Before you start you will need some materials:

A Gift	Wrapping Paper	Transparent Tape
Scissors	Tissue Paper	Ribbon or Bows
Pen	Rulers*	To/From Tags*
Scissors are sharp and may cause injury. Use caution when using scissors keeping fingers, hair and other body parts clear of the blades. Keep scissors stored safely in a drawer when not in use.             * Optional

Helpful Tips

• Wrap presents on a hard flat surface (like a table or a countertop)
• Ask for a complementary gift box at the store when you purchase gifts
• Use tissue paper to fill in extra space in boxes so that the gift doesn't move around

Getting the Most Out of Your Wrapping Paper

Traditionally, people measure how much paper to cut by placing the length of the box parallel to the roll, wrapping the paper around the box to see how much to cut, and afterwards cutting off the edges to the appropriate length. (See Figure A.1) Instead, if the box is small enough (approximately 11" wide and 3" deep or smaller), place the length of the box perpendicular to the roll, and cut the length. (See Figure A.2) For most boxes, this will result in less waste. Also, save the bigger scrap pieces to wrap small presents such as jewelry. You can also use any scrap paper for to/from tags.

Figure A.1: Making traditional measurements of how much to wrapping paper to use for regular boxes

Figure A.2: Making different measurements of how much wrapping paper to use for special boxes.

What Kind of Wrapping Paper is Best?

Though the foil wrapping paper can be very appealing, some can be difficult to use. Extremely light colored, thin paper may not hide what is underneath. Look for double-sided paper, it is usually thick enough and is very versatile.

How Much Wrapping Paper Do I Need?

A standard roll of wrapping paper is 30" long with 9 feet (3 yards) of paper. Pay attention to how much paper you are getting; although it may look like a good deal, it may not be. One standard roll can wrap (according to the dimensions shown below) one large sweater box, one standard sweater box, two standard shirt boxes and one small shirt box. Unless you have very large items or very small items, one standard roll should wrap about four to six gifts.