You may have already finished your holiday gift buying, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook. A gift isn't ready to be presented until it is properly wrapped, and don't think you can get away with a sloppy job. If you care enough about someone to buy them a gift, it had better be wrapped nicely.
Here's the WIRED guide to wrapping most rectangular boxes. If your present isn't a rectangular box, find one to put it in (it'll make your life a lot easier). Or if your gift is small, find a decorative gift bag and some colored tissue paper (to hide the present from snoopers). If you do have a box for your present, here's what you'll need:
• Your present
• Gift wrap
• A ruler
• A pencil
• Double-sided tape
• Scissors
• Optional ribbon or gift tag
Find a large flat surface and unravel your wrapping paper. Place your box on the wrapping paper with the side that has the largest area face-down. To check to see if you have enough paper, roll your box and make sure that the paper is longer than the total of each side of the box by two to three inches. You can use the ruler if the box is too heavy to roll, just total up four sides of the box and see if the paper is longer than that. The ruler may also come in handy as a straight edge for folding and cutting. Mark the gift wrap with your pencil so you know where to cut. Next, pull up the other edges of the paper to see if they can cover the box's height. Once you are sure that the paper can cover all sides of the box and you have a few inches of wiggle room, cut the paper. Gift Stylist Corinna vanGerwen suggests pulling the wrapping paper while you cut for straighter lines. Nothing says "I wrapped this present in 5 seconds on Christmas Eve" like messy scissor work.
Using double-sided tape is an easy way to make your gift wrapping look professional. By hiding the tape from view, gifts look much cleaner. Center the box in the middle of the wrapping paper with the largest side face-down. Lift up one edge of the paper and make sure it can cover one of the vertical sides of the box. If your box is rectangular, and not a cube, this side should be one of the longer sides, and not the smaller end. Lift up the edge of the paper and wrap it around the side so that a few centimeters of extra paper makes it onto the top of the box. Then tape the paper down.
Next, bring the opposite side of the paper over and around the box until it meets the corner you just covered. Mark the paper where it meets the edge of the box, then fold the paper. The trick is to get the end with the folded paper to line up perfectly with the corner of the box you previously covered. By lining up the edge of the paper with the edge of the box, you hide your creases, and your wrapping job will look super professional.
At this point, your gift should be in a perfect rectangular tube; now its time to cover the ends. Pick an end of the box and tuck the wrapping paper towards the middle of the uncovered side. Put some pressure on the top of the box so it doesn't slide, then make a crease. Repeat with the other side of wrapping paper. By now, you should have covered the corners of the box and have a flap of wrapping paper at the top and bottom of the present. Pick a flap and fold it down. If your flap is longer than the height of the box, you will want to trim off a bit of it before you tape it down. Next pull the other flap and fold it over the flap you just taped. If this flap is to long, fold the tip so that the crease lines up perfectly with the edge of the box (just like you did with the sides). If you use thick wrapping paper and the edges wont stay down, try using a little bit of glue. When the end of the box is wrapped up and looks like an envelop, repeat the folding process for the other end of the box.
No more sides of your present should be visible. Use your thumb and pointer finger to pinch the edges of the box to create sharp corners. Then add your ribbon or gift tag. Your gift should be presentable to your loved ones or look good under a Christmas tree. If you'd like a visual demonstration on how to wrap other shapes, watch Corinna vanGerwen's gift wrapping video. For more general tips, check out her blog.
