Whether it is for Christmas, an anniversary, or just something to show someone you care, a gift is an illustration of your affection. When purchasing a gift, you take great consideration to pick something the other person will love and when it comes to wrapping that special gift, you want to make sure it is eye-catching and tempting, yet so pretty they almost hate to tear it open.

However, when it is time to wrap those special gifts, things can go sour. We start out with the determination to wrap a gift which would make professionals on Pinterest envious. But after trial and error, we end up with a package which resembles a 3rd grade craft disaster.

Although this may be a little dramatized, gift wrapping is hard and takes a lot of work. There are numerous tips and tricks which people use when wrapping presents, but what are the basics? How can you turn your uneven, tape-wrapped package into something lovely? Below are a few basic tips which are great for learning the foundation to professional wrapping. Also, check out the videos at the end for some visual guides to wrapping your gifts.

 

Cutting the Right Size Paper:

Though it may seem easier to simply guess the size paper you will need, undermining this part of the process will lead to trouble. By simply guessing, you will end up with a piece of paper which is way too small or a huge piece which must be constantly trimmed down. It is important to take a step back and figure out approximately how much paper is needed. While everyone has there own idea of how this should be done, there are two specific methods which have proven successful.

The first method is to lay out your paper, then place your box on the edge of the paper, long way, then roll the box over four times, marking where the box ends. This will assure you have cut enough paper to cover the entire box. To make sure you have enough to cover the two sides, take the paper, width wise, and pull it up to see if it covers ¾ of the boxes side. If you have this much paper on each side on the box, you will not have to worry about cutting your paper too small.

A second way to assure you cut the right size is to roll out your paper, place the box in the center and wrap the paper around the box until it meets the edge of the paper. Additionally, you will also need to make sure your paper comes approximately ¾ of the way up on each side of the box to assure you have enough paper while not using excessive amounts.

 

Taping:

Some people can get away with using just a couple of strips of tape for each present while some people use at least a whole roll.  While it is not necessary to go crazy with the tape, it is advisable to use a sufficient amount. With each step of the process, utilize tape to assure your folds stay clean and sharp. One advisable tip to remember when using tape is to keep it discrete. Using excessive amounts of tape on the exterior of your gift will take away from its beauty. Additionally, substitute frosted tape for clear or even double stick tape. While double stick tape is a little harder to use, it does eliminate tape from showing on outside of the gift.

 

The Edges:

When you first begin to wrap, make sure your main fold goes straight down the center of the gift. If it is off centered, it will throw the look off of the gift. However, if you are feeling brave and would like to try to make your gift look flawless, you can “hide your main seam.” When attempting this, instead of letting the two ends meet in the center, draw one edge of the paper just barely over the top of the gift and bring the other edge completely over the top of the box until it touches the other corner. Although this is a little challenging initially, in the end, it will create a flawless style.

 

Make Sure the Sides Match:

            When finishing your gift and trying to fold the sides, it is easy to end up with sides which are not identical. It is your goal to fold the bottom flap up to where it meets in the middle of the box’s side. Therefore, if one side is too long, simply fold the paper under until it meets in the center. This is simpler than measuring and cutting the paper. On the other hand, if something happens and one side is too short, then it is advisable to cut the other side to match. It would be better for the sides to match then for the paper to touch the middle.

 

One Final Tip:

Although it is easy to jump right into wrapping, before beginning, make sure your box is positioned correctly. After carefully securing the contents of the box, flip the box upside down so you are working on the bottom. This will assure the top of your present is flawless and clean from lines and tape therefore creating a canvas for adding additional accessories such as ribbons, bows, and name tags.

While wrapping a gift may seem like a chore, taking the time to follow these few tips, will result in you becoming faster at creating beautiful presents. Although wrapping may seem insignificant, always remember, this is the outer layer of your gift and the first thing the receiver will see. Taking the time to carefully wrap your present with style and class only adds emphasis to how much the receiver means to you.

For more information and a visual guide to wrapping presents, check out a video from Get It Free here. Utilizing this simplistic way of wrapping will make sure your gifts always look beautiful.

Or, if you would like to trying something a little more challenging, check out One Kings Lane’s video here where Megan Pflug explains how to use double-sided tape and wrap presents with no seam.

The post How to Wrap the Perfect Gift appeared first on Gifts with Style.

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