Room for Improvement: Gift Wrapping

WSVN -- Martin Amado: "The holidays are stressful enough having to decorate the home, do the shopping and of course in the end comes the gift wrapping, the most dreaded part, and there's always room for improvement in that area. So today, I'll be sharing with you some easy tips that will turn you into an expert gift wrapper."

Martin Amado: "All right, so let's begin first with the most basic, a shirt box."

Martin Amado: "So, here's a good tip so you don't waste paper. Start by placing a shirt box on its side, on the very edge."

Martin Amado: "Then, roll the box across the paper three times and where it lands give yourself about an inch and that's your cutting point."

Martin Amado: "And when it comes to the sides, make sure the paper covers at least half way up the box."

Martin Amado: "Invisible tape helps a lot too."

Martin Amado: "Now, remember this is gift wrapping 101, but I know some professional gift wrappers never like showing the tape at all. Its a big no, no. So, if your one of those simply use double stick tape and place it underneath the folds."

Martin Amado: "Now comes the fun part, using your creativity to make the gift even more special."

Martin Amado: "Notice that I used a wired ribbon to control the shape of the bow, and then a simple glass ornament gives it a little finishing detail. Another option you can use is maybe like a silk plant or even a candy cane, a bonus treat."

Martin Amado: "All right, that was easy enough. I love how it turned out. Now, let's move to gifts that don't come in a box. Those tend to be the hardest, right. And for that you want to use cellophane paper."

Martin Amado: "Give yourself enough paper to actually go up the sides of the gift."

Martin Amado: "I'm using an inexpensive shatterproof plate just to give me more stability when I wrap the gift."

Martin Amado: "You can't use any tape with cellophane paper, so the trick is to fold it onto itself as your going around the gift, and then secure it right on top."

Martin Amado: "Of course gift bags make the whole process must easier, but you can still make it special. Let me show you how."

Martin Amado: "Start with a base of shredded paper."

Martin Amado: "Get the sheet, hold it by the very center and then fold the sides down or the edges and place it in the bag."

Martin Amado: "And just to give it more dimension, I'm actually taking one of these decorative picks, placing it inside the bag and it makes the gift bag that more special."

Martin Amado: "Of course some gifts don't require wrapping at all, as long as the presentation is equally as nice. So for example, you can take this wine bottle and place it inside this decorative box and it becomes two gifts in one. Another idea is to take a gift basket and place a selection of items right inside."

Martin Amado: "And for a personal touch, you can add one of these initial ornaments instead of a gift tag."

Martin Amado: "Or you can take one of these adhesive letters and place it right on an ornament just like this."

Martin Amado: "And there you go guys, gift wrapping ideas for every shape and size and if you absolutely just don't have the time, keep in mind a preprinted box does the trick. Place a bow on it and your good to go. Happy holidays! I'll see you next time!"

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact: room@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-576-HOME
Broward: 954-962-HOME
Martin Amado's Website: http://www.martinamado.com