We tried the viral Christmas wrapping hack – it uses only one piece of tape

Some of us are so bad at wrapping presents, we lie and say that our kids did it. Others who take a little more pride in their wrapping skills should definitely try this hack. 

It's particularly handy if you're rapidly running out of tape, as it only uses ONE piece. I tried it out and found it tricky, but I think once you've got the hang of this particular Christmas gift wrapping idea, you're off.

Christmas wrapping hack

I found this Instagram video from John Lewis of a home stylist wrapping a present using what's been called an 'easy decorative fold'. Reader, it was not easy.

I watched it a million times but still couldn't work out how to do the first fold. Then I found this YouTube video which is basically the same, but muuuuuch slower and easier to follow.

This kind of folding hack is extremely hard to describe, but here we go. First up, you need a BIG chunk of wrapping paper.

Double the amount you think, which is a bit of a drawback sustainability-wise. Check out the best recyclable Christmas wrapping paper to reduce waste this year. 

Fold up from the bottom and create a fold by pushing the paper towards the sides of your present, which will need to be square or rectangular. Do this on both sides.

Then fold the right side inwards, followed by the left side. Use thin paper as it will make life easier, and try it with striped paper to show off the folds.

At this point, there will be two bits of paper on either side of the present, so you just need to fold these inwards. As you can see from mine, I didn't use the right amount of paper to make a perfect 'plait' effect.

Tape up the loose end and thread through some greenery, whether it's eucalyptus, red Christmas berries or whatever you can find foraging. I liked how it made plain brown paper look a bit more special, and would try it again for a few special gifts.

While there are certainly easier methods when it comes to how to wrap a gift for Christmas, this wrapping hack definitely elevates a simple budget gift. 

That's a wrap!