Gift Wrapping like a professional

2 minute read

A beautifully-wrapped gift, complete with a perfectly tied bow, is a joy to receive. 

However, tear the paper, get in a sticky mess with the sellotape or fold a floppy ribbon and it doesn’t take much for your gift-wrapping dream to become a fiddly, frustrating nightmare. 

Add in the pressure for perfection during the Christmas season and you can be all hot and bothered even before the turkey has made it into the oven!

This year, APDO member Simon Wigzell of Let’s Get It Wrapped shares his 5 favourite gift-wrapping tips to help take the stress out of your seasonal wrapping situations.  

1. Store your wrapping materials in a clean, clear box

Your Christmas gift wrapping materials may be packed away all year, but finding them easily when you need them will save you rummaging around and wasting time searching for them. Store them in the same accessible place every year so you remember where you put them. Use a clear box so you can see what’s inside and invest in box dividers so your different materials stay organised and manageable. Simon loves the range from A Place for Everything.

2. Have a clear and clean surface ready to spread out your paper 

A dining table or office desk is perfect for spreading out your paper. Reduced space will probably end up with scrunched-up paper and a tatty-looking gift if you’re not careful. Have all your supplies handy so you’re ready to cut, wrap, stick and tie as you go. 

3. Cut your paper to the right size

This is a real time saver. Undercut the paper and you won’t have enough to cover the gift. Overcut and the excess paper will make it tricky to crease squarely. Some paper has lines marked on the back to help with measuring and cutting. Place the gift on the paper and fold the paper over so it covers the gift with an inch or so to spare all the way round. Now trim the excess and you’re ready to start folding those perfect edges.

4. Cut all your paper to size for each present

If you have the space, cut your paper to size for every present first. Next, write your tags and put them with the paper and gift so you know whose is whose. Now you can begin wrapping. Lastly, cut and tie all your ribbons. Process is the key to completing the job quickly!

5. Declutter unused supplies every 2 years 

Have you ever thought to yourself, “that bit of paper might wrap something small one day?”  Every couple of years, declutter your gift-wrapping supplies and recycle all those small bits and bobs that haven’t been used. Children’s nurseries and places offering art classes are often happy to receive your offcuts. 

Try these simple steps to help restore the joy of giving gifts this Christmas so you can get on with the things that really matter.