How to wrap oddly shaped Christmas gifts, and some common pitfalls to avoid

We’ve all experienced the frustration of wrestling wrapping paper around Christmas gifts with no real corners or sides to speak of. It seems an impossible task, but stylist Orla Neligan assures us that where there’s a will — there’s a way.

Whether you’ve just begun the onerous task of festive shopping (no pressure) or have piles of Christmas gifts ready and waiting for December 25, we’ll all be forced to dedicate an evening or two over the coming weeks to wrapping them up and making them look as appealing as possible.

Of course, this is a chore that can be quite enjoyable, providing that the gifts you’re wrapping are a reasonable shape. It becomes entirely less enjoyable when you’re trying to wrap, let’s say, a basketball, or teddy bear. Who among us hasn’t found ourselves breathless and disheartened, surrounded by a sea of crumpled paper and knotted ribbon, resigning ourselves to chucking said oddly shapen gift into a bag and calling it a day?

It is for precisely this reason that we’ve asked stylist and gift-wrapper extraordinaire Orla Neligan to weigh in with some advice on how best to go about the wrapping process, and to highlight some common pitfalls we should avoid this year.

So, what are some absolute no-nos?

According to Orla, cheap paper and accessories must be banished. “Don’t skimp on the paper or the scissors,” she tells us. “Both will likely leave you tearing your hair out as you grapple with tears and jagged edges. The same goes for good quality tape.”

As well as that, Orla is adamant that we should be vigilant about wasting too much wrapping paper. “Ensure you cut paper without too much excess,” she explains. “You’ll end up with scrappy corners and folds.”

Finally if your gift is extremely inconveniently shaped like, let’s say, a bicycle, Orla’s advice is simple: “Place awkward shaped presents in a box and avoid them looking like something your toddler wrapped!”

Now, let’s get into the logistics. Orla has given us a step-by-step guide to wrapping a teddy bear and is introducing us to a ‘Christmas cracker’ technique that will come in handy for any abnormally shaped gifts (within reason).

Step 1: Place the teddy on the paper and cut a width that ensures a slight overlap (not too much) where the paper meets and leave excess paper at the top and bottom.

Step 2: Fold paper to meet and secure with tape.

Step 3: Remove the teddy from one end and flatten the paper.

Step 4: Once flattened, fold the paper in half lengthways and create a strong fold mark.

Step 5: Fold in a finger length of paper from each end and cut the corners off the folded end. Do this on both ends.

Christmas gifts

Step 6: Unfold all folds and reshape back into a cracker shape.

Step 7: Slide the teddy back into the middle from one end.

Step 8: Tie each end with ribbon.

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