How to Wrap Anything
Have you ever bought a gift in a shape that you were convinced couldn't be wrapped? To prove it's possible to use glittery paper and bows to disguise literally anything, gift-wrap expert Alton DuLaney wrapped Rachael's entire kitchen, including the stove, fridge and cabinets! Click on the video for his demonstration for wrapping round items, boxes and lamps, and follow along with Alton's instructions below!
Skillet or round object:
• "Using a textured foil paper, cut out a square large enough that when folded in it covers at least 3/4 width of surface. I like a textured paper because it is more forgiving, and something with a little foil to it folds nicely. This technique can also be done with a soft fabric, or a soft paper, as softer paper more easily hugs the curves."
• "Turn the skillet upside down and beginning on one side, pull the paper up with one hand, and fold in a small pleat with the other, much like pleating fabric in a sewing project. Continue around the circumference of the shape, making evenly spaced, neatly folded pleats. Keep the paper in place by taping as you go," he explains. "As you make your way around the circumference, you may find some bulk begins to build in the center of the gift. If that is the case, you can cut away excess for a smoother finish."
• "Final touch is to cut a circle just smaller than the cooking surface of the skillet, and tape into place to create a clean finish. When you turn over the gift, the top should be neat and round, with pleats around the side."
• "For the handle I cut a long strip of paper and then starting near the base, wind my way up the handle, taping at the end. On this wrap I took a pre-made yellow bow and placed it in the center of an irregularly shaped white card stock, creating a fried-egg gift embellishment."
• NOTE: If you are wrapping something like a hatbox, or other drum-shaped object, always wrap the bottom first, the turn over and repeat process for top.
Criss-cross wrap with card holder:
• This works great on a board game, a book, or a shirt box, anything rectangular and not too thick.
• NOTE: "When wrapping a basic box you always want to make sure you have the three rules of gift wrapping in place: Clean crisp edges (run your fingers around the edges of a gift to crisp them up), tight, clean corners (use the surface you are working on to fold the paper tightly, creating cleaner corners), and no exposed edges of paper (whenever possible, fold the cut edge under so the white of the paper does not show).
• "Lay your gift on the paper and pull the paper to fully cover the top of the box. You will want enough paper on the sides, so that when folded over it covers the surface of the box almost completely. Holding the paper in place with one hand, tuck in the side of the paper against the side of the gift to create triangular shaped 'wings' on the top and bottom of the paper. Repeat on other side so that you have four 'wings.'"
• "Next, starting with the top wing on the left, fold it over the top surface of the gift, creasing neatly. Then do the top right wing, folding it over towards the left, creasing on the surface of the gift. Repeat bottom left wing and bottom right wing, so that when you are finished, a great criss-cross pattern is visible on top of the package (this is both better and harder when using paper with stripes, as the stripes really show the criss-cross effect, but also show any asymmetry in you design!)."
• "After folding all four wings, tape final edge into place, then flip the gift over and finish the bottom as usual. I love this wrap as it creates a pocket on front of the gift where you can insert a greeting card, a gift card, a nametag or other small gift. If gifting a cookbook for example, you can slide in a bookmark into the pocket. It is what I like to call 'putting the present in presentation!'"
Lamp:
• "Starting with the base of the lamp, which usually is round, place wrapping paper under the base and pleat and fold up, working your way around, much as we did above with the skillet."
HINT: Using a lighter weight paper works best for this, as then you can turn on the lamp and have the light show through the paper. Also make sure you pick a paper that doesn't have print on the back, so that when the light is on you only get the illuminated print from the front of the paper.
• "For the shaft of the lamp, in this case I recycled the inner cardboard-tube from the gift-wrap paper and slide it down over the shaft, then just taped paper around the tube. If the shaft of the lamp you are wrapping does not allow that, you can just cut long narrow strips and wrap your way up the pole."
• "For the shade, the best part, I usually start by taking the shade off and placing it onto craft paper. I roll the craft paper around the shade, tape it into place, then use a pencil to trace the shape. Next, I remove the craft paper and cut along my pencil line, making sure it fits before moving on to using my good wrapping paper. Using the craft paper as a pattern, I trace it out and cut the rainbow shape from my wrapping paper of choice. Then I just wrap it around and tape it in a couple of spots. "


