How to wrap a present

Cut the paper to fit the box before you fold anything, because neat corners come from the right amount of paper, not from more tape.

A woman measuring wrapping paper around a cardboard box on a table before cutting it — Photo: Helena Lopes / Pexels

Area: HandsFrom age 8Time to learn: 30 minutes

Measure the paper to the box, hem the long seam, fold each end into two triangles, and finish with a ribbon tied in a bow that sits straight.

Why it matters

Messy ends usually come from too much paper. Extra paper bunches at the ends and cannot be folded flat, which is why the 4-H gift wrapping manual from Purdue Extension says to cut the paper to proper size and not to bundle the box with a lot of excess at the ends and corners. A ribbon bow is the same knot as a shoelace bow, so anyone who can tie their shoes can finish a gift.

How to do it

If the box has a lid, tape the lid to the box. Lay the box upside down in the middle of the paper, with the paper's pattern facing down.
Measure the width. Bring the paper up and over the box until it reaches all the way around, then add 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) for the overlap. Mark the spot and cut in a straight line.
Measure the ends. Trim the paper so that it sticks out past each end of the box by a little more than half the box's height and no more than three-quarters of it. With less, the end flaps will not meet; with more, they bunch.
Pull one long edge up and tape it to the box. Fold the other long edge under by about 1 inch (2.5 cm) to make a clean hem, pull it snug over the first edge, and tape the folded edge to the paper, not to the box.
At one end, push the top flap down flat against the box. Push the two side flaps in; the paper will form two triangles. Crease each fold with your fingertips.
Fold the bottom flap up against the box, keeping the paper tight, and tape it in place. Repeat at the other end.
Cut a length of ribbon about six times the length of the box. Keep the wrapped box upside down, seam side up, and center it on the ribbon. Bring both ends up to the middle of the seam side, twist them around each other once, and take them out to the two sides that have no ribbon.
Turn the box right side up, so the twist is underneath. Bring both ends to the center of the top and tie a firm knot close to the box.
Tie the bow. Make a loop in each end, like the two loops of a shoelace bow. Cross the left loop over the right, wrap it around, and pull it through the hole underneath. Pull both loops tight and even out the loops and tails.
Check the bow. If the loops sit lengthwise along the ribbon instead of straight across it, it is a crooked granny bow. Untie it and start the first knot with the other end on top.

Common mistakes

Cutting too much paper. Extra length at the ends makes thick, lumpy triangles; trim it before you fold.
Taping the long seam straight to the box. Tape the folded edge to the paper underneath so the seam lies flat and clean.
Creasing with your fingernails, which can tear or scratch the paper. Use your fingertips.
Tying both knots of the bow in the same direction, which makes the bow twist and sit crooked.

You can do this when …you can wrap a shoebox with no paper bunched at the ends, a hemmed seam along the bottom, and a bow whose loops sit straight across the ribbon.