7+ Ways To Use Your Geometry Skills To Wrap Presents This Holiday Season

It is the holiday season, and that means one thing: tons of gifts to wrap. While wrapping your gifts, you could just do the same old thing you do every year and 'wing it', or you could use your geometric skills to try to wrap them perfectly.

To that end, here are some great techniques you might want to consider trying. 

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How do you wrap a present without tape?

If you can't find your adhesive tape, or just want to try something a little different, you can actually wrap presents without using it. The process is a little more laborious than the traditional tape-method, but the end result is definitely very satisfying. 

The process is as follows: 

1. Measure around the gift to make sure you have a large enough piece of paper.
2. Cut wrapping paper into a square.
3. Fold the top flap over the gift. Make creases with your finger for smoother edges.
4. Fold over the next two flaps.
5. Pull the final flap over the gift and tuck it in.

If you'd rather see a demonstration, watch this video. 

Why do we wrap presents?

Have you ever wondered why we wrap presents in the first place? 

The main reason is clearly to obscure the nature of the gift, but why and when did it start? As it turns out this tradition is nothing new. 

"The tradition of giving gifts didn’t start with the modern holidays we celebrate each winter. Many ancient cultures celebrated various holidays that involved the giving of gifts. The desire to hide the contents of a gift until just the right moment led people to wrap gifts long, long ago. Historians believe wrapping gifts in paper probably started not long after paper was invented thousands of years ago.

Wrapping paper like we use today, though, is a much more recent invention. More than 100 years ago, gifts were usually wrapped in simple tissue paper or heavy brown paper. Before that, the cloth was often used, such as a handkerchief or a napkin. 

7+ examples of using your geometry skills to wrap presents this Christmas

So, without further delay, here are seven+ of the best ways to wrap your presents. Trust us when we say that this list is far from exhaustive and is in no particular order.

1. Check out this Japanese method of wrapping presents

Since Japan is often touted as the homeland of origami, it should come as no surprise that they can wrap presents with ease. This chap puts his amazing knowledge of paper folding and geometry to neatly and professionally do the job.

Incredibly, this method seems to be very time and tape efficient (only 3 pieces!). It's amazing how easy he makes this look. It must take years of experience to get this good. If you want to try it for yourself, expect to ruin quite a few sheets of wrapping paper before mastering it. The end result is a professionally wrapped and prepared present. 

Your friend and family won't believe that you wrapped their presents after this. 

2. This might be the best wap to wrap presents we have ever seen

With your newly found Japanese-style wrapping skills you can now put them into practice; big time. Why not take a leaf out of this chap's book and gift multiple components of the same present. 

He bought his sister-in-law some barn door shelving and decided to have a little fun. Instead of taking the obvious route of wrapping them all in one package, he went above and beyond.

Using a ton of paper, tape, and time, he managed to individually wrap each component entirely. He even gift-wrapped each individual screw!

Now that is committed. And apparently, it only took him three hours to get it done. 

3. How about wrapping an entire car?

Instead of the lame alternative of simply put a giant bow on the car, why not consider gift-wrapping one? This amazing artist makes the process look incredibly easy. 

To be fair, she is a professional vinyl-artist, but her attention to detail is incredible. Her knowledge of geometry and her profound skill really pays off.

This truly is an art-form. 

We wonder how long it would take to do a similar thing with wrapping paper. But given the inclement weather this time of year, it might be best to do this in the garage. 

4. Why not dispense with paper and just wrap with tape?

This guy's amazing knowledge of geometry, and wrapping techniques, shows us just how time-efficient the process can be. Using a little bit of elbow grease, he expertly wrapped this box in a matter of seconds.

Of course, this will take some practice, and unwrapping the present on Christmas day might get tiresome. But since you've taken the time to buy the gift and wrap it, it is only fair the recipient "earns" it.

However, given the large consumption of tape, it might just be cheaper to do it the old fashioned way. It does look cool though.

5. How about using your geometry skills to gift wrap in yarn?

This chap has taken geometry and wrapping to a new level. Using nothing other than basic yarn, he has managed to make the ultimate stealth-present. 

Underneath this mass of yarn, presumably in the middle, is a simple gift card. Spending a ridiculous amount of time and dedication, he has built up the "wrapping" to the size of a basketball.

This is, frankly, an amazing idea. The problem is that it will take an awful lot of time to liberate the present on Christmas day.

6. Here's a great way to wrap presents

If you are after some more serious ways of applying your geometry skills this Christmas, why not consider trying this simple, more traditional, method? As you can see, it is always best to make sure you have the right amount of paper for the task.

If you have any experience with origami, you will also understand the importance of creating proper seams. It makes the wrapping process much easier and the end result is a thing of beauty.

As long as the present is roughly cuboid in shape, this process works very well. For more awkward shapes, you will need to use variations on the theme.

7. Here is an awesome Japanese-style present wrapping idea

If none of the above float your boat, why check out the guide above? The technique will take a lot of practice and patience to learn, but the final result is simply a work of art!

It is quite amazing how much attention to detail this wrapping technique has. Surely it would feel like vandalism to actually open up the present. Truly stunning. We are thoroughly impressed!

8. How about wrapping it in cloth?

And finally, have you heard about the Japanese style of wrapping called Furoshiki? This style of wrapping actually makes use of cloth, rather than paper, and looks pretty awesome to boot.

Because of the difference in wrapping material, the wrapping technology is a little different from paper, but the basic concept is the same. This form of wrapping not only leads to a more resilient wrapping to your present but also means the "wrapping" can be readily recycled afterward!

Win, win. 

And that's all for now folks. 

We hope some of these great examples help inspire you when wrapping your presents this Christmas.