Whether it’s trying to turn a wine bottle or a Squishmallow into a neat parcel, Christmas wrapping is one of the most stressful tasks of the festive season – especially when you’re tackling awkward shapes.
So, it’s no wonder so many turn to the services of professional gift wrapper and trainer Louise Lewis, 54, from County Durham, who knows all the best methods for tackling pesky corners and cumbersome shapes, as well as finessing the finishing touches.
Her workshop attendees vary from husbands and wives to mothers and daughters and colleagues, and it doesn’t come cheap, with her most recent class costing a pricy £147.
Luckily for those on a smaller budget, she shares top tips on TikTok, with her most popular video revealing how to wrap a stuffed, cuddly penguin – and make it look good.
Most would stick the toy in a gift bag and go on with their day, but Lewis made the present look that extra bit magical by making her very own little bag out of wrapping paper, complete with a handle.
Other tricks include how to create a pleated paper look and what to do when you’ve reached the end of a roll and are just shy of enough paper (she seamlessly joins two pieces together).
Louise Lewis (pictured), 54, from County Durham ditched her job at Boots to become a full-time wrapping expert in 2015
Terrible at wrapping? Follow Louise Lewis’ five top tips to create the perfect gift this festive season…
1. Create a wrapping toolkit and wrap at a table
Having the right tools to hand makes wrapping easier, so gather everything before you settle down to wrap, said Lewis
Lewis said, ‘Don’t waste time hunting for scissors and tape every time you need to wrap. Keep everything together in one basket, box, or drawer: wrapping paper, ribbon, tags, a pen, and sharp scissors.
‘Having a dedicated toolkit saves time and makes it much easier to wrap in short bursts, rather than leaving everything until one late-night marathon session!
‘Sitting on the floor (or worse, on the bed) is a recipe for a backache and torn paper. Sit – or stand – at a kitchen worktop or table with your toolkit and gifts to hand, and it will make wrapping so much easier.
2. Cut the paper to size
Use a piece of ribbon to precisely measure your gift. Measure twice, cut once, she said
‘Guessing how much paper you need and ending up with too much is the biggest mistake people make when wrapping. It leads to bulky folds, messy corners, and needing lots of tape to hold everything together.
‘A quick trick is to wrap a piece of string or ribbon around the gift first, then use that as a guide for how much paper to cut.
3. Use less tape
A little goes a long way when it comes to tape. Using double-sided tape gives a polished finish, she said
‘Using lots of tape often means your gift recipient must reach for scissors just to get into it. We have all been there. It also tends to make wrapping look messy rather than secure.
‘Three small pieces are usually enough for most gifts.
‘For a really polished finish, use double-sided tape – it makes the gift look neat (no shiny tape on show) and makes it easier to open.
‘If you’re using standard tape, a dispenser is a game-changer and stops it from sticking everywhere except where you want it. And if you are someone who cuts off strips before wrapping and sticks them along a table edge, this will save you from finding them still stuck there long after Christmas.
4. Let the ribbon do the work
Decorations need not be fussy. A simple bow instantly lifts any gift, the wrapping expert said
‘A ribbon bow can transform even the simplest gift wrap. Satin ribbon (my favourite is double-sided satin) or grosgrain ribbon, which has a subtle ridge, can make plain kraft paper look stylish and intentional.
‘Always use sharp scissors for clean edges, and if you want bows that hold their shape, wired ribbon works beautifully. If you want something that really makes people go wow, take a look at my
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on TikTok.
5. Add the tag as you wrap, and wrap in stages!
Write the name tags as you wrap each present, so there’s no guesswork on December 25
‘If you can, set aside 20 – 30 minutes every few days to wrap a few gifts at a time. Gift number one often looks great, but by gift twelve, standards start to slip.
‘Attach the gift tag as soon as you finish wrapping each present. It avoids the Christmas morning guessing game and saves you time later, especially if you’re wrapping lots of gifts.
‘Christmas can feel hectic, and wrapping doesn’t need to add to the stress. Keep things simple, take it step by step, and focus on doing a few things well rather than trying to do everything.’
She admits people often look puzzled when she reveals her occupation, but after leaving her manager position at Boots in 2015, she’s gone on to wrap for businesses like Aldi and P&O cruises (who requested she wrap 1,800 presents to gift children onboard) and starred on ITVwhich reassures the cynics that it is, very much, a job.
‘I wanted to do something creative. It was a huge leap going from being employed in a good job that I loved, but I couldn’t see anybody offering a gift wrapping service or running any classes,’ she told the Daily Mail.
Lewis, who also takes on admin jobs in the quieter months to keep things ticking over, realised her passion at a young age and went on to hone her skillset by trawling through crafty YouTube videos and attending wrapping workshops herself.
She turned her passion into profit and has now supported hundreds through her workshops, including a recent installation at the King’s Highgrove estate, coaching, and her online presence, such as a recent TikTok of hers that reached upwards of 100,000 views.
Lewis begins each lesson by presenting what she calls an exhibit gift and asking attendees whether they believe the wrapping has been done well.
‘Everybody looks at it and goes, “Well, that looks alright to me”‘, she said. But to the trained eye, the exhibit includes countless blunders, from using excessive amounts of paper and Sellotape to incorporating ribbon that, according to the expert, ‘looks like a limp shoelace’.
She said: ‘I show them how it could be made better. They’re not major, they really are the little things that could be done differently that make a big difference, and that’s the moment where they go, “Oh my goodness. Wow.”‘
So, what’s her biggest game-changer when it comes to wrapping? ‘Double-sided tape. It just makes such a difference when it comes to creating a nice, neat gift,’ she said.
Her biggest turn-off is shiny paper. ‘It’s a personal preference, but I find with shiny paper, people tend to put their fingers through it when you have a lot to wrap.’
Wrapping paper, she said, should also always be purchased on the roll – never in folded sheets – because then the presents end up with creases in the wrong place.
When searching for the best paper, she advised people to look for a double-sided, thick roll with sustainable qualities and water-based inks. Typically, kraft paper is the best for the job, she said.
While splashing out extra pennies on wrapping paper can enhance the product, there’s no need to do the same when it comes to scissors because a kitchen pair will do the job just fine.
Though for ribbon or other thicker materials, Lewis advised purchasing a sharper pair of scissors. ‘They don’t have to be fancy; I have a little pair that look like nail scissors. I only use them for cutting fabric ribbons, I don’t use them on paper.
‘There’s nothing worse than doing a lovely bow and then hacking at it with your kitchen scissors because you end up with a chewed, frayed finish, which is not what you’re aiming for.’
When it comes to present embellishments, like Meghan Markle, who decorated her gifts with a sprig of rosemary in the festive episode of Netflix’s With Love, Meghan, Lewis loves anything fresh.
‘I love using things you can get from the garden. I think it adds that finishing touch. A tastefully placed piece of rosemary or sprig of holly with berries works well.’
But she believes that the art of wrapping need not be fussy to be successful. ‘I’m all for adding bits on, but don’t get carried away, because it ends up looking messy.’
And for those awkwardly-shaped presents that, no matter what tape or paper you use, just never look right, Lewis said to dig out an old shoe box.
She said: ‘You don’t want to start trying to wrap fiddly shapes because there’s enough to do at Christmas.
‘The advice always is, if you can, put it in a box and wrap the box beautifully. It can even be a shoebox; it doesn’t have to be an expensive box.
‘Put it in the box, and if you’ve mastered how to wrap it beautifully, it will really make the gift.’
Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification.
We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification.
We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Author: uaetodaynews
Published on: 2025-12-18 09:11:00
Source: uaetodaynews.com
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