We tried TikTok’s ‘tapeless’ gift wrapping method

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Can you really wrap a gift without tape?

A better question: Can you wrap one well without tape?

According to TikTok, the answer is a resounding yes. Holiday hacks have been popping up all over the app lately, but for the last-minute gift-planner, one stands out above the rest.

The “tapeless” wrapping method, shared by TikTok hack-master Mama Mila, seems easy enough for even the clumsiest of elves. All you need is your present and a bit of wrapping paper.

@mama_mila_

Hello beautiful wrapping, goodbye sticky tape 🎁 ##12daysofxmas ##holidaytok ##christmaswrapping

♬ Holly Jolly Christmas (Trap Remix) – Trap Remix Guys

In Mama Mila’s video of the hack, wrapping a gift without tape seems like the best possible option. It’s fast, efficient and creates a perfect, envelope-style casing for your gifts.

But do you have to be a wrapping pro to pull it off? To find out, we put the hack head-to-head against the standard, tape-heavy method. Here’s what happened.

How to wrap a gift without tape

Before we get into the hack, here’s a quick look at our competitor. To help with the standard wrapping method, we enlisted this handy gadget from Wrap Buddies. It’s a tabletop, all-in-one holiday gift-wrapping tool.

Wrap Buddies Holiday Tabletop Gift Wrap Tool – $23.12 at Walmart

The tool latches onto almost any table and holds your wrapping paper in place as you roll. It also fits two tape rolls, and even cuts the tape for you.

Using our gadget and a traditional wrapping method, we managed to wrap our present in one minute and 53 seconds. Not the best time, but, hey, we aren’t experts here.

Now, for the hack. As shown in the TikTok above, the no-tape wrapping method can be broken down into six, easy steps:

  1. Lay your gift diagonally over a large sheet of wrapping paper. This will help ensure that the gift wrap covers the entire present.
  2. Measure out just enough wrapping paper so that your paper can cover the present top to bottom, or bottom to top.
  3. Fold the bottom side of the wrapping paper over your gift, tucking it under the front side of the present.
  4. Then, fold the sides by pinching your wrapping paper around the present’s corners. This should create two, overlapping triangles, which you’ll then fold over the top of the gift itself.
  5. Pinch the top side of your wrapping paper and fold it into a triangle. Bring that triangle over the gift, toward you.
  6. Finally, fold the top of the front end downward, tucking it under the sides you folded in step 4. Crease everything out and take a look at your tapeless package!

Ultimately, we finished the no-tape hack in two minutes and 39 seconds — so, a little slower than the standard method.

Does TikTok’s no-tape wrapping method work?

While it was slower for us, it’s clear this hack works. Also, it makes a definitive, cleanly folded present that, in our case, looked a lot better than the version done with tape.

Still, the hack took longer to pull off and made for a less sturdy wrap job, which, in the case of our editor (who was wrapping the gifts for his 5-year-old niece), was a no-go. As a result, we had to give the edge to the standard, tried-and-true method.

The hack is probably a better solution for more experienced gift wrappers, so, if you know your way around a ribbon, it’s definitely worth giving a try.

If you liked this story, check out this article on how to make a homemade 3D hologram projector.

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