One helpful tip is to keep all your wrapping materials together, throughout the year. Have a drawer or shelf or box that's handy, and stow them away. Get together a supply of paper, ribbons, tape, tissue, and gift cards (plus a pair of scissors that's attached to a long string, perhaps, so that it stays put and doesn't wander off on a dozen other errands). In addition, collect trimmings: fake flowers, a broken string of dime-store pearls, feathers, odds and ends of notions. You'll be surprised at the way they can spark up a gift wrapping.
That professional look which some packages have when we open them often lies in the fresh crispness of their tissue. All your gifts can have this look if you line the box with tissue in the following manner. Pleat each of two sheets of paper through the center: one to fit the length of the box and extend beyond it at each end, the other to fit the width.
Fit one sheet into the box, and lay the other across it, allowing the ends to extend equally on both sides.
Now add the gift. If it is fragile, or is to be mailed, gather extra sheets of tissue lengthwise and place them around the object, to keep it from shifting. Finish by folding the extended tissue inside. Write a card with your name, place it on top, and close the box.
Try these ideas with tissue.
At each end, the paper should measure three-quarters of the box's depth
Line the box in a color to match the contents, or the color of the outer wrapping paper. Tissue is available in pastels and in red, green, and bright blue.
Use tissue that is dusted with sparkle in confetti colors, or in gold or silver.
Sprinkle sachet into the surrounding tissue on gifts of lingerie, hosiery, or gloves, for a personal, feminine touch.
Paste on bright stars or colorful seals.
Fringe or cut with pinking shears the tissue edges in lining boxes for smaller gifts.
Now for the outer wrapping.
Measure the wrapping paper and cut it to fit the box.
Measure the paper around the box, allowing about an inch for overlap. Fold back excess, and cut off.
Measure the paper up three-quarters of the box's depth at each end, and cut off excess.
Seal paper at the box's edge with cellophane tape. Tape may be concealed by overlapping the ends of a small piece of tape, then folding, keeping the sticky side out. Place the tape between the edges to be sealed, and press them together firmly.
Tuck in paper at each end of the box, crease sharply, add tape (concealed in the same way as above), and press the end flaps against the box.
To wrap a cylinder shape, trace the ends of the cylinder on the wrapping paper and cut out two circles. After the overlap is pleated, spread paste on the edges of the circles and attach one to each end of the cylinder.
To wrap a circular box, measure and cut the wrapping paper as for a rectangular one. Place the box on its side and roll the paper around it. Seal the paper with cellophane tape.
The easiest way to wrap round gifts is to use the shape, rather than disguising it. Cover with paper, securing the overlap with tape. Don't tuck the paper ends in; tie them off with ribbon and cut them to make a spaghetti fringe.
Now your gifts can look almost as attractive wrapped up as they are on the inside!
You've found the perfect gift, one completely appropriate for the recipient. But now you've realized that this gift also happens to be the impossible-to-wrap gift.
Maybe the gift is oddly shaped and won't fit in a box. Maybe the gift is digital and doesn't have a physical form. Or maybe the gift is too big and can't fit through your door. Here are ideas about how you can easily "wrap" even the most impossible gift.
Oddly Shaped Gifts
Some gifts just were never meant to be wrapped. Try one of these ideas to get that oddly shaped gift properly covered.
- Gift bags are a popular way to wrap an oddly shaped gift. Just place the gift in the bag and cover with brightly colored tissue paper.
- Put a large sheet of wrapping paper on the floor, design side down. Place the gift in the middle, and pull the four corners of the paper up and toward the middle. Close the top by tying the corners with a festive ribbon.
Gifts Without a Physical Form
Our modern computer age has brought a whole new challenge to wrapping gifts, those gifts like electronic books, downloaded software, or downloaded music. These ideas will turn your digital gift into something that can still go under the tree.
- Burn the files for the digital gift onto a CD. Alternatively, buy a thumb drive or memory stick and copy the digital files onto the memory device.
- Print the download instructions for the digital gift. Then purchase (or make) a Christmas card and include the printed instructions inside the card.
Gifts Too Big to Fit Under a Tree
For large gifts you'll have to find a "safe" hiding place. Some merchants might allow you to store the present at their store until just before Christmas. Alternatively, perhaps your garage or a storage shed can server as a good hiding spot. You might even consider using a neighbor's garage (and getting your neighbor's permission first is probably a good idea!).
With the gift in a safe spot you can still "wrap" the present and put it under the tree with one of these ideas.
- Use a Christmas card (or make one either by hand or using your computer) and announce the gift inside the card.
- Wrap a small item to represent the gift and put it under the tree. Try to choose an item that hints at what the present is without immediately revealing the secret. For example, you might use a bike tire pump to represent a new bike, a car owner's manual to represent a new car (I think most of us won't be giving a gift this big), or a house key to represent a new house (this one requires some possession of sizable wealth).
So don't let the impossibility of wrapping a gift keep you from selecting the present that is most appropriate for your loved one. Use one of these fun ideas to get that present "wrapped" and "under the tree."
Both Jimmy Cox & Robert Favero are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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