Wrapping paper by colour

Short answer. Pick the colour first, the way you would pick paint, then the pattern. Tap a paper to see it on Amazon, or heart it to keep a shortlist with the ribbon that goes with each. How we chose these papers.

How did we choose these papers?

Every paper on this page is a real paper from the store. We choose them for a good look and a wide mix of colours, and we go through them again every day.

How much paper does one gift take?

A sheet that goes round the box with a 2 inch (5 cm) overlap, and a little more than the box height at each end. A shoe box takes about 28 × 20 in. The wrapping paper calculator works it out for any box and tells you whether it fits your roll in one piece.

What makes a good wrapping paper?

A good paper folds crisply, covers the box so nothing shows through, and does not split at the corners. You can tell most of that in a shop by touch, and a little from the photos online.

Weight: thin, medium or thick

Weight is how thick the paper feels. Thin paper folds easily and suits soft or odd shapes, but it tears at sharp box corners and lets a printed box show through. Thick paper hides the box and holds a crease like card, yet it is stiff at the small folds and hard to pleat.

For most boxes a medium paper is the easy choice: it folds cleanly at the corners and still feels like a proper present. If a roll feels floppy and you can read print through it, keep it for tissue jobs and soft gifts.

Matte, foil, kraft or double sided

• Matte printed paper is the easiest to wrap with. It creases cleanly, hides small mistakes and takes tape well.
• Foil and glossy paper look lovely under the tree lights but show every fold and fingerprint. Cut it a little larger and crease once, firmly, so you do not leave extra lines.
• Kraft paper is the brown paper of parcels. It is strong and forgiving, takes a pen or a stamp, and looks smart with red and white twine or a sprig of green.
• Double sided paper has a second pattern or colour on the back. Fold a strip of the back over the seam for a neat edge, or turn the ends so the inside colour peeps out.

The grid on the back

Many rolls have a grid of fine lines printed on the plain side. Cut along a line and your edge comes out straight without a ruler. Count the squares to make both ends of the box match, and you will not cut one end short.

Roll width and box size

A standard roll is about 30 inches wide in the US and Canada and 70 cm in most of Europe. The paper has to go round the box once, plus a small overlap, so a wide box such as a big board game can need more width than the roll has. Measure before you cut: the wrapping paper calculator tells you if one piece will do, and how to join two neatly if it will not.

How many gifts does one roll wrap?

A 30 inch by 10 foot roll wraps about 6 shoe boxes, 13 hardback books, 12 boxed mugs or 3 large board games. A 70 cm by 2 m roll does about 4 shoe boxes, 9 books or 8 mugs. Rolls vary in length, so check the length on the label and use the calculator for your own boxes before a big wrapping evening.

Can you recycle wrapping paper?

Scrunch a corner in your hand. If it stays scrunched, it is paper and usually recycles. If it springs back, it has foil, glitter or a plastic coating, and most councils ask for it in the general waste.

Plain kraft and matte prints pass; glitter and metallic foil usually do not. Paper made from recycled fibre is a good choice too, as long as it has no shiny coating. Taking off the tape and ribbon before the recycling bin helps, and a paper that comes off in one piece can wrap again next year.

Which ribbon goes with which paper?

Each colour on the wall above names a ribbon that goes with it. A simple rule: a busy pattern wants a plain ribbon in one of its own colours, and a plain paper can take a bolder ribbon, a velvet or a check. Twine and kraft go together, and a gold or silver ribbon lifts a dark paper. The bow guide shows the knot step by step, and wrapping without tape helps when the roll of tape runs out.

Which papers suit children and grown ups?

For children, pick bright, simple patterns with big shapes: dots, stripes, animals or dinosaurs. Thin matte paper tears open easily for small hands, which is half the fun. Skip glitter for babies, because it sheds.

For grown ups, a calmer paper often looks more special: one colour with a fine pattern, kraft with a good ribbon, or a deep green or navy. Some families keep one special paper just for the presents from Santa, so it looks different from the rest.

How do you keep rolls nice?

Store rolls standing up or lying flat in a long box, away from damp and direct sun, which fades the colours. Slip a cut kitchen paper tube or a loose rubber band round each roll so it does not unroll and crease. Keep offcuts flat in a folder or under a heavy book: small pieces are just right for little gifts and gift card envelopes.

How do I choose and buy paper?

Where can I find nice wrapping paper?

Right above: the wall shows real papers sorted by colour, so you can pick the look first. Use the filters for pattern, finish and occasion, and heart the ones you like to keep a shortlist.

What makes one wrapping paper better than another?

Look at how it folds, whether the box shows through, and whether it splits at the corners. Weight and finish tell you most of it. We do not rank brands, because the same maker sells thin and thick rolls.

How do I get good paper without overspending?

Buy a plain roll in a colour you will use again, and add a ribbon or a sprig of green for the festive part. Check the length on the label rather than the width alone, and use the calculator so you buy only what your boxes need.

How thick should wrapping paper be?

Medium is the easy choice: see weight.

How can I check a roll before I buy it?

Read the length and width on the label, not just the size of the tube. Unroll a little if you can: some prints only look good rolled up, and a silver roll can be clear film with a thin print. A roll that feels floppy or shows print through the back is best kept for soft gifts.

