How to Gift Wrap

 
Someone once said that “the best things come in the smallest packages”.  In fact, the best things ought to come in the most beautifully wrapped packages.  If you’ve chosen the perfect gift for a loved one, you’ll want to present it absolutely impeccably.  Nothing beats receiving a fantastically wrapped gift – it heightens the anticipation of the mysterious contents!  If you’re interested in being a wrap artist (or wrap star!), simply take note of our guide to successful gift wrapping.

1. Plan Ahead

Planning ahead will save you stress and money.  There’s nothing worse than hurriedly rushing to the stores and haphazardly selecting some vaguely suitable paper, for a gift that is already due.  Stock up on wrapping paper, out of season.  Stick to plain, quality paper that will suit any season, and can be jazzed up with little touches – such as brilliant white paper plus a pink ribbon for Valentines.

2. Recycle

There are always things around the house that would make ideal wrapping material, with a little bit of imagination and effort.  Old magazines, the comics section of the newspaper…

3. Take Time

Don’t rush yourself.  It’s pretty much impossible to wrap a gift speedily and properly. Every second extra you take will mean another second of awe from your lucky recipient.

4. Equip Yourself

So you have paper – add bubble wrap, tissue paper, ribbon to protect yoru gift and make it look good. You’ll also need some essential packing tools such as transparent tape to keep it looking neat, good scissors and sharp ribbon scissors.

5. Set up Your Station

To ensure you don’t get any creases or tragically rip the wrapping paper, use a flat surface, such as ironing board or (clean!) kitchen counter.

6. Size It Up

Think about the shape and size of the present before you start attempting to wrap it.  Boxed items are a doddle, so if your gift is irregularly shaped, you ought to try finding a suitable box, and fill in the spaces with tissue paper or bubble wrap.  If no such box can be found then why not find a beautiful bag that you can put the gift in and they can also use later?

7. Make It Personal

Is the person you are giving the gift to passionate about the environment? Why not use some recyclable materials to show you remember. Wrapping that reflects the personality of the recipient makes the gift a lot more personal and meaningful.  Instead of buying a standard birthday card handwrite a message that lets you express yourself better. It doesn’t have to be Shakespeare, but just from the heart.

8. Get Creative

Rather than wrapping the ribbon so that the bow falls in the centre of the box, why not vary it by keeping the bow to the side. Also use materials that you wouldn’t normally use to add new twists to classic ideas.

9. Keep It Simple

As they say sometimes less is most definitely more so don’t make it look too extravagant. A simple and well packaged gift can have more impact on someone than one which has everything but the kitchen sink attached to it!

10. Leave it to the Professionals!

Alternatively, you can simply use our excellent gift-wrapping service, which includes elegant, quality wrapping paper, silk ribbons and jewel-red boxes that can be reused as keepsakes.  We also handwrite your messages for a truly personal touch!  Maximum impact for minimum effort!

Quick round up:

• Collect Generic Gift Wrap Materials, i.e. plain paper/tissue paper
• Add fun touches (seasonal stickers)
• Recycle (old cards, leftover fabric, newspaper comics, old maps)
• Stock up on gift wrap after the holidays, when prices are marked down
• Use an ironing board as your work service
• Do it in good time, all in one go, particularly if you’re wrapping several gifts (i.e. for Christmas)
• Stock up on gift wrap after the holidays, when prices are marked.
• Quality wrapping paper (looks better, thicker, easier to wrap) + transparent tape + lots of ribbon
• Personalise it, i.e. for baby add booties to bow, rose petals
• Always handwrite your card or gift tag
• Make your own paper – prints and stickers

Things you’ll need:

Tools:

Scissors, Tapes – Regular and Double-sided, Ruler and Tape Measure, Specialty scissors, Hole Punch, Pens, Wire Cutters

Wrappings:

Rolls of Gift Wrap, Cellophane Bags, Tissue Paper, Gift Bags

Tags:

Gift Tags, Self Stick Tags and Stickers, Variety of Greeting Cards, Colored Paper or Card Stock to Make Tags

Ribbons:

Raffia, Assortment of Ribbons, Glitter Wire, Cording, Curling Ribbon

Decorations:

Embellishments, Decorative Items, Rubber Stamping Materials, Glitter, Confetti

Gift Basket Materials:

Baskets, Rolls of Cellophane for Baskets, Package Shred or Straw for Gift Baskets