Tuxedo pleats for the win!

Let's see... Easter, Mother's Day, graduation season, countless spring/ summer birthdays: our senses tell us you'll be gift wrapping very soon. Here's the latest Paper Guru x Wrappily gift wrapping tutorial—it's one you'll want to bookmark for reference well into the future.

Not only does professional gift wrapper, Shiho Masuda, review the step-by-step for how to wrap a box like a boss (super useful reminders, even for us!), she pushes you to a pro-level gift presentation with these clever, contrasting tuxedo pleat folds. For as fancy as it looks, it's actually pretty simple to achieve.

Required skill level: You Got This

As always, Shiho's teaching technique is approachable and easy to follow. She's revamped her video tutorials to include an instructional voiceover, which we found to be quite helpful and delightfully soothing. Don't take our word for it though, Shiho is our girl crush. Find out for yourself, take five and watch her video below.

Not lost on us is how this technique allows our double-sided wrapping paper to shine. We love the playfulness of the pattern-on-pattern and the resourcefulness of using leftover paper scraps as a notecard - such a smart and adorable gift wrapping tip!

Gift Wrap a Box Like a Pro

Our running joke in the studio is that we wrap empty boxes for a living. Real talk: we wrap a lot of empty boxes. Still, Shiho's cues in this tutorial were tremendously useful.

A few wrapping tips that we made note of:

1. Always, always, always cut your wrapping paper to size first — sometimes we get lazy, and we always regret it.
2. Make the extra effort to properly crease the paper at every fold. Showing that paper who's boss is satisfying and so worth it.
3. Work slowly and methodically. (Umm, errr... this may call for curbing our afternoon coffee habit.)
4. Double stick tape! To be honest, we have this specialty tape in the studio, but more often than not, auto-pilot guides our hands to the trusty clear tape dispenser and we lazily proceed to litter our beautiful gift wrap with swatches of tape stuck everywhere. It takes slightly more effort to use the double-sided tape as Shiho does in her videos (refer to step 3 above), but the hidden adhesive makes her end result exceedingly more polished and attractive.

Pro Level Goals! (How many times do they say you have to repeat something new to break a old bad habit?) Thanks for the tips, Shiho! 

Shiho Masuda: Don't have much time? Don't need elaborate designs? This tutorial is perfect for you! With just simple techniques, you can create amazing gift wrapping with a matching gift tag/message card! Sign Up for Shiho's Online Gift Wrapping Course 

Paper Guru x Wrappily - more posts you'll love: 

We've had the pleasure of working with Shiho Masuda for over a year now. Here are some of the amazing creations, tutorials, DIYs and party hacks she has created for you with Wrappily paper. To see her full catalog of tutorials follow her on YouTube. Enjoy & happy wrapping!

Tuxedo Pleats Part 2
Paper Ribbon Magic - gift topping, party treats, and more
DIY Gift Bags -  treats, party favors, or gift giving
Holiday Master Class
Paper Basket - gifts, table centerpieces, party favors, etc.
Paper Crane Gift Box - Elegant origami turned into a clever gift box

BECOME A GIFT WRAP GURU YOURSELF

From gift wrap basics to professional-level detail, Paper Guru Gift Wrapping Courses offer training at every level. Masterfully choreographed, the lessons build on skills, introducing greater and more creative techniques and artistry as you learn along with Shiho's gentle step-by-step processes. Paper Guru courses are perfect for anyone interested in building their own gift wrap business or simply seeking the personal satisfaction of elevating their gifting with family and friends.