How to wrap a gift in 6 easy steps
So you're done with your Christmas shopping and now you have to wrap them gifts. It's not that antagonising, really. Follow our easy tips to start wrapping like a pro!
1. Prepare the stationery, don't be stationary
Prepare all the stationery you need before you even begin! You'll want to have beside you wrapping paper of course, a pair of scissors or a penknife, clear tape (washi tape works too if you like!), a pencil to make any markings, and a ruler.
Want to take things up a notch? Prep ribbons and gift tags. Dried flowers do well in adding that final personalised touch.
Where are you wrapping your gifts - off a table, or while sitting cross-legged on the floor? Do what's more comfortable for you, but always make sure you have a flat, smooth (avoid anywhere textured or rough) and hard (no carpets) surface to place your gift and wrapping paper. It really makes all the difference in helping you work more efficiently and ensure the end result is neat and creaseless wrapping.
2. Measure it up, size matters
Lay your wrapping paper flat, with the patterned/coloured side facing down, then place your gift in the centre on top of it. If the item is odd-shaped, lay it on the flattest and largest side because that will form the most stable base to help you wrap more easily.
Then measure the sides (including the height) of your gift. Multiply that by at least 2.5x per side to get the size you need to trim your wrapping paper to. Better to be more generous and allow more leeway for the paper to cover your gift. Make light markings on the insides of the sheet so you know where you'll be cutting later on.
3. Cut, can you make the cut
This step is probably the easiest - with the pencil markings you've just made, carefully cut your wrapping paper. Quick hack: use the spare cut pieces as decorative finishing touches; fold them into paper hearts or ribbons as you deem fit - this also reduces wastage so that's getting more good out of gift wrapping right there!
4. Fold, be bold just fold
Now place your gift at the centre of the paper with the largest side facing down again. The length of the gift box should be the side closest to you (instead of the breadth). Take the end of the paper from the side furthest from you and wrap it over the top and around the box, then tape that corner down to secure it. That corner should run off the top side of the box by about 2-3 cm.
Carefully fold in the other sides. If you're continuing with the side closest to you, bring the paper over the box until it overlaps the edge you just covered. With this sequence, you can balance off any excess paper on each long side so it looks neater when completed, and also when it's later unwrapped. Otherwise, you can also fold the shorter sides first. Just make sure the edge of the folds line up perfectly with the box corners and there're no unnecessary air pockets that will make the gift look sloppishly out of shape.
5. Paste, seal the deal
It's a good habit to tape down each side as you go along to prevent the box from sliding as you wrap. (Another quick tip: if you're worried about too much tape looking unsexy, double sided tape works to conceal all sealing.)
As you work, tape down or cut away any excess paper that might be sticking out while you were creating the folds. For irregularly shaped gifts, you will have to watch out for funny ends sticking out too, and deal with that accordingly. Finally, bring the final side of the paper over the box and paste to secure neatly. Give yourself a pat on the back - you've truly arrived!
6. Decorate, it's time to celebrate
The gift wrapping is complete, but have the gift represent YOU. Add finishing decorative touches - an elegant satin ribbon, 3D craft materials, a gift tag with a handwritten greeting, or a sprig of dried baby's breath!
If you need some craft inspo, here's a handy list of places you can get your wrapping materials from:
SPECIAL THIS YEAR: we've teamed up with Jovan Neo, a special needs artist from The Art Faculty, to design motifs for our exclusive year-end gift wrappers and spread the message of inclusiveness. The wrappers are available at our CapitaLand malls across Singapore, so...
Snag yours now!
We're also bringing this meaningful collaboration online with our e-greeting cards, so you can share these carnival-inspired motifs with more of your loved ones this Christmas.
Follow these easy steps to send your e-greeting:
1) Click on the download link and right-click to save the
2) Insert the saved image in the body of your email
3)
4) Hit 'Send'! 😊