How to Wrap Clothing

Creating a Wrapping Paper Envelope

Fold the item of clothing into a neat rectangle. This method works for T-shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, scarves, or any other piece of clothing that can be folded into a square or rectangle. If you just purchased the item and it came folded and wrapped in plastic, you can wrap it as is. If you’re wrapping a T-shirt, lay it upside down on a flat surface and fold in both sleeves. Then, grab the collar and fold back so it lines up with the hem of the shirt. If you’re gifting a pair of pants, fold them in half along the crotch so the pant legs line up. Then, fold in half so the waistband lines up with the hem. Fold in half again.

Measure the width of your wrapping paper and trim. Unroll a large piece of wrapping paper on a hard flat surface. Place the folded piece of clothing in the center. Measure two fingers’ worth of space on the right and left sides of the clothing item, then trim the excess paper using scissors. Your wrapping paper should be positioned so the printed side faces down.

Cut your wrapping paper to the correct length. The bottom flap must be long enough to fold over and cover the entire clothing item. The top flap should be long enough to fold halfway across your piece of clothing. When you’ve determined the correct measurements, trim the wrapping paper with a pair of scissors. When folded, the bottom edge of the wrapping paper should be flush with the top edge of the folded piece of clothing.

Secure the top and bottom flaps with double-stick tape. Fold the top flap over the piece of clothing and smooth it down. Apply a strip of double-stick tape to the inside edge of the bottom flap. Then, fold the bottom flap over the top flap, securing the tape by pressing the patterned side of the paper with your fingers. If you don’t have double-stick tape, you can use regular tape instead. Apply the tape after you’ve folded the bottom flap over the top flap. At this point, the top and bottom of the wrapping paper should be sealed. The right and left sides remain open.

Fold in the left flap, then cut off the corners. Fold in the extra flap of wrapping paper on the left side, then press down with your hand to make a crease. Using scissors, snip off a small right triangle of wrapping paper at each corner of the flap. The bottom point of triangle should be positioned along the crease. The crease should be aligned with the edge of the clothing item.

Cut along the crease to remove the inside piece of the flap. The left flap is made up of two layers of wrapping paper. Use scissors to cut off the inner layer, following the line of the crease.

Apply double-sided tape to the the remaining flap and fold to seal. Cut a piece of double-sided tape and stick it to the inner, non-patterned edge of the remaining layer of the left flap. Fold in the flap and smooth the patterned side with your hand to seal the left side of the gift. It should close like the flap of an envelope.

Repeat the process with the right side. Begin by folding in the extra paper on the right side and trimming off the corners. Then, cut off the inner layer of the flap, apply double-sided tape, and seal. Finish off with a ribbon or a bow for a particularly festive look.

Rolling up with Tissue Paper

Roll your item of clothing tightly. This works best for thinner items of clothing that can be rolled tightly, such as T-shirts, thinner scarves, and jeans. Generally, you will need to fold the piece of clothing into a long, skinny rectangle and begin rolling from one end until you’ve run out of fabric. For a T-shirt, lay it upside down and flat on a hard surface. Fold in both sleeves, then start from the hem and roll it up. To secure the rolled-up clothing, consider tying a piece of ribbon or twine around the middle and knotting it. This will keep the clothing from unrolling during the wrapping process.

Lay three sheets of tissue paper flat on top of each other. Select three sheets of tissue paper, preferable in three different colors. Consider picking shades that reflect the occasion—reds and greens for Christmas, for example, or orange and black for Halloween. You should be working on a flat, hard surface like a table or countertop. Make sure your workspace is free of grease or dirt, which will stain the tissue paper.

Roll up the clothing item gently inside the tissue paper. Center the rolled-up piece of clothing along the top edge of the tissue paper. Grasp the top edge of the paper gently with your fingers and roll it up and around the piece of clothing. Continue rolling until there are a few inches of tissue paper sticking out at the bottom. The tissue paper should be positioned vertically, so the shorter sides are at the top and bottom.

Fold up the bottom edge of the tissue paper and secure with double-sided tape. Cut a small strip of double-sided tape and place it vertically across the top of the fold to secure it. One side of the tape will be unattached and facing up. Then, wrap the end piece of tissue paper up and around into the rest of the roll. The tape will secure the end piece in place. Smooth the tissue paper gently with your fingers to seal the tape. You should end up with a tube of tissue paper that’s open at both ends.

Cinch the ends and tie them with ribbons. Cut two equally-sized pieces of ribbon, each about 1 foot (0.30 m) long. Using your fingers, cinch the right side of the tissue paper tube where the edge of the clothing item is. Wrap the ribbon around this spot and knot it. Repeat with the left side. Use wire-edged ribbon, which is easier to shape.

Fold each ribbon in half and cut diagonally for extra flair. To add a bit of polish to the ends of your ribbons, fold the end of each ribbon in half. Using scissors, cut a straight diagonal line starting from the wire end and slanting down towards the center of the fold. Then, unfold to reveal a V-shaped edge. Repeat with the other three ends to complete the effect.

Using a Gift Bag

Fold the piece of clothing neatly. You can wrap almost any item of clothing in a gift bag: pants, T-shirts, dresses, scarves, skirts, and more. If you’re gifting a T-shirt, for example, lay it facing down on a flat surface and fold in both sleeves. Then, fold the collar back so it aligns up with the hem of the shirt. You could also roll up your clothing item and secure with a piece of ribbon or twine. Make sure to remove price tags or cover up the price with a marker. Recipients shouldn’t know the price of any gift-related item.

Lay 3 or 4 overlapping sheets of tissue paper on a flat surface. Position each piece of tissue paper so its left edge is 2 inches (5.1 cm)-3 inches (7.6 cm) to the right from the sheet directly below. Use more tissue paper for a larger clothing item and less for a smaller one. If your piece of clothing is quite small, like a tie or thin tank top, consider using half-size sheets of tissue paper. You can alternate colors of tissue paper or use the same color throughout.

Place the gift on top of the tissue paper and gather the paper around it. Make sure the clothing item is centered on the top sheet of tissue paper. Grab two opposite corners of the tissue paper and pull them up and over the item. Hold the corners together with one hand, then pull the other two corners in. Gently cinch the paper together directly above the piece of clothing. At this point the tissue paper should be pulled around the clothing like a small drawstring bag.

Place the tissue-wrapped clothing into the gift bag. Pick the clothing item up from the bottom to prevent the fragile tissue paper from ripping. The gift bag you’ve chosen should be at least 3 times the size of your clothing item. You may need to adjust the tissue paper that’s now sticking out the top of the bag. Make sure not to overwork the tissue paper, which will make it look old and wrinkly.

Add an extra sheet of tissue paper for more volume. Lay a sheet of tissue paper flat on a hard surface, pinch the middle with your thumb and forefinger, then lift and flick your wrist to create an upside-down cone shape. Flip it and place it in the bag, adjusting the corners slightly so it fits in with the other layers of tissue paper. You can also attach a gift tag with ribbon to one of the handles.