Find the perfect gift every time.

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Learn how to wrap your gifts perfectly every time, no matter what shape they are, with these easy to follow walk-through guides.

In an ideal world every gift you wrap would be a lovely box shape, with smooth edges and everything running at clean 90 degree angles.

That way measuring out the amount of wrapping paper you need would be easy, it would fold over perfectly flush with no bunching or overlaying parts, and you'd end up with a perfect finish every time, 

However in the real world this is definitely not the case.

Because although you will get a few box-shaped gifts to wrap, you will also get a vast assortment of items that come in all shapes and sizes.

And these can prove a real challenge to wrap.

As gifts like teddy bears, bottles, balls, tubes, and round containers are very fiddly, and can make your life a misery when it comes to the wrapping stage.

As they don't just take a lot longer to wrap, they are also incredibly hard to get looking nice.

And ending up with a wrapped gift that looks like a mess isn't just frustrating, it can undo all the good feelings created by the love and thought you put into getting it.

So in my eyes, learning how to wrap your Christmas gifts neatly and professionally is well worth the effort.

And the good news is it really isn't that hard to do. It just takes some practice and a little patience.

So in this post I'm going to show you how to wrap the following:

This should cover most of the bases and have you wrapping like a pro in no time at all.

How To Wrap a Box-Shaped Gift

Let's start with what should be the most straight-forward gift to wrap, which is one that is box-shaped.

As the square edges and straight lines mean that if you get your folds and method right, then you should be able to wrap a gift like this neatly and crisply every single time.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    To measure out the height of wrapping paper you'll need, place your box-shaped gift on it so that the bottom edge of the paper folds up to cover 3/4 of the side. Measure this same length the other side and trim the top.
  • 2
    For the width, place the gift on the edge of the paper, then rotate it across until it has spanned all 4 sides. Now add 2" to where the edge finally lands and trim.
  • 3
    To begin wrapping, position the box just off center, so that you can fold one end of the width of paper over to finish flush with the top of the opposite side of your gift.
  • 4
    Now make a start by folding up the shorter end of the width over the gift and attach it to the top with a piece of tape.
  • 5
    Fold the longer end over and attach it to the paper underneath using double-sided sticky tape.
  • 6
    For the sides, crease and fold down from the top edge of the box and secure it with a piece of tape.
  • 7
    Now crease both sides of the paper so they are flush with the edges of your gift, then fold them in in triangle shapes, securing them together with tape.
  • 8
    Finally crease the bottom of the paper so it's flush with your gift, then fold it up in a neat triangle to complete the job. Secure it underneath with double-sided tape.
  • 9
    For a professional finishing touch, crease all the edges of your gift by running your fingers over them to create crisp and sharp lines.

How To Wrap a Box-Shaped Gift Diagonally

Now there's more than one way to cook an egg depending on your tastes, and this is also the case when it comes to wrapping a box-shaped gift.

And I actually prefer a slightly different way to the previous example, which is to wrap them diagonally.

As doing it this way seems a lot easier to me, and it will still leave you with flush, crisp edges and lines.

You'll also use up less paper by wrapping diagonally, which is never a bad thing when good quality wrapping paper can be pretty expensive.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    Begin by placing your rectangular box diagonally in the center of your wrapping paper.
  • 2
    To make sure your piece of paper is big enough, lift two opposite corners of the paper over the box. Each one should reach the opposite side and all 4 corners of the box should be covered.
  • 3
    Now lift the paper at the corner closest to you over the box and tape it down to the opposite edge.
  • 4
    Then fold the paper in at the left hand corner of your box, and lift it so you get an edge that is flush with the side of your gift. Secure this with a piece of tape.
  • 5
    Now do the same with the right hand corner.
  • 6
    Finally fold the two remaining corners in in a similar fashion to create a flush edge, then lift the paper over to the opposite side. Secure with tape and job done!

How To Wrap a Tube-Shaped Container

Wrapping a tube-shaped gift is fairly easy to begin with, as to cover it all you need to do is to wrap the paper around it.

However, where it gets more tricky is with the ends.

Because if you don't get the ends right, it can leave them looking bulky, untidy, and in a bit of a mess.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    To measure out how much paper you'll need, roll your gift in the wrapping paper until it's totally covered, leaving a little overlay. Then trim off the excess.
  • 2
    Trim off the top and bottom of the paper, leaving enough to cover about half of the top and bottom of your gift.
  • 3
    Now roll the gift back up inside the wrapping paper until it's covered, and stick the middle seam together using double-sided tape or glue underneath the overlay. Easy part done!
  • 4
    To cover the bottom end, fold one part of the paper in against it, then create a series of triangular fan folds to go right around the base until it is completely covered. Secure with tape.
  • 5
    Do exactly the same with the top end.
  • 6
    You can now add a nice decorative touch such as a bow or flower rose, or you could create a ribbon spiral effect.
  • 7
    To do this, attach a piece of ribbon to the top of your wrapped gift with sticky tape.
  • 8
    Now rotate it down around the gift at a 45 degree angle until you reach the bottom. Trim of the excess and secure it to the bottom with sticky tape.

