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    How to wrap a present neatly, step by step

    Tape the long seam, then fold and tape both ends. Follow the film.

    Before cutting, loosely fold the paper at both open ends of the box. Check that the top and bottom flaps overlap a little, then trim only the excess.

    Not a box? CylinderSoft toyOdd shapesWithout tape

    You need

    1. Paper
    2. Scissors
    3. Tape
    4. Box

    No measuring needed: your box is the ruler. Check if your roll is big enough

    Start wrapping

    Follow the steps · 8 chapters

    Follow the steps

    1. You need wrapping paper, scissors, tape and a box. Turn the paper over so the white grid side faces up. Put the box upside down in the middle, long side along the paper.

    2. Wrap both long sides up loosely. The first edge goes just past the middle. The other side comes all the way down the front. That extra gets cut off in step 4. At each end, the paper should stick out about two thirds of the box's height.

      The box upside down, both long sides of the paper curving loosely round it, the paper a little past each end

    3. Fold the extra back at the middle. Tick 1/2 inch (1 cm) past the fold, at both ends.

    4. Lay the paper flat again. The ticks mark the 1/2 inch (1 cm) hem. Join the ticks with one line, edge to edge. The 1/2 inch past the fold stays on for the hem. Cut along the line. Only the extra strip comes off.

    5. Pull the first edge up snug, just past the middle line. One small piece of tape in the middle holds it. Then crease along the box edge.

      The first edge pulled over the box and held by one piece of tape

    6. Fold a small hem (about 1/2 inch, 1 cm) on the other edge and crease it. Pull it tight over the first edge, the fold on the middle line. Tape the seam: the middle piece first, then the ends. Then crease the box edge.

    7. Fold the top flap down flat against the end and crease it. Push in the near side, then the far side, and crease each corner. Fold the bottom flap up over them, tape it down and crease it. Turn the box so the other open end faces you and do the same.

      An end folded: top flap down, sides tucked in, bottom flap folding up

    8. Press along every edge to crease it. Then turn the box right side up. The clean top shows and the seam is hidden underneath.

      The finished box right side up, with a smooth top

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    Lay out the paper and the box

    More detail

    You need wrapping paper, scissors, tape and a box. Turn the paper over so the white grid side faces up. Put the box upside down in the middle, long side along the paper.

    All steps

    Paper too short?

    Give the box a quarter turn on the paper: the paper may reach the other way. Still a gap? Turn the box so the gap sits where the two paper edges meet (the seam, which ends up underneath) and tape a strip of the same paper over it. If an end is too short to fold, tape a matching piece to its edge first, then fold.

    Done! Nice wrapping.

    The box is wrapped. Add a bow or a tag if you like.

    A neat finish

    Make two loops.

    Make two loops

    Run the ribbon around the box and knot it on top. Fold each end into a loop of the same size.

    Cross, tuck and pull.

    Cross, tuck and pull

    Cross the loops, tuck one under and through the middle, then pull both tight.

    Trim the tails.

    Trim the tails

    Fold each tail in half along its length and cut at a slant for a neat V.

    Print a gift tag

    A box with a lid?

    Wrap the lid and base separately so the box opens without tearing the paper.