How to wrap Christmas and Birthday Presents like a Pro!

If you're looking for how to wrap Christmas presents or birthday presents, you've just hit the jackpot.

As I'm sure you'll agree most people dread wrapping presents, especially odd shaped, large ones! 

Our team have made lots of videos for you and found others. Use the jump links to quickly get to the present wrapping technique of interest, or you can wander your way down the page and read the lot - we're not going to stop you!

Let's get wrapping!

How to wrap oblong presents with Kimono style wrapping

This is a fantastic looking style for oblong gifts like books – and it will amaze your friends, so get wrapping! Kimono style is a Japanese gift wrapping hack makes a very professional outcome and once you understand it, it’s actually far less faff then traditional wrapping methods.

Watch the video below to become an artist in wrapping:

How to wrap a gift with not quite enough paper

Ever taken your frustration out on your wrapping paper when you didn’t have quite enough to go around the present? Now, if you've almost got enough to wrap it traditionally, but it won't quite fit, you no longer have to concede and cut a new piece or cut off an extra strip to stick on and hope no one will notice! I have never done that of course...

Try out this diagonal method which will save the day:

How to wrap odd shaped gifts

If you don’t have a gift bag, tissue paper or a box to put your odd shaped gift in or you have too many oddly shaped gifts that you don’t want to waste money on the above, we have the solution. This method essentially creates the perfect sized gift bag for your present which would also be great if you run out of gift bags or just want a new cheeky way to spice up your wrapping.

Click the video so you never fear buying oddly shaped gifts again:

You can also try out this handy hack of wrapping up an old tube, like pringles, to make a container to put your odd shaped gifts in:

How to wrap small presents

Sometimes tiny presents can be a nuisance to wrap and not very aesthetically pleasing or exciting for the recipient to open. We’re here to add the wow factor and make your job a whole lot easier.

This fun video demonstrates how to wrap a small present:

Or make your own DIY pillow box out of a cardboard tube, perfect for the really small and cute gifts:

How to wrap a gift without wrapping paper

Whether you’re looking to save paper, a last minute lifesaver or just to spice up your wrapping options, there are many other ways to wrap up a gift!

• Newspaper – A great option if you read newspapers regularly or can get your hands on one easily. You can even use specific sections that you think the recipient would like, such as football, the crosswords and so on.
• Scrap paper – There’s no point throwing away perfectly good paper, so jazz it up through stamps, doodles or even get your child to draw on it for some added cute factor (if it’s for a relative, let’s be honest your friends do not care about your child’s artwork). Then you’re all set to wrap up your gift.
• Reuse your rubbish – Paper bags, foil and containers are good options for this, if they are clean or cleanable… you don’t want to be giving your friend a present with food on it!
• Wallpaper – When you have finished a renovation project and have scraps of wallpaper left, why not use it to wrap a gift. Waste not want not.
• Gift bag / tissue paper – If you have one or both to hand, simply wrap in tissue paper and/or place in gift bag and hey presto!
• Gift basket – If you have any spare gift baskets or hampers and a lot of small gifts then this is a good option. Plus the basket becomes part of the gift and makes it extra special.
• Old items – Reuse old pieces of paper and items that you have no purpose for any more, such as sheet music, maps, recipes, calendars and so on.
• Fabric – There are so many options that you can try with fabric, for example you can use fabric swatches or even a scarf that can be part of the gift! Even better, use furoshiki style wrapping (see below) to beautifully wrap it up.

Some more unusual wrapping methods we've researched for you!

How to wrap presents without tape – Japanese wrapping method

Try out this Japanese tape free method and you’ll never go back:

Here’s a fantastic way to wrap a present without tape using a variation of the Japanese wrapping method, perfect for when you’ve run out of tape (especially the night before), lost or forgotten it (plonker) or want a more environmentally friendly method (go you!).

Japanese department store wrapping method – with tape

Once you master this Japanese wrapping method, you will be wrapping gifts at light speed. This hack will be especially useful at Christmas when you are drowning in gifts to wrap. It’s a win-win because this wrapping method saves wrapping paper as it only uses what it needs and saves you time. Efficiency at its best!

