How to Perfectly Wrap a Present in 10 Steps

Wrapping a present can be a little daunting, let alone perfectly wrap one. But you really can wrap a present easily following these steps and you’ll be proud of the end result!

Step 1

Gather all of your items together (paper, tape, tags, pens, scissors, bows, etc - check out my suggested list) so you aren’t running all over while trying to hold your box. Then find a large, flat but hard space to work on (more often then not I’m down on my hardwood floors).

Step 2

Find the right size box for your gift (not so small it bulges and not so large it rattles around). I lay tissue paper in the box so it acts as a cushion and folds over the gift so when they open the box they more layers they have to unwrap. Don’t be stingy with tissue paper. White paper is inexpensive and adds a nice touch!

Step 3

Unroll your wrapping paper placing it face down with your gift box face down on top of it. If rectangular, align the longer sides of the box to be parallel to the end of the roll. Fold the end of the paper up and over the gift until it fully wraps the box. Mark where the end meets the wrapping paper, and add on 1 inch. Then cut along this mark in a straight line.

Step 4

At this point your piece of wrapping paper is the correct width to wrap your present, but it may be too long. So with your box still in place, grab the top edge of the sheet and make sure it measures just over halfway up the side of the box. Then do the same for the bottom edge of the box and mark the just over halfway spot and cut the width of the sheet.

Step 5

Wrap the left and right sides of the paper over the box to meet in the middle of the back of the box. They will slightly overlap. Pull the paper tight and use one piece of tape placed parallel with the seam to secure it in place. If it is a longer box then use two pieces of tape. You don’t need to go overboard.

Step 6

There are two ways you can fold the ends of the box, but one way is easier to explain and looks neater and uses less tape. At one open end, take both hands and push the paper on the sides of the box in toward each other. Run your finger and thumb along each side in a pinching motion to crease the paper along the edge of the box to make a sharp edge. When the paper is folded into each side, the top and bottom will form flaps. Crease the edges of each flap (left and right sides, top and bottom flap) sharply, so that the side pieces of paper lie flat to the box.

Step 7

Fold the bottom flap upward and fold the top flap downward over the bottom flap and secure with one or two piece of tape. If you want to get fancy, you can use double-sided tape on the underside of the top flap so no tape will be showing.

Step 8

Crease the top and bottom edges of the box by running your finger and thumb along each edge in a pinching motion to make a sharp edge. Rotate the box around keeping it bottom-side up still and repeat the folds, creases, and tape on the other end.

Step 9

You can flip the box over and finish with a stick on bow, but I prefer to use ribbon or twine. I unroll a bit of ribbon from a roll and lay it flat on my work surface. Lay your box over the ribbon with the width of the box (shortest dimension) parallel with the ribbon. Then without cutting yet, I pull both the end of the ribbon and the end still attached to the roll up so that meet at a point about 1 foot higher than the top of the box. I cut the ribbon on a diagonal so it frays less and I align the ends so they meet. Then I tie the ribbon ends tight to the box in a single knot (one that can easily come undone unlike a double knot). I either use my pinkie to hold the knot in place or have someone hold it down with their finger while I tie a bow just like on your shoelaces.

Step 10

For a final touch, I use Baker’s twine to tie on an ornament, tag, or fun item found in nature. Or to include extra sentiments, you can tuck a card with the recipients name on it under the bow.