How to wrap a gift like a pro

The holiday season can get hectic and gift wrapping may be the last thing on your list. It can be a daunting task, and sometimes it may seem easier to resort to a plain old gift bag.

But if you want to get a little more creative this year and step up your gift wrapping game, Global News spoke to Catherine Choi, owner of Hanji Gifts in Toronto, who shared a step-by-step guide to how it’s done.

What you’ll need

• Gift
• Wrapping paper
• Scissors (alternative for precise wrapping is a cutting board, xacto knife and ruler)
• Ribbon or rope
• Tape

Step-by-step guide: how to wrap a gift

• Measure your paper so that you have enough paper length to cover the gift plus a little extra.
• Leave enough paper on the sides (roughly two-thirds the height of box on each side) so that you have enough paper cut to cover the sides without too much bulk.
• Wrap the paper around the gift making sure the end is roughly in the middle of box as this seam will be covered with ribbon later. Pull tight, crease your edges to keep paper in its place and tape end down on centre of box.
• To fold the sides, push left and right sides in and make your creases sharp
• Fold the bottom flap up first and then the top flap.
• If the top flap is too long, make a crease in centre of box then tuck it under.
• Shift box so that the side you just folded is on the table allowing you to fold the other side without the box moving around.
• Follow same steps as on the first side. Tape down each side.

Ribbon

• Measure out enough ribbon to wrap around your box twice and to tie a bow plus a little extra just in case. That way you can trim your ends to your liking and have enough ribbon to grip on to when tying your bow.
• The trick is to keep your ribbon tied around the box as tight as you can so it does not slip around
• Make sure the shiny side faces up
• Tie your bow like you are tying your shoe. Don’t over think it. You can adjust the size and shape once the basic bow is tied, by fluffing up the loops and pulling loops tight.
• Trimming your ribbon at the end. Imagine there is a circle and trim ends to roughly same length as your loops. Fold end in half and cut down on a downward angle, making sure your scissors are cutting the folded side first.

And voila! To make the experience as stress-free as possible, Choi recommends that you drink your favourite festive drink, listen to your favourite tunes or watch your favourite holiday movie while wrapping.

BONUS VIDEO: How to accessorize your gift with a rope flower 

1:09 How to add a rope flower to wrapped gifts