How To Wrap a Round Box or Container

Wrapping gifts that come in round-shaped containers such as biscuit and chocolate tins follows almost exactly the same method as wrapping a tube-shaped gift.

However you need to take a bit more care here with the pleats, as your top and bottom will be the most visible parts of the gift.

So try to keep your pleats even and neat to achieve an impressive result.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    To measure out your paper, stand your round box up on it's edge in the center. Both sides of the paper should reach up the sides about halfway, while for the lengths you need one end to come to reach up to the center of the top, while the other reaches over by 1-2".
  • 2
    Now fold one of the long ends over by 1cm and apply double-sided tape to it.
  • 3
    Lift the opposite end up and over the top and secure it to your gift with tape.
  • 4
    Then bring the end with the tape on it up and over, and secure it to the paper underneath using the pre-applied tape.
  • 5
    To cover your base you need to begin by folding the paper at the top in on itself at 45 degree angles on both sides.
  • 6
    Next fold one piece of the paper in towards the center creating a triangular pleat.
  • 7
    Work your way around the base, pulling the paper into the center and creating neat and even triangular pleats. Make sure the the paper remains flush and tight to the round edge of your gift as you do this.
  • 8
    Repeat this process until the base is totally covered.
  • 9
    The final pleat will be slightly uneven compared to the rest and the paper will look a bit untidy, so tuck it underneath your first pleat to keep your whole base looking even and symmetrical.
  • 10
    Repeat these steps to cover your top.

How To Wrap a Pentagon-Shaped Box

At the risk of sounding repetitive, wrapping a pentagon-shaped box will follow similar steps to wrapping round and tubular-shaped gifts.

The only thing that differs here is that you need to smooth your edges down as you work your way around the pentagons 5 sides to keep everything flush and neat.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    To measure out your paper, stand your pentagon up in the center. Both sides of the paper should reach up the sides about halfway, while for the lengths you need one end to come flush with the tip, while the other reaches over the tip by 1-2".
  • 2
    Now fold one of the long ends over by 1cm and apply double-sided tape to it.
  • 3
    Lift the opposite end up and over the tip, then bring the end with the tape up until it is flush with the tip of the pentagon. Secure it to the paper underneath using the pre-applied tape.
  • 4
    To cover your base you need to begin by folding the paper in slightly (45 degree angles) at the tip on both sides.
  • 5
    Next crease the paper down flush to one side of your pentagon from the tip, then fold the paper into the center from the bottom corner, creating a triangular pleat.
  • 6
    Repeat this process as you work your way around each side until the base is totally covered.
  • 7
    The final pleat will be slightly uneven compared to the rest and the paper will look a bit untidy, so to counter this tuck it under your first pleat and your whole base will look even and symmetrical.
  • 8
    Repeat these steps to cover your top and your pentagon-shaped box is wrapped.

How To Wrap a Triangle-Shaped Box

Wrapping a triangular box-shaped gift is a bit more complicated than rectangular or cylindrical ones.

But as long as you follow the right method it needn't be too challenging.

You just need to take a bit of extra care with this one to get your folds into neat triangles to achieve a great final effect.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    Measure out the width of your paper by standing your triangular box upright on top of it. The paper on both sides should fold up to cover about 2/3 of the height.
  • 2
    To measure the length, bring one end running up the side of the triangle until it sits flush with the tip. Do the same with the other side but allow an extra 1" overlay past the tip before trimming.
  • 3
    To begin wrapping, bring the edge with the overlay up and over the tip of the box. Now apply double-sided sticky tap the other end and bring it up to pass the overlay so it sit flush with the tip of your gift. Secure it to the paper underneath with the tape.
  • 4
    For the sides you want to get things looking centered and symmetrical. Start by creasing down one side of the triangle from the tip to the bottom, then crease along the bottom too. Fold into the center in a triangle shape.
  • 5
    Rotate the gift over by 45 degrees, and then crease the new bottom with the edge of the gift. You now need to fold in both sides towards the centre one at a time until you end up with a neat and centered triangle fold.
  • 6
    Once you're there, lift the fold up and secure it to the paper underneath with double-sided sticky tape.
  • 7
    Repeat these steps with the other side and you're done!

How To Wrap a Sphere-Shaped Gift

Trying to wrap things like balls and globes neatly with wrapping paper can feel like fighting a losing battle.

As no matter how you wrap your paper around the ball, there's no way of covering it without scrunching it up.

So you end up with a ball-shaped monstrosity of mashed up paper and exposed tape holding it all together!

