How to Wrap Christmas Gifts Like the Professionals in 7 Steps

Once you’ve braved the shops and bought the presents, give your Christmas gifts that extra special touch with a professional-looking gift wrap. No need to take it to the experts — we’ve brought the experts to you. Juliette Hadland and Louise Miller from Hallmark share the secrets of success for a wowing wrap that your family and friends will love to find under the tree on Christmas Day.

General Top Tips

Be frugal with your paper. Using too much only leads to bulk and uneven folds, so save your money by saving on paper. Ideally, the ends should overlap by just 3 to 4 cm when you fold them.
When you’ve cut an uneven edge, make sure you fold it over so that there’s a neat finish before you stick it down.
Invest in some double-sided tape or folded sticky tape for a really professional finish. Alternatively, you could make a feature of your sticky tape by using Japanese paper Washi tapes on a plain-colored wrapping paper to give your gift a really modern and fun-looking twist.
Save money by making your own bows and accessories out of leftover wrapping paper.

For Those Tricky-Shaped Gifts

We all have those one or two rogue items in our shopping bags that are a feat to wrap. For small fiddly bits and bobs, it’s often better to go for a pillow box instead. Just wrap your gift in tissue paper and place inside the box.
If you’re wrapping an item of clothing, try cutting a piece of card to size and placing inside or underneath the garment. This will make your parcel feel more sturdy and avoid the problem of accidentally scrunching up or ripping the garment. It also helps you do those difficult neat folds and corners. It’s a wonder-worker on all fronts!
You could try wrapping any awkward items in several layers of tissue paper. Then, just add a band of coordinating wrap around the center.

For Something Extra Special

You can create a novelty gift cracker by just using a toilet roll. It’s great for wrapping sweets and other small items! Just pop your gift inside the toilet roll tube, roll a couple of layers of tissue paper around and place a piece of coordinating wrap around the tube. Finish off by tying curling ribbon or some string around each end to create a cracker shape.
Choose colors that fit nicely together, and if you’re using a very busy wrap, accent it with a plain-colored wrap and decoration. Mixing different textures adds an extra-special touch to your gifts, while a metallic wrap with a velvet ribbon or a matte wrap with a satin bow gives a more luxurious feel.
Don’t be afraid to use everyday objects such as twigs, feathers, or scraps of fabric as accessories to your wrapping. It looks great and gives your presents that stamp of originality.