How to Wrap a Present—Experts Share Tips For Any Kind of Gift and a Stress-Free Season

Celebrating with family, winding down from the busy season and giving gifts make this time of year extra enjoyable. However, actually wrapping those presents can bring your spirit down if you’re not prepared. To save you some stress, we turned to the experts for their best tips on how to wrap a present. Keep reading for the best way to wrap a present based on the item, what to do if you run out of supplies and how to make a gift bag out of wrapping paper.

How to wrap a present: Easy tips

The best way to wrap a present all depends on the gift. However, Siobhan Alvarez-Borland, lifestyle expert and DIY Expert, says to start with the basics:

• Start by picking wrapping paper that suits the occasion and cut a piece big enough to cover your gift, leaving a few extra inches on each side.
• Lay the gift face-down on the paper, fold one side over tightly, and secure it with tape.
• Repeat with the other side, folding the edges for a clean look.
• For the ends, fold the paper down into a triangle, tuck it under, and tape.
• Add a ribbon or bow, and you’re done! Bonus tip: Use double-sided tape for a seamless finish.

But what happens when your gift is too big, you run out of supplies or you’re dealing with an abnormally-shaped present? Luckily, we have expert tips for your wrapping woes.

Try a tablecloth if your gift is too big

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Instead of using an entire roll (or two) of wrapping paper, grab a festive plastic tablecloth from the party store or dollar store. “Extra-large gifts can be wrapped in a tablecloth and tied with ribbon like a Santa sack,” says professional gift wrapper Vanessa West, owner of Avenue Wrapping in Memphis, Tennessee.

Use fabric as a wrapping paper alternative

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Furoshiki wrapping is a traditional Japanese way to use cloth for gift wrapping, explains West. Simply take a square cloth, handkerchief, blanket or scarf and wrap the present inside, securing it with a hand-knotted bow. Not only is this method reducing waste, but if you wrap it in a nice scarf or blanket, it’s like giving two gifts in one.

Get creative if you run out of tape

What happens when you’re in the middle of a gift-wrapping frenzy and discover you’re all out of tape? Don’t sweat it! “If you run out of tape, get creative! You just need something sticky to hold the wrapping paper together — like stickers, packing tape or even a few dots of glue,” says Ginnie Leeming, creator of Hello Little Home in Dallas. “A strategically placed ribbon can also hold the wrapping in place.”  

Cover excess space with a ribbon

“If your wrapping paper is an inch or two short, wrap the package, leaving the open space in the middle of the box. Then cover the gap with a wide ribbon,” advises Leeming. Another option from West: “Grab a coordinating piece of paper and wrap it around the box in the same way you would a ribbon. Make sure it’s wide enough so when you tie a ribbon around it, you have all the layers showing.”

How to wrap different types of gifts

When it comes to wrapping different types of gifts, Nina Vargas, celebrity business strategist, stylist, and creator, believes the wrapping is part of the gift itself. No matter what you’re wrapping, “presentation is part of it, no doubt.”

Tiny gifts

If you don’t want to waste a big box on a small gift, the pros at RedTedArt have a simple solution: Use a toilet paper roll! To make a mini gift box, fold in one end of the cardboard cylinder so that it closes. Then, place the petite present inside and fold closed the other end. To decorate it, you can paint it or simply add a ribbon or bow and voila, a perfectly sized gift box!

Gift cards

It’s fun to present a gift card in an unexpected way, encourages Leeming. “Try wrapping it in a giant box — surrounded by lots of tissue paper—so they really have to dig for it,” she suggests. 

Funky-shaped gifts

Vargas jokes and says it’s better to get a gift box instead of wrapping these. “Funky-shaped items are cute until you’re knee-deep in crumpled paper, regret and a loss of time and frustration build up,” she says. “A well-fitted box keeps things clean and makes wrapping a breeze.” But if you are feeling adventurous, here are easy steps:

• Treat it like a giant candy.
• Lay your item on the paper.
• Gather the edges up toward the middle, and twist both ends to secure with ribbon.

How to make a gift bag out of wrapping paper

Whether it’s a stuffed animal, basketball or succulent, it can still be wrapped! The easiest way: Make a quick custom bag out of wrapping paper.  Alvarez-Borland notes that it’s a lot easier to do this than you’d think. Here, her step-by-step instructions for transforming your wrapping paper:

• Start by cutting a piece of wrapping paper large enough to fit your gift.
• Lay the paper flat, fold the sides inward to meet in the middle, and tape them together to form a seam.
• Next, fold up the bottom to create the bag’s base and crease the edges.
• Open the bottom fold, flatten it into a diamond shape, and fold the top and bottom points inward, securing them with tape.
• Open up your bag, pop in your gift, and fold or tie the top closed!

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