An easier (and more aesthetically pleasing) way of doing this is to use decorative tissue paper rather than actual wrapping paper, as this has more give and will mold around your gift without looking nasty.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    Before you begin, place a roll of tape underneath the tissue paper that you have laid out to wrap your object. You can then sit your round gift on top of the tape to hold it in place as you wrap.
  • 2
    Now bring one half of the tissue paper up to the center of the top of the ball, and hold this in place with one hand.
  • 3
    From here gently work your way around the ball with your other hand, bringing the paper up to the top as you go in neat segments.
  • 4
     You should switch your hands at the halfway point to make this easier.
  • 5
    Once the whole gift is covered and looking nice, scrunch the top and tie it in place using a piece of ribbon.
  • 6
    Finally, iron out the creases at the top, then trim it off so that it is the desired length.
  • 7
    This leaves you with an attractive bauble style gift that will look fantastic.

How To Wrap a Bottle-Shaped Gift

Wrapping a bottle follows a similar method to wrapping a tube-shaped item, with the difference being how you wrap the top.

And this is where things can go horribly wrong.

Because many people have a habit of scrunching the paper at the top to mold to the shape of the actual bottle, which leaves the gift looking really untidy in my opinion.

So follow the below method to achieve a better finish.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    To measure out your paper, roll the bottle in the wrapping paper until it is totally covered and leaves a little overlay. Then trim off the excess.
  • 2
    The bottom of the paper should be just enough to cover the height of the base, while you should leave about 4" above the top of the bottle.
  • 3
    Fold one of the long sides of paper over by about 1cm, and apply a strip of double- sided tape to it that measures the same length as your bottle.
  • 4
    Now roll the bottle back up inside the wrapping paper and stick it to the overlay.
  • 5
    To cover the base, bend a piece of paper in against it, then create a series of neat, triangular pleats to go right around until it is completely covered. Secure this with tape.
  • 6
    Stand the bottle up and smooth the paper upwards.
  • 7
    Finally fold the top of the paper over by about an inch, then do the same again. Secure with tape to seal.
  • 8
    You can now add bows, tags and decorations to your elegantly wrapped bottle.

How To Wrap a Pillow-Shaped Box

Pillow-shaped gift boxes have become increasingly popular in recent years.

And they are great for housing small and valuable gifts, and can be a good option for occasions such as weddings and engagements.

Wrapping them isn't too difficult, but to get a crisp and flush finish you need to put a bit of a work into the curved ends to marry everything up tightly and neatly.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    To measure out your paper, place the pillow box flat and horizontal towards the top of the paper. The sides should come up to the the height of the box, while for the body, the short length should come over the top by 1-2", and the long end should come right over finishing slightly short of the edge of the opposite side.
  • 2
    Once you've got your paper cut to size, apply double sided tape to the long end, lift the short end up on top of the box, then bring the long end right over and secure it to the paper underneath with the tape.
  • 3
    Now crease down the top ends of the edges with your fingers so that they run flush to the rounded edges of the pillow box.
  • 4
    Spin the box over and do the same with the bottom ends.
  • 5
    Now make small folds in the paper on the side until the flap is an oval shape that will mirror the shape of the side of the pillow box with no overlays.
  • 6
    Once you're happy with this, secure it with double-sided tape.
  • 7
    Repeat with the other side and your pillow box is wrapped to perfection.

How To Wrap an Oddly-Shaped Gift

Some gifts are shaped in such unique ways that they just seem impossible to wrap neatly, and are a pain in the backside to attempt to wrap even when your standards don't need to be that high.

For example, gifts such as teddy bears, dolls, loose toys, clothes. or any other traditional stocking fillers all fall into this category.

So instead of struggling to wrap the paper around to fit their dimensions, why not make a neat and tidy gift parcel that you can house them in instead?

This will look a hell of a lot neater and classier.

And it'll also help to conceal what the gift actually is, rather than giving the game away with your teddy bear-shaped gift sitting under the tree.

The steps to follow:

  • 1
    Measure out the width of wrapping paper you'll need by wrapping it around your gift till it's covered, then adding a couple of inches overlay. Leave a few inches over at the top and bottom of the paper too when you trim it.
  • 2
    Now fold the two sides into the center so they meet, with one overlaying the other by an inch or so. Secure these together using double-sided tape underneath the overlay.
  • 3
    To make your base, fold the bottom of the paper up by about 4" and make a crease. Then open it out and crease it down, so it creates a triangle shape on both side.
  • 4
    Fold the two tips of the triangle to the center with one overlapping the other slightly, and secure underneath the overlay with double-sided tape.
  • 5
    You can now stand your new gift pouch up. Go ahead and place your oddly-shaped gift inside it.
  • 6
    Now close the top by folding over the top of the paper by 1-2", then doing it again, before securing it shut with tape.
  • 7
    You now have a neat gift pouch that looks really classy. Feel free to add extra decorations, ribbon handles, or flower bows at this point to finish off.

Rounding Up

I hope that the sizes and shapes of gifts I've included here will cover pretty much all of your gift wrapping needs.

After all, wrapping gifts of certain shapes and sizes doesn't need to be a headache.

It's just a case of learning the right ways and methods, then having the patience to practice them until you get the hang of it.

So you don't need to be put off buying that oddly-shaped gift in the future because you don't fancy wrapping it.

And who knows, once you become an expert you may even look out for ever weirder shaped items to give yourself a challenge!

Happy wrapping.