If you've gone to all that trouble to pick out a gift, wouldn't it be a shame to go to the trouble of wrapping it? You may feel like you're a little left-handed, but it's really not that big a deal.
Tips before you start wrapping
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Inspect the gift from all sides, if you find a price tag, take it off.
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Buy good quality wrapping paper that won't tear before it gets into the gift recipient's hand. It doesn't necessarily have to contain a whole range of colours, even plain parcel wrapping paper looks great. It's sturdy, and if you use natural twine to tie a twig to it, it will stand out among the other gifts.
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Before you get started, prepare your duct tape and scissors so that you have them handy.
Wrapping gifts according to their shape
How to wrap a square gift
Books and any boxed gifts wrap in a snap. Place the gift on the wrapping paper and wrap it. This will give you an idea of how much paper you will need. If the paper has a grid on the back, cutting it is a breeze. For paper without a grid, take a ruler. But leave a few centimetres margin, for bending. Leave a small overlap on the shorter side.
Don't have enough paper or don't like to waste it? Try the Japanese wrapping technique. Place the gift diagonally on a small strip of wrapping paper and simply fold all sides of the paper over the gift and tape over the gift.
How to wrap round gifts
Do you panic when you have to wrap anything that isn't square? Round gifts are easy to wrap, no need to panic. Just cut enough paper to fit the gift, wrap it and tie the ends with ribbon so that the gift looks like candy.
How to wrap soft gifts
Soft treats are a gift classic. But wrapping them and not getting your wrapper all tangled up can be a bit torturous at times. If you have a box handy that the gift will fit in, feel free to put it in. Then it will wrap itself. Another option is to wrap it in cellophane, which you tie at the top with a ribbon. It just won't be such a surprise if you choose clear cellophane. If the gift can be rolled up, you can wrap it with paper and tie a ribbon around the ends to create a soft version of a candy bar.
How to wrap asymmetrical gifts
How to wrap mugs and other gifts of all shapes? You don't have to invent any complicated ways. Either a gift bag will do the trick (you can even make one if you want to exercise your creativity), or put the gift in a box before wrapping. And then do the same as you would for a square gift.
Eco-friendly packaging
How to wrap a gift organically without wrapping paper? They've figured it out again in Japan. Their furoshiki technique of wrapping gifts in square scarves is gaining popularity all over the world. The scarf or any other fabric can of course be reused.
Original packaging
Do you want to wrap your gift in a truly memorable way? Give it a gift wooden box with a crowbar. The only way for the recipient to get to the contents is to pry open the lid. Which promises great fun and double the joy of the gift.
Wrapping paper with your own design
Are you a toy girl? Get wrapping paper without printing and make your own designs on it. You can use watercolours, markers and acrylics to make a stamp out of a potato. Oh, and if you're really serious, you can create your own designs using linocut.