Is matte, foil or kraft easiest to wrap with?

Matte printed paper and kraft are the most forgiving: see matte, foil, kraft or double sided.

How much paper and what size do I need?

How much wrapping paper do I need for one gift?

About one trip round the box plus a 2 inch overlap: see how much paper one gift takes.

What size is a roll of wrapping paper?

It depends on where you live: see roll width and box size.

How many gifts does one roll wrap?

See how many gifts one roll wraps.

What if the paper is too short, or the gift is bigger than the sheet?

Turn the box 45 degrees and wrap it diagonally, which often needs less paper. Or wrap a wide band round the middle and cover each end with its own piece, then hide the joins under a ribbon. The calculator also tells you how to join two pieces neatly.

How do I wrap a big box wider than the roll?

Join two pieces on the top or underneath, overlapping them by about 1 in (2.5 cm), and tape the join on the inside. Put the join where a ribbon will cover it. Start from the calculator to see the sizes.

How much should I spend on wrapping paper?

Spend less on paper than on the ribbon and tag, because those are what people see. A medium plain paper in two or three colours covers most of a family's presents.

How do I cut and wrap neatly?

How do I cut wrapping paper straight?

Use the grid on the back of the roll: cut along a line and the edge comes out straight with no ruler. Sharp scissors help most, and a long, steady cut beats short snips. See the grid on the back.

Which side of the paper goes up?

The pattern side faces out and the plain side faces the box. Place the box upside down on the paper's plain side, so the seam ends up on the bottom.

How much should the paper overlap at the seam?

About 2 in (5 cm) is enough. More makes a thick, lumpy seam, and less can pop open when the box is moved.

How do I hide the seam and the tape?

Fold the cut edge under by about 0.5 in (1 cm) before it goes on the box, so the seam looks like a clean line. Use double-sided tape inside the fold, then add a ribbon over the join. Wrapping without tape has more ideas.

How do I get sharp creases and neat ends?

Run your thumbnail or the edge of a card along each fold. Fold the end flaps in as triangles, crease them firmly, then pull the last flap up and tape it. The full steps are in how to wrap a present.

What are the most common wrapping mistakes?

Cutting the paper too small, using too much tape, and leaving a seam in the middle of the top. Cut with the grid, measure first, and keep tape on the inside.

Which tape should I use, and can I wrap without it?

Clear tape is fine, and double-sided tape hides well inside folds. You can also wrap with no tape at all, using ribbon, string or a folded tuck. See wrapping without tape.

How do I wrap odd shapes and special gifts?

How do I wrap odd shapes like a bottle, a ball or a tube?

Gather the paper at the top and tie it, or roll a tube in paper and twist the ends. Our guides cover awkward shapes, a ball and a cylinder.

How do I wrap a long, flat box or a book?

Use the shorter side for the length of the wrap so the seam is short, and keep the end folds tidy. The calculator has presets for books and long boxes.

How do I wrap something soft, like a stuffed toy?

Wrap it in thin, light paper or tissue and tie it, since a soft shape will not take sharp folds. Our soft toy guide shows it step by step.

Is a gift bag better than wrapping paper?

A bag is quicker and easy to reuse, and it suits odd shapes. Paper looks neater on a box and is easier to pack flat. If you use a bag, tissue paper makes it look finished: see tissue in a gift bag.

How do I wrap an experience gift or a voucher?

Put the voucher in a gift card envelope made from wrapping paper, or a small box with tissue. Our envelope guide shows how.

What can I use without paper, or with less waste?

What can I use instead of wrapping paper?

Fabric (see furoshiki), newspaper, brown parcel paper, a tea towel, a scarf or a reusable bag all work. Add a ribbon or a sprig of green to make it look like a gift.

What is the Japanese furoshiki method?

Furoshiki is wrapping in a square of cloth, tied in knots, with no tape. The cloth can be used again by the person who gets it. See the furoshiki guide.

Is kraft paper the same as brown or packing paper?

Close, but not always. Kraft is the strong brown paper made from wood pulp, and brown packing paper is often the same sort. Both take a pen, stamp or twine well.

Can I make my own wrapping paper?

Yes. Plain kraft or brown paper can be stamped or drawn on, and newspaper or old maps work too. See zero-waste wrapping.

Is tissue paper good as wrapping paper?

It works for soft gifts and for lining a bag, but it tears easily and shows the gift through it. Use two layers, or put it over a box as a first layer.

What about recycling, leftovers and storage?

Is wrapping paper recyclable?

Plain matte and kraft usually, foil and glitter usually not: see recycled and recyclable.

Can I recycle glitter or foil paper?

Mostly not. Glitter and metallic foil go in the general waste in most places, so choose plain papers if you want to recycle.

Is there compostable or plastic-free wrapping paper?

Look for plain paper with no foil or glitter, and tape-free wrapping. Paper made from recycled fibre with a matte finish is a good choice.

What can I do with leftover wrapping paper?

Keep offcuts flat for small gifts and gift card envelopes. You can also use them for gift tags, book covers or for lining drawers.

How do I store wrapping paper?

Standing or flat, dry and out of the sun: see keeping rolls nice.