one side over the paper, with the crease on the gift. Do this by wrapping the two longer sides, with one piece overlapping the other. Tape to secure.  

Now, there should be paper hanging over the other 2 sides of the gift. Press this paper down with your hand and fold two triangles inward, toward the center of the gift. Bring those two triangles together and fold them over the top of the gift, and tape to secure. If necessary, trim the ends first so that there isn’t too much paper getting folded over. Embellish as desired.  

#2: Wrapping an Oddly Shaped Gift

If you have an unusually shaped gift, you can choose to put that gift in a box to make it easier to wrap, or simply wrap it bare. If you go with the second option, there’s a method that’s best suited for unusual shapes, such as stuffed animals, asymmetrical vases, etc.

Start out unrolling your sheet and placing the gift face down, like we described earlier. This time, however, you’ll want to cut a larger sheet of paper than you would for a rectangular or square-shaped gift, based on its size. Now, follow the same step as above, of wrapping the gift length-wise first, with a good amount of overlap and some tape to keep it in place. 

Continue with the method above to fold and wrap the other sides. The use of extra paper will make up for the odd shape, and act more like a pouch containing the oddly shaped gift than wrapping it snugly.

#3: Wrapping a Cylindrical Gift

If you have a cylindrical gift like a bottle or a tube of some sort, roll out enough paper to wrap around the cylinder and place the gift on the paper. Now, cut the paper at the crease and roll the gift into the paper, and secure with tape. Make sure to leave enough paper on either end.

From there, simply start gathering the paper at either end and folding it against itself over and over until you can properly cover each end. Again, you may want to trim if there’s too much excess. Secure with tape and embellish as desired.

#4: Wrapping a Gift for a Gift Bag

If you’re going to be wrapping a gift to put into a gift bag, you have the option of using traditional wrapping paper or tissue paper, since the main source of visual impact is the bag rather than the paper. Use the same methods above to wrap the gift, and then stick it into the gift bag before topping the gift with bunches of scrunched up tissue paper.  

#5: Wrapping a Gift That’s Being Shipped

If you’re wrapping a gift that’s going to be sent in the mail, you can use the same wrapping method to wrap the box, except you’ll want to use packing paper, which is a thicker, sturdier paper similar to the paper used for paper bags you get from the grocery store. Traditional wrapping paper is not durable enough to withstand the rough and tough treatment that packages get as they’re being shipped from one place to another.

Wrap Your Gifts the Right Way to Make a Big Impact

Wrapping paper can be used to wrap just about any type of gift under the sun, and even those tougher gifts, like ones that have asymmetrical shapes and extra-large gifts can be wrapped beautifully with a little time and imagination.