Amore beautiful gift: a package with a "secret compartment" to copy

For years I have embellished gifts with bows. That's over now. Because ribbons block the space for other creative ideas. Without them, you can include (or better yet, fold) an extra compartment to hide things like personal messages or eucalyptus branches that, with a little imagination, become the antlers of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.

What you need

• about 10 minutes (depending on the size of the gift)
• Abox of the right size
• Wrapping paper or newspaper
• Adhesive tape
• Scissors

Optional:

• Needle and thread
• Beads
• Pompoms (or similar)
• glue
• fresh eucalyptus branches (approx. 1 per gift)

Step 1: Cut the paper

If the gift is a more rounded or fancy shape, put it in a cardboard box. Rectangular shapes make wrapping easier and make it harder for the person who gets to unwrap. Then cut the paper so that it completely covers the box. If in doubt, allow a few extra centimetres. You can always fold the paper over or cut it off later.

Step 2: Fold a compartment

Fold the paper once approximately in the middle and then a second time with a little distance in the opposite direction as in the video. The bigger the distance, the bigger your box will be on the outside.

Step 3: Wrap the box and tape around the tray

Next, fold the two long sides of the paper once around the box. Stretch the paper well. This way there is no room for the box to slide around in the paper. Before you attach it, grab the tape.

Embellish the fold, which will later become a compartment, all around with the tape. This brings variety. Finally, you can also use it to fix the two ends of the paper.

Step 4: Fold and fix

Now turn your attention to the two open sides of the package. It helps if you carefully run your hand down the middle of the paper ends from the outside to the inside. Then you will see that the paper folds itself into a kind of triangle at the top and bottom, which you can then fix with adhesive tape.

If there is too much paper sticking out of the box, cut it off or fold it in. Fix the paper with double-sided tape or form a circle with tape so that it holds behind the paper and remains invisible.

Once you've repeated the whole thing on the other side, you can move on to the decorative finishing touches.

Step 5: Decorate

Now you can choose something to put in the tray. A personal note, for example, or something decorative.

I want to illustrate Rudolph the reindeer, so I put eucalyptus branches in the tray. They serve as antlers and the strung wooden bead necklace as a headdress. All you need for the latter are some beads and thread, which you knot on the back of the tray.

All that's missing now is the nose, which I shape with a pompom - et voilà: The red-nosed reindeer is ready. And there's still room for a little message.