Mistakes to avoid when wrapping gifts

Gift-giving occasions take place multiple times a year -- and with gift-giving comes wrapping gifts. Much like with food at a fancy restaurant, some of the joy of gifts comes from presentation, and there are some crucial gift-wrapping mistakes you'll need to avoid to make your present's presentation perfect. Here are some common mistakes to avoid.

If you're using single-sided tape to wrap gifts, you may have wrapped gifts that look good but could look better. When you use double-sided tape, it gives your gift's seams clean edges and will help you avoid those tape lines that can look gangly or lumpy.

Plus, double-sided tape saves you time by allowing you to skip the tape-rolling technique required with single-side tape.

Have you ever cut a piece of paper for a gift only to find that you've made it too small? The negative effects of this are twofold: you're wasting paper if you don't have a gift it will fit, and you're losing time. Instead, always make the paper bigger than you expect you'll need. If it's too big, you can use your excess for a bow, gift tag, paper rosette, or pleats.

Sometimes it's better to think outside the box when you're wrapping a gift. Just because many people are using the wrapping paper that they purchase in the store doesn't mean that's your only option. Why not create your own wrapping paper by taking some plain gift wrap, and then covering it using stamps or stencils appropriate for the occasion?

Do you have a gift to wrap that has an odd shape? You might think about resorting to the old standby of using a gift bag, but why not use something "outside of the bag"? Wrap that item up in a piece of cloth like another gift like blanket or even a towel. The person that receives it will be getting two gifts-the gift and the cloth you've used for gift wrap!

Wrapping a gift should be fun, rather than being a chore. So be creative, and make sure to avoid these four common errors.