Check out how to become the fastest wrapper you know:

Wrap a gift with cloth – Japanese furoshiki style

Furoshiki is a square piece of cloth that can be used for wrapping up gifts. This is a perfect eco-friendly method as the cloth can be reused and doesn’t need any tape – just the cloth! Moreover the cloth then becomes part of the gift and really makes for beautiful wrapping that will wow your friends and family. This would also be a great method for origami lovers as it uses similar techniques.

Learn how to wrap presents beautifully with cloth:

wrap your present to disguise your gift as something else

Although the idea of making gifts look like something else has been around for a long while, back in December 2020 this became a huge trend on TikTok. Is it any wonder when we were all stuck in lockdown for the second time? Gotta pass the time somehow and may as well bring some festive cheer too!

This year make your presents confusing by wrapping them as something not even close to the original present. Imagine the faces of your loved ones on Christmas morning, opening up what they thought to be a kettle and turns out to be slippers!

This hilarious video below is a compilation of the funniest versions of this TikTok trend for wrapping presents to look like something else, and hopefully it will spark your creativity. Anything from a watch being wrapped as a step ladder, to clothes being made to look like a push along walker. Obviously you don't have to go that far, but you'll get the idea! Wrapping gifts to look like something totally different adds that extra bit of fun to Christmas morning and makes wrapping fun too!

How to wrap round / cylinder shaped gifts

I’m guessing it must be Christmas time again with all the selection tins of biscuits that are a pain in the arse to wrap? Don’t worry, this year you don’t have to resort to a gift bag, we have a method that will make your friends and family think you are a gift wrapping expert… which you soon will be!

Here’s a fab video to show you how to wrap those pesky biscuit tins in style:

Just in case you have an even bigger challenge, here’s a brilliant video explaining how to wrap a cylinder shaped present with the added bonus of no tape needed! It’s a win-win:

How to wrap big presents

Is it just me, or do kids presents just get bigger every year? When it’s not the kid’s plastic crap, it’s your friends wanting large presents like lawn mower! Look below to see how to wrap unnecessarily big and difficult presents…

Click the link below to finally be able to deal with the MASSIVE presents:

Saving on wrapping paper for big presents

Our handy suggestions for when it would be too expensive to use wrapping paper on a humongous present:

• A cheap table cloth
• Reuse wrapping paper that was gifted to you (just make sure you don’t give it back to the same person!)
• Collage together scrap pieces of wrapping paper and magazines
• Old road maps that have no use anymore

Unusual wrapping ideas

Got a lot of tiny presents and want some variation in wrapping? Here’s a few novelty ways to wrap up a present... Fill up plastic baubles with any of your tiny gifts, whether that’s sweets, socks, jewellery, money or anything your heart desires, you can buy a range of bauble sizes:

This sweet-style gift wrapping could also be used on any size gift but would look very sweet on a tiny present:

Why not make your own Christmas crackers to put your gifts in and really surprise your friends and family on Christmas Day:

How to wrap presents with a ribbon

If you enjoy making aesthetically pleasing presents and have mastered how to wrap, then why not move on to adding a snazzy ribbon too? What’s great is that they will most likely reuse that ribbon for a present as well, especially if you teach them all your newfound tips and tricks.

Here’s a great video on how to tie a cross ribbon:

If you have mastered that and are feeling a little fancier then have a go at this diagonal bow - we have two videos here for you, the first is more detailed (but in Chinese):

How to nicely put tissue paper in a gift bag

Wrapping isn't just about paper. Ever wondered how shops so nicely display tissue paper in gift bags? Turns out it’s pretty simple and we are here to give you their secrets. Now you no longer will have to scrunch up tissue paper in your gift bag and call it a day.

Here are two fantastic videos to help style your gift bags:

And finally - To wrap this up!

To wrap up, you now have what it takes to deal with many gift wrapping scenarios for your needs. Go forth and wrap, but before you leave why not take a look at some of our wrapping paper to go along with your new skills? Or peruse through our gift section if you’re still looking for the perfect present or little extra.