How to wrap a book with paper

Q: How do you wrap a book together?

I put them in a plastic bag and tape it so the books dont shift at all. I then wrap it in whatever I have on hand, a paper bag, or gift wrap. I wrap it as if it were a present and cover it with tape. ANY paper will work if covered with tape.

Question

Books are one of those gifts that keep on giving. Whether you’re looking for a present for someone who just simply loves to read, or you need something for that person who has everything…you can’t go wrong with the endless options a book can offer. From hobbies to how-to’s, books are an excellent gift for anyone on your list.

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Supplies Needed to Wrap a Book
Step 1 – Wrap the Book in Tissue Paper
Step 2 – Place Book Face Down and Cut the Gift Wrap
Step 3 – Tape Inside Edges to the Tissue Paper
Step 5 – Tape and Crease the Edges
Step 6 – Add the Finishing Touches
Get Book Wrapping Supplies at Paper Mart
How do you wrap a book together?

But, how do you spruce up the obvious look and feel of a wrapped book? Easy! Our how to gift wrap a book guide shows you what supplies you need and gives you all the steps to wrap a book that wows from the moment your lucky recipient spies their new treasure.

Supplies Needed to Wrap a Book

Check out the supplies you should have on hand so you’re always ready to gift wrap a book that’s both beautiful and easy.

Gift Wrap
Tissue Paper
Tape
Scissors
Ribbons & Bows

Step 1 – Wrap the Book in Tissue Paper

This is just a very quick step that adds to the overall feel of a fancily wrapped gift. A layer of tissue paper can serve as a bright pop of color (or it can be plain, no rules here!) and it also prevents you from accidentally damaging the book cover with tape.

Step 2 – Place Book Face Down and Cut the Gift Wrap

Once you’ve selected the gift wrap you’ll use, be sure to cut enough to fully wrap the book. Lay the book face down (so the finished front side won’t have any seams) and fold the two long sides in to meet towards the middle. Run your finger along each fold to create a crisp seam at the edges.

Don’t worry too much about where the pieces will meet together – that part doesn’t have to be exactly in the middle. It’s perfectly fine for your seam to be closer to one edge or the other. The only important part is that you have enough paper to fully cover the book.

Step 3 – Tape Inside Edges to the Tissue Paper

Tape the first side of the paper to the tissue paper liner to keep the paper securely in place. Fold the second side over, and when you have a snug fit, tape that side down too. Now we’re on to the ends of the book.

The book ends can be the trickiest. Making sure you don’t rip the corners of the paper, fold one side of the paper-end diagonally into a triangle shape that meets the opposite corner of the book. Then do the same for the other side. You should be left with paper that ends to a point out from the book.

Step 5 – Tape and Crease the Edges

Finally, simply fold that point into the book and tape it down. Do the same thing on the other end. Ideally, your points will meet right at your middle seam (but honestly, it doesn’t matter if they don’t – you’ll spruce the job up with your finishing touches next).

Step 6 – Add the Finishing Touches

Now for the fun part! The decoration. Use any ribbon or bow you like. You can use complementary colors to match your paper, or you can choose striking accent colors for a real wow-factor. Tie a pretty ribbon around the book, create a nice bow and affix a gift tag or note.

Get Book Wrapping Supplies at Paper Mart

Paper Mart’s huge selection of gift wrapping supplies and products make wrapping easy and best of all, impressive. Whether you’re wrapping a book or a bike, we’ve got you covered with everything you need. And trust us when we say, anyone can learn how to wrap books. Check out our gift wrap, tissue paper, tape, ribbons & bows so you’re always ready to wrap away!

We’re big fans of thinking outside of the (gift) box when it comes to wrapping presents. But it can be hard to get the creative juices flowing when faced with wrapping something as basic as a book. Luckily, with a little thought given to your own personal style and the kind of book you’re gifting, as well as a couple of expert tips to guide you, you can make a book the best-looking present on the pile (even if you’re mailing it to an out-of-town recipient).

Lisa Fu of NYC Gift Wrapping shared her favorite tips for wrapping a book—regardless of style or genre, paperback or hardcover—with us below.

If you usually take a minimalist approach to wrapping, you’re already on the right track. “Kraft paper and twine is a classic, and always appropriate for a book,” Fu says, adding that the simplicity of the wrapping lets the gift shine: “Much like the butcher wrapping a prized steak in butcher paper, the act of the book revealing itself is the treasured action for the recipient.” Taking this route is also a great chance to practice your seam-free wrapping technique. Fu adds that you can write a gift message or greeting directly onto the paper, so that your very words become an element of the overall wrapping design.

Of course, if you want your gift to be a little more eye-catching, Fu has plenty of advice for the maximalists out there, too. She suggests layering wrapping papers in contrasting colors (say, a deep blue with a soft camel), tying on ribbons of varying widths, or even adding a personal touch like an ornament—a bookmark tucked somewhere in the wrapping feels particularly appropriate here, she says. Incorporating these details will give your gift a more luxurious feel overall, making it a great route to take if you’re giving a book to someone very important (or someone you really want to impress).

When selecting a color scheme for a book’s wrapping, Fu says she usually ends up choosing black and white, “to mimic words on a page if it’s a book of fiction.” However, if she’s wrapping a cookbook, art book, or book on architecture, her choice will be different. In other words, the genre of the book you’re giving can help determine how you wrap it. For example, a book set in the French countryside would pair well with paper in a toile print, while a book on the brutalist movement would be better suited by the aforementioned minimalist approach.

To make the process of unwrapping more tactile and interesting, Fu recommends using handmade papers, which tend to be higher quality and available in a greater variety of textures. This is yet another opportunity to use your wrapping to nod toward the book’s content, Fu says: “If you are gifting an Italian cookbook, you can use Italian marbleized paper. A piece of fiction set in Mexico can be wrapped with beautiful bark paper.” If paper isn’t your thing, you can incorporate additional texture to your wrapping by opting to wrap your book in fabric, perhaps in the traditional Japanese style known as furoshiki, if you’re giving it to someone who’s particularly eco-conscious, she says.

“I’ve seen soft-cover books ripped over by enthusiastic recipients, and gift wrapping that is too weak to hold up to sharp corners of hardcover books,” Fu says. This is no place for dainty lace or flimsy paper. “Choose a weight of paper that is thick and can hold up to sharp angles, and do not over-tape,” she says, adding that Washi tape, a decorative Japanese tape that peels off easily, is a great alternative to ultra-sticky tape that might be difficult to remove.

If you’re delivering your gift by mail, you’ll need to take a few additional steps to ensure that it arrives safely, with its gorgeous wrapping intact. In a blog post earlier this year, the gifting pros at Hallmark recommended cushioning your gift with newspaper, fabric, or even scented sachets to keep it from sliding around in its shipping container—and topping the padding with some confetti will add another festive touch.

As far as the wrapping itself goes, you may need to omit any chunky ribbons or ornaments from your design if you plan to mail it, as larger decorations may get crumpled or crushed in transit. If you simply can’t part with your elaborate design, Hallmark’s post suggests covering the gift with half of a clamshell container, then padding around it, to protect the exterior.

Which books are you buying as gifts this year? Tell us in the comments below!

How do you wrap a book together?

I put them in a plastic bag and tape it so the books don't shift at all. I then wrap it in whatever I have on hand, a paper bag, or gift wrap. I wrap it as if it were a present and cover it with tape. ANY paper will work if covered with tape.

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