Understanding how to wrap gifts with odd sizes effectively can be quite challenging. This comprehensive guide will provide you with relevant tips and simple steps to give your gift a professional touch. Though most people dread the task of wrapping oddly shaped gifts, the job can be quite exciting once you grasp the basics.
For optimal gift-wrapping, always consider the size, shape, material, and the occasion. You’ll also require some standard tools and materials, like wrapping paper, ribbons, scissors, tapes, and bows. Particularly with oddly shaped gifts, your patience and creativity will be strained, but the end product will be worth your efforts.
## Essential Basics Before Wrapping
Before diving into the task, wash and dry your hands to ensure you don’t leave smudges on the wrapping paper. You should also ensure your workspace is clean and well-lit. The first step is to measure your gift and cut an appropriate size of the wrapping paper. It’s better to cut a larger piece than a smaller one. With experience, you’ll be able to estimate better.
Always lay your gift upside down on the paper as it makes it easier to bring the paper corners over the item. The finished product will have the fold and tape on the bottom, giving it a clean, professional look. This is a fundamental step to note as you proceed to learn specific techniques for wrapping gifts of odd sizes.
## Tips for Wrapping Soft or Bendable Items
For items such as stuffed animals, cloth, or bendable toys, the best way to wrap them is to treat them like a piece of candy. Get a square or rectangular wrapping paper that can cover the item when diagonally positioned. Place the gift in the middle and tie the opposite corners together over the gift, creating a candy-like twist. Use ribbon or string to fasten the ends in place. This method gives you a neat and attractive result.
## Wrapping Cylinder-shaped Gifts
Items like bottles or round containers can be tricky. Start by rolling the item in the wrapping paper thoroughly and tape it closed securely. Excess paper at the ends should be folded inward to create rough semi-circles. With your fingers, press these folds down and secure them with tape. Finish the look with a ribbon or bow on top.
## Wrapping Boxed Shaped Gifts
A typical mistake people make when wrapping square or rectangular items is using too much paper, which results in bulky ends. Once you’ve covered the width of the box, allow only a little extra before cutting the paper. The sides should only have enough paper to reach slightly beyond half-way up the box. Secure the paper with tape then fold the corners of the sides inward, making sharp creases, and fold the resulting triangles up and over the box. This technique gives neatly tucked corners and a sleek finish.
## Handling Irregularly Shaped or Bulky Items
For these types of items, consider using a cloth wrap or a reusable fabric gift bag. If you prefer paper, manipulate the wrapping material around the object, folding and taping where necessary, then add ribbons and bows to disguise the folds. Alternatively, build a custom cardboard box for the item.
## Tips for Multiple Items or Gift Baskets
When dealing with multiple items or a gift basket, shrink-wrap is your best bet. Arrange the items neatly in a basket or box, ask a partner to hold the cellophane wrap from the top while you gather the wrap at the bottom and secure it with tape. Then bring the remaining wrap up and secure it with a beautiful ribbon.
## Wrapping Utensils and Cookingware
For oddly-shaped kitchenware or utensils, you can find specially designed gift bags available in various shapes and sizes that will fit almost every type of utensils. Another way to consider is the use of decorative dish towels to wrap around the items and then secure them with a beautiful ribbon.
## Wrapping Sporting Equipment or Musical Instruments
These can be the most challenging items to wrap. If it’s a bat, a racquet, a golf club, a guitar, or a violin, you might end up wrapping the item itself instead of a box. As these are expensive and fragile items, consider buying padded bags that are available in the market for their specific shapes. This not only gives protection to the item, but these bags are reusable for the receiver of the gift.
## Choices of Wrapping Paper
The paper choice is equally important, especially for odd sizes. Opt for thicker, high-quality paper for sturdy items, and thinner, more flexible paper for soft or bendable gifts. Printed or solid colored paper adds a nice visual appeal; however, for an eco-conscious gift, consider using recycled or reusable cloth wraps.
## Final Touches
After covering your gift, personalized finishes like gift tags, bows, or ribbons can add a nice touch. It gives the gift both a professional appearance and a personal feel.
In conclusion, wrapping gifts of odd sizes should not be a daunting task. All it requires is patience, creativity, practice, and the right materials. Once you master these techniques, you’ll find even the most seemingly difficult shapes manageable. Moreover, you’ll be able to add a personal touch to your gifts, making them extra special for the recipients.
