How to Wrap a Present {Tutorial}

It's Day 21 in WeNdYs WiNtEr WoNdErLaNd!

Welcome! Today I share with you some great wrapping tips and 8 easy to do GIFT WRAP LOOKS! 

Busy busy busy!  Just when you think you have everything finished something else comes up!  If you are prepared with a few simple items close at hand then you will always have a way to finish off your present with a SPECTACULAR looking wrapped present!  You know they say that there is never a second chance to make a first impression!  This is so true with a Perfectly Wrapped Present.  Seeing something beautiful gets others excited before they even know what is inside!

I do know a thing or two when it comes to a Perfectly Wrapped Present.  You could say that I am an expert in this field! Yes I am saying that!  My first job EVER {circa 1982} during college was a seasonal gift wrapping job at Neiman Marcus in The Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip!  I really learned a lot from this too, along with some secrets I can not tell!  I was very well trained with very strict wrapping rules too.  With all of the tourists and the locals it was a busy place.  I was so good that I got a few huge tips for my wrapping  and even one tip for $100. !! Only  in Vegas baby!

So now I will share a few quick tips and ideas to get you on your way to wrapping all of your Holiday presents.
FIRST if you have these few plain and basic items on hand you will have success every time!
1.  scissors {you don't want to tear}
2.  double sided tape {a must have}
3.  wired ribbon {I buy rolls of this at Costco you get a 50 yard roll for $6 I collect them!}
4.  white tulle ribbon {I use this to wrap everything - inexpensive 100 yard roll lasts forever}
5.  neutral color yarn {so versatile}
6.  plain white wrapping paper {I always have this for any occasion}
7.  plain brown craft paper or paper grocery bags {hey they are free}
8.  plain gift tags {you can decorate them to match anything}

There are many other materials you can keep in your wrapping stash but these items are basic and you can achieve a lot of looks with them so they are a must.  Now I will share with you some different looks I achieved using what I already had laying around the house.

Having plain brown and white wrapping paper is a must.  I also recycle all of the brown paper bags I get from the grocery store as well!  I used a recycled paper shopping bag for this one.

Cut it apart and used the plain side for my wrapping paper.

Then I wrap the box.  Yes starting in September I save all usable boxes to use for wrapping things at Christmas.  If it is a really great box I will save it earlier than that.

For GIFT WRAP LOOK #1 I used my brown paper bag and simply wrapped it with white tulle ribbon and tied it off with a double bow and inserted the front page from a recycled Christmas card!  I save them after the holidays to use for gift tags and other wrapping ideas such as this.  Cute, creative and free!

For GIFT WRAP LOOK #2 I simply wrapped some raffia, leftover from the famous cell science project earlier this month with my daughter, and tied it up with a hand stamped gift card and a tree shaped cookie cutter tied to the raffia bow. I love adding ornaments or other gifts to the bows on my presents.

For GIFT WRAP LOOK #3 I took this same brown paper wrap and simply wrapped it with my thick and chunky creme colored yarn and tied a plain gift tag to it.  Simple, easy and classic homemade.

For GIFT WRAP LOOK #4 I added a huge fuzzy pom pom made from the same yarn!  Looks like a warm snowball!  Who wouldn't get excited about being "hit" by this one?

To make the fun and fuzzy pom pom I made a cardboard pattern which was 4 inches wide, and wrapped yarn around it 40 times.

Next you carefully slip yarn off the cardboard and tie it all the way around the middle with either yarn or wire.

Then you cut through each yarn loop.

Trim up any ends you want to and give your pom pom a haircut!

And there you have a Perfect Pom Pom!

For GIFT WRAP LOOK #5 I simply made a snowflake out of a paper towel which gave it a great texture!  Check out how I make Paper Snowflakes!

For GIFT WRAP LOOK #6 I used a plain white paper and simply added snowflakes.  Speaking of snowflakes...I got carried away with them when I did my tutorial on them and tried making these out of the comics and a bright Christmas ad I found in my newspaper.  They have a great look to them don't they.  Creative, cute and free!

For GIFT WRAP LOOK # 7 I used the same white paper and simply added this great Christmas Red wired ribbon and tied it in a triple bow and added a felt Santa ornament.

For GIFT WRAP LOOK #8 I used a black and gold wrapping paper and topped it off with a double wrapped bow.  Every year I choose a wrapping paper and ribbon to use for our Christmas presents.  They all match under the tree and it looks stunning.  My children think its weird.  Some might thing it is going a bit too far and that I want everything to be perfect but they would be wrong.  Well while I admit that is does look fabulous, I do this because I buy them in September when they first come out at Costco and at one roll of ribbon for $6 and a huge, never ending, roll of fancy paper for even less than that, I would be crazy not too!  After I had this one all wrapped up I realized that the paper I chose this year had snowflakes on it so I couldn't help myself but add one of my snowflakes to see how it would look.  Oh and Santa presents, that appear by Christmas morning, are always wrapped in special Santa paper!  Now here is my tutorial to actually wrapping that perfect present!

Start with your box upside down so when you cover it the seam will be on the bottom.

 

Measure the paper so that it will cover the top and bottom and for the side cuts you want to measure up halfway on your box.

After you have measured and covered the box, you will cut your paper.  Many papers now have these easy to follow grids on them for straight cutting lines.

Bring up first side to bottom of box and press onto place on the bottom of the box.

Before you bring that edge up, and all others, you will put your double sided tape on the back side.  This double sided tape is a MUST for a very professional look.  You do not want any tape ruining the look of your paper.

After you pull that first side up you will want to gently run your fingers across the corner edge to make sure paper is tight to the box and crease your corner, for a more professional look.

Before you bring to second side up to meet on the bottom of the box, you want to fold the edge under for a finished look.  You do not want any raw edges showing, only these folded edges.  Take your fingernail and press down on all of your edge creases for a crisp and professional look.

 Bring that other side up now and tape, double sided of course, into place.  This is still the bottom of the box now.

Now you are working on folding the sides up.

Remember to keep it tight and crease and press and use that double sided tape!

Fold, crease and pull up that bottom taped edge and...

Once you do the same to the other side you are done!

Now you take some silky wire edged ribbon.  Mine was 2 1/2 inch wide.

Wrap it around your wrapped package, keeping the box upside down, and twist...

and turn the ribbon around the other side then flip package over and...

bring it up and twist and then tie a simple bow and...

tie another simple bow right on top of the previous one and...

then to finish the bow off you simply take the bottom end of your ribbon, let the tail drag a little bit, and fold ribbon in half and cut at an upward angle.

This gives your bow a very professional and fabulous look!

Don't those crisp clean edges make a difference?

So there you have it.  How to wrap a "Perfect Present" and other Gift Wrapping Tips and Ideas!  Easy, inexpensive but with such simple and dramatic looks all at once!  I have given classes before on creative gift wraps so I will have to share those ideas with you another time.

Have you wrapped things up yet this holiday season?  If  you are running late you could always use the ole shopping bag idea or take a tip from my 22 year old son.  Since he was a young boy he is famous for his almost impossible gift wrapping!  He wraps tons, seriously the rolls I buy are always missing, of duct tape around the boxes! I am still finishing up some last minute wrapping with my girls so I will have to add an updated picture of all things under my tree a bit later!  HAPPY WRAPPING!