How to Wrap Christmas Presents

One of the best things about Christmas is giving presents to the people you care about.  The wrapping is part of the present, and should get the recipient excited about opening the gift.  Use my simple 3 step recipe to create beautiful looking Christmas presents to put under your tree this year.

Christmas Wrapping Supplies

Before you start wrapping your presents, decide on a theme and get all your supplies together.  This year my theme is green, white and silver.  Here’s what you need:

• Assorted rolls or sheets of paper – I used glitter reindeer paper from Trade Secret, white gloss paper from Hallmark, and silver glitter spot paper from Kmart.
• Boxes for those hard to wrap presents such as clothing and china – I used plain boxes from Overflow
• Ribbons in assorted designs and colours – I used some from Provincial Home Living, Overflow and some I already had
• Decorations – something to add to the top of the wrapped present to make it pretty and interesting.  I’ve used, baubles, dried eucalyptus, silver wreath decorations,  and some silver brooches and buckles.
• Equipment – scissors or paper cutter, tape on a dispenser

Wrapping your presents all at once is usually more time efficient than wrapping them as you buy them.

Three Steps to Christmas Wrapping

Regardless of your colour scheme, or what materials you use, gift wrapping can be simplified into 3 steps:

1. Wrap the present in paper or a box
2. Tie a ribbon around it
3. Add a decoration (and maybe a gift tag or sticker)

Step 1 – Wrap the Present

It’s much easier to wrap boxed gifts.  If you have hard to wrap gifts, consider boxing them before wrapping.  Here’s how I wrap a boxed gift:

Video – How to wrap a boxed gift

The key is to only cut enough paper to cover the box.  Too much paper makes it hard to achieve neat folds and edges.

Step 2 – Tie Ribbon around the Present

Ribbon instantly dresses up a present.  I like to use an assortment of ribbons in different colours, sizes and patterns so my presents all look a little different when they’re under the tree.  I usually do a bow for girl presents and a simple knot for the boys.  Here’s how I tie a bow so it sits well.

Video – How to Tie a Bow around a present

How much ribbon – Allow enough ribbon to go all the way round the box plus extra for the bow.  A bow needs about 30-40cm (12-16″) of ribbon each side.  It’s better to allow too much than not enough ribbon.

Step 3 – Add a Decoration

To give your presents that special touch, add a decoration to the wrapping.  Here are some decoration ideas:

• Christmas decorations and baubles
• Buckles and buttons
• Mini-wreaths
• Foliage – rosemary, eucalyptus, gardenia, boxwood
• Brooches

Here’s how I tie my ornaments onto my presents:

Video – How to tie a decoration onto a present

Wrapped Christmas Presents

By working with a colour scheme, all your presents will look co-ordinated under the tree.  I like to mix up different papers, ribbons and decorations so each present it slightly unique. I like co-ordinated, but not all the same.

EDITED 15 December, 2016 – Now that I have finished my Christmas shopping, here are some close-ups of the individually wrapped presents.

I hope you found this simple 3 step gift wrapping recipe useful.  If you did, I love you to share it with others who might also find it helpful.

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I'm Kylie, and I love to share practical home decorating and styling tips. I'm a qualified interior designer and self taught crafter and DIY'er. I'm addicted to decorating, and can't walk past a homewares shop without going in for a look. I live in a 1930's Queenslander in Brisbane's inner suburbs which I'm turning into a home one project at a time.