How to Wrap Presents

We all have them: that one relative whose gifts always look picture perfect, while yours come out looking like it's been through a bad day at Santa's workshop. Feel frustrated no more, in just a few easy steps you can be that giver of perfectly wrapped presents that everyone else envies.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Clear tape
• Scissors
• Wrapping paper
• Ribbons and bows

1. Roll out your wrapping paper (selecting an appropriate holiday or seasonal theme) and place your gift in the middle of a section of it. You want to cut a piece of paper that will be the same shape as your gift, more or less.
2. Take one side and securely fasten it to the gift box on a side or bottom, using a piece of tape. Don't fasten it to the top.
3. Pull it snugly around the gift until you overlap your anchored side by about a quarter to half an inch. Secure with a piece of tape.
4. Fold in the ends. This is where most people's wrapping starts to go astray. With the top of your gift facing up, on one end fold in the sides where the wrapping paper extends beyond the edge of the box. The two sides, when folded inward, should not overlap. If they do, take your scissors and carefully trim off the excess. Patience is the key here, don't let your holidays frazzle you.
5. Extend that fold all the way to the top and bottom flaps you've created with your wrapping paper. These should now look like triangles with neat creases along the bottom. Fold the bottom flat against the gift, secure it with tape, then fold the top triangle over it. Secure the sides of the top triangle using tape.
6. Repeat Steps Four and Five on the other end of the gift. Affix a holiday or festive ribbon or a bow if so desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice makes perfect, of course, so feel free to take some old shoeboxes and try it out first on an easy shape.
• Squares and rectangles are much easier to wrap. That's why most gifts come in boxes. If yours didn't, consider putting it in one before you start trying to figure out how to neatly wrap a basketball.
• A single bow affixed to a top corner looks just as nice as that big, fancy, and impossible for mere mortals to tie ribbon you get from the stores. Unless you're a boy scout with great fashion sense.