How to Wrap Your Presents With Just One Piece of Tape

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Choose your favorite wrapping paper. I got out my Christmas collection because I want to wrap these presents before my kids see them. Cut a piece a couple of inches wider than your present on all sides. (Or just cut wrapping paper like you normally would.)

Step 2: Angle the Present

The first thing I did was turn the present at an angle, so the present forms the hypotenuse on a 90-degree triangle. That’s one of the things that’s so different about this trick.

You need to make sure that there is enough paper to cover the present. You can do this by lifting the wrapping paper and shifting the present. Check to make sure there is enough to cover the bottom, too.

Step 3: The First Fold

Fold the right side up and onto the front of your present, so that the paper touches the top left corner and the bottom right corner.

If the paper doesn’t cover the right side of your present, just shift the present a little until it does.

Step 4: The Second Fold

This fold is a little tricky. You need to put your index finger on the inside of the wrapping paper. Then use your second finger to fold the excess paper towards the left while folding upright.

The fold should happen exactly at the bottom right corner. If the excess paper gets a little bunched that's okay, because it gets covered by the part you're pulling up.

Step 5: The Third Fold

When you do this step correctly you get a straight fold going up the right side of your package.

This fold is an easier version of the second fold. I found it was easiest to rotate the present 90 degrees counterclockwise for this fold.

Your hand is in the same position and you are pulling up while tucking the excess to the left. It's easier because there is less excess paper. You should also end up with a straight fold up the right side.

Step 6: The Last Fold

The last fold is a double tuck, using both hands and ending with a straight fold along both sides of the top. You're stuffing all the unneeded paper from both directions under the top fold.

Step 7: Add 1 Piece of Tape

That's right, this hack uses only one piece of tape!

I added the piece of tape to the corner where the two flaps met. This creates a pocket that's perfect for sticking in holiday cards. I like to tuck the edges of that pocket in to make it look neater, but you don't have to.

How to wrap a present with one piece of tape

There you go! There's how to wrap a gift using only one piece of tape. How did you like this gift-wrapping hack? Share your gift-wrapping tips and tricks in the comments below.