Perfectly Presented
Gift-wrapping tutorial

So you've spent so much time time on choosing the gift that you've run out of time to think about how to wrap it. Never mind... Wrong! How the gift is presented can be almost as important as the gift itself. A little bit of thought and care can show the recipient just how important they are to you.

Here at Gilded Bee we usually use luxury rigid gift boxes finished with grosgrain ribbon. We love the idea that the boxes will be kept and re-purposed or passed on, housing another thoughtful gift. However, when giving gifts to loved ones it can look more personal to use wrapping paper even if also using a box.

Here's a few tips to getting that professional finish.

Be prepared. Much like cooking, the wrapping will be less stressful and give you a better result if you get all the bits together before you begin.

You will need:

Wrapping paper
All Purpose scissors
Tape (preferably double-sided)
Ribbon
Fabric (really sharp) scissors

We loved this wrapping paper from Designers Guild as it was really feminine and reflected the recipient of the gift. It was also a spring-time gift so a nice reminder that the trees were in full blossom!

Measure Up

Make sure there is enough paper to wrap around the box with a couple of inches to spare and that the paper at the sides is around 3/4 of the depth.

Cut and Fold

Fold a seam of around 2cm on the edge that will wrap around the present. This will give a crisp edge to the seam and disguise any dodgy cutting!

Taped

Apply double sided tape to the folded edge to give a neat finish. If you need to use normal tape then use scissors to cut rather than your teeth!

Seal it up

Making sure the box is upside-down, so the seam is on the underside, wrap the paper round and press to seal. Crease edges as you go for a crisp finish.

Corner Fold I

Carefully fold in the edges by pushing down the paper and creating neat creases at the inside corners. Crease corners to form a triangle at each end.

Corner Fold II

Fold inwards on each side creating crisp creases as you go to give a neat finish. Then fold the point inwards about 2cm to give a neat edge for taping.