If you’ve ever wondered how to wrap a perfect present, this tutorial is for you!  No more wobbly boxes teetering on top of strangely twisted ribbons – just perfectly flat, perfectly wrapped boxes every time.  Read on to find out the easy trick!

Tools: Shown above: (A) Wrapped gift (B) Ribbon  (C) Scissors

Step 1: Slide your ribbon underneath the gift.

Step 2: Bring the left tail of the ribbon up and form one half of a bow to measure how much ribbon you will need to leave out on the left side. Adjust ribbon accordingly.

Step 3: Bring the right tail of the ribbon up and twist with the left tail to form a cross.  The right tail should be pulled toward you while the left tail should be pulled away from you.

Step 4: Slide the right tail (the tail closest to you) underneath the gift box and bring it back up to line up with the left tail.

Step 5: Line up both ends of the ribbon.

Step 6: Snip off the longer tail to match the length of the shorter tail.

Step 7: Now pull the ribbon with the tail pointing toward you down and underneath the right side of the horizontal ribbon.

Step 8: Pull that same ribbon up to the left and over the twisted center.

Step 9: Now take that ribbon and tuck it underneath the left side of the horizontal ribbon.

Step 10: Now give both ends of the ribbon a firm tug, pulling one ribbon to the lower left and the other to the upper right.  You are now ready to tie your bow!

Step 11: If you look at the bottom of your box, you should see your ribbons lying perfectly flat.  Admire your flat gift bottom.

Step 12: (At this point, you can tie a bow however you like, but here’s how I do it.)  Make a small loop with the ribbon tail on the right.  Bring the left tail around the loop and pull it through the wrapped loop. Adjust the loops and center to make them the correct lengths and to smooth out the ribbon before you tug the bow tight.  Snip off the ends at an angle with a sharp pair of scissors.

And there you have it: a perfectly wrapped present, all ready for giving!*

*For an extra polished look, try using double-sided stick tape to wrap your gift.  This way, no tape shows up on the outside!

* Photo Credits: Flights of Fancy