Traditional Wrapping Style

Looking for a way to impress your grandparents and other relatives? Use a traditional method of wrapping to surprise them over the holidays. This style does take a lot of effort, but the end result is worth it.

Supplies:

• Festive wrapping paper (reversible is a fun choice because it allows for contrast that still complements, and it adds to  the professional feel)
• Tape (preferably more basic, nothing heavy needed)
• A pair of good scissors
• A ruler for straight lines
• A dark pen for marking the lines with the ruler

Directions:

1. Place the present in a box. We used an old shoe box,  something rectangular works the best.
2. Place the wrapping paper, with the side you want to be on the outside facing down on a hard surface.
3. Put the present on the wrapping paper, with the top facing down.
4. Measure how much paper you will need to cover the present on the sides and bottom without revealing what it is. Mark this with your pen.
5. Cut carefully along the line.
6. Once the paper is cut out, pull the two sides of the paper together tightly. Make sure that they do not rip or wrinkle.
7. Tape the sides together, horizontally.
8. Move on to the untaped sections of the box. Carefully place your fingers on both the left and right sides of the individual corner. Fold the edges      into form triangles.
9. There shouldn’t be any excess material noticeable. Tape the sides together carefully. If leftover material shows through the tape and the final packaging, cut down any unecessary paper.
10.  Once happy with one side, move on to the next side. Repeat the process. Be sure to trim down any excess material.
11. Add a bow and a card for decoration. If the color matches the wrapping paper, it will look the best.

Easy Does It

If you don’t have time to wrap a gift in paper, a good alternative is a gift bag. To make the simplicity look more appealing, you can choose a color that matches the wrapping paper used for other gifts. Be sure to cover the gift with coordinating tissue paper (we used blue and silver paper in our bag), so the recipient can’t see what his or her present is. A nice card and matching, shiny bow add elegant touches and only take a few more seconds to place.

Supplies:

•     A gift bag (in a color that matches other gifts)
•     Two colors of tissue paper that complement each other
•     Bow that matches the tissue paper
•     A small card that ties to the straps of the bag
•     A pen or permanent marker
•     Designated gift

Directions:

1. After you have all of your supplies set out, open the gift  bag and set it upright. Be sure that the bottom square is set on a table or other sturdy area.
2. Find your gift and the tissue paper.
3. First, wrap the bottom and sides of the gift in the paper you don’t want to be as visible.
4. Repeat this step with the other color of the tissue paper. Be sure to cover the first color of paper. This doesn’t have to be done perfectly.
5. Place the gift into the bag carefully, so the paper doesn’t rip.
6. Look down into the bag. If the gift is clearly visible,  fluff the top of the tissue paper. Don’t be afraid to add some wrinkles to the top, it covers the gift better.
7. Write your message in the card with a writing utensil. Going the extra mile? Feel free to decorate the outside of the card as well. Be careful, sometimes markers smear if you move your hand too quickly.
8. Tie the strings of the card to the straps of the gift bag. To make it look more presentable, tie a bow. However, the string is short so this can be difficult.
9. Take out the bow and separate it from the sticky paper used as a backing. Attach this to the bag. Now, go back and make any changes to the bag.
10. Decorating is an option, but don’t go overboard. The  key is to keep the bag simple.

Stay Timely

If you run out of wrapping paper but don’t want to use a bag, find some old (or new) newspapers around the house. This can be used as a replacement for wrapping paper, and will look nice if you select carefully. Try and choose a section of the paper that your recipient would like the most, like the sports section or comics. One problem with this style of wrapping is that newspaper rips easily, so you might have to cover ripped edges with clear packing tape.

Supplies:

• A newspaper section that reminds you of the recipient
• Clear packing tape
• A box (so that the newsprint won’t get on the gift)
• Scissors
• Thin ribbon (a color that matches the other gifts)

Directions:

1. Take the selected newspaper section and spread it out on a hard surface. Put the images you want to see in the final product face down.
2. Place the box containing your gift face down on top of the paper.
3. Make sure you have enough paper to cover the sides of the box.
4. Cut around out the paper that you need.
5. Bring the edges of the paper to the center of the longest side.
6. Pull the sides of the paper as close together as possible. Then tape them together.
7. On the sides that have not been taped, trim them down so they are not too long.
8. Cut six-inch sections of ribbon.
9. Gather the paper in your hand and crumble the sides a little.
10. Tie the sides with the ribbon. Don’t make a bow.
11. Carefully take the edge of your scissors to the ribbon. Hold your thumb on top of the ribbon (which is over the blade) and pull the scissors down. Your ribbon should now be curly. Repeat for the other side.
12. Pull the sides of the paper as close together as possible. Then tape them together.
13. On the sides that have not been taped, trim them down so they are not too long.
14. Cut six-inch sections of ribbon.
15. Gather the paper in your hand and crumble the sides a little.
16. Tie the sides with the ribbon. Don’t make a bow.
17. Carefully take the edge of your scissors to the ribbon. Hold your thumb on top of the ribbon (which is over the blade) and pull the scissors down. Repeat.

All that Glitters

If you need a cheap alternative to a gift, buy a can of your recipient’s favorite soda from a vending machine. Be sure to decorate the outside with some tissue paper and ribbon to make it look more eye-catching. Even though this is an affordable gift, work can make it look priceless.

Supplies:

• Soda can
• Two colors of tissue paper
• Scissors
• Ribbon

Directions:

1. Cut your tissue paper to the designated lengths. Here, it doesn’t matter if the cuts are done perfectly.
2. Wrap the color you don’t want to see around the soda can, covering the sides and the bottom of the can.
3. Wrap the color you want to see over the other color. It doesn’t need to cover it exactly.
4. Cut a ribbon long enough to go around the soda can twice, and tie it around the can in a knot.
5. Carefully take the edge of your scissors to the ribbon. Hold your thumb on top of the ribbon (which is over the blade) and pull the scissors down. Your ribbon should now be curly. Be sure to repeat this for the other side of the ribbon, so it looks more cohesive.