Some people seem to be blessed with natural wrapping skills and produce beautiful gift wrapped presents with ease. Some of us (myself included) end up with a crumpled mess that looks like a toddler wrapped it!
To help with some common gift wrapping issues we've gathered together some of our top tips:
Tip 1: Are you using the right paper?
Not all wrapping paper is made the same. Only some is recyclable. If your gift wrap has any type of embellishment such as glitter or foil stars, it contains plastic and therefore can't be recycled. If it has a very smooth shiny finish it almost certainly has a thin layer of plastic film and therefore can't be recycled.
It's important not to mix recyclables with non-recyclables in your recycling bin, so how can you be sure what type of wrapping paper you've got? Check out Catherine's tips in the following video where she explains how to tell whether your paper can go in the recycling:
Tip 2: Wrapping a cylinder
Do you struggle with wrapping jars, tubes and other cylindrical objects neatly? When I try the ends always come out looking a mess. But watch how Catherine neatly solves wrapping this awkward shape in the following video:
Tip 3: Wrapping impossible shapes
What if the gift you are wrapping is just so awkward you can't imagine how you can ever wrap it neatly? In the following video Thea guides us through the steps for how to deal with gift wrapping impossible shapes with panache.
Tip 4: Eking out that last piece of wrapping paper
Ever been in that situation where you've got to the end of the roll and there's not quite enough left to wrap that final present? Catherine shares a neat trick for squeezing one extra present out of your paper in the following video:
More information
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Related products
Many of the wrapping papers used in these examples are available from our online store, plus we have many more designs, as well as natural jute twine and pretty paper sticky tape to complete your eco-friendly wrapping. Visit our Gift Wrapping department to see the full collection.