Remote-controlled toy car going into gift bag

How to Gift Wrap Toys: Neat Methods for Any Shape

Boxed toys wrap like any other present. Everything else, such as a plush bear, a remote-control truck without a box or a doll with a big stand, needs a different plan. The trick is to stop forcing the toy into flat paper and let the wrapping follow the toy: a pouch for soft things, a box or tube for fragile things, a bag or cloth for big things. Below you will find the steps, the materials and a few ideas the kids in your house can help with.

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Table of Contents

Quick Summary

Match the wrap to the toy. Boxed toys take paper, tape and a tag. Soft toys fit a paper pouch or a gathered cloth. Fragile or awkward toys go inside a box or tube first. Oversized toys do best in a bag, a cloth or a blanket. Tissue, kraft paper and fabric are cheap and forgiving, and kids can decorate them.

TL;DR

  • Measure the toy by wrapping paper around it lengthwise and adding about 1 inch, then fold and tape only the center seam.
  • Soft toys: make a paper pouch with a diamond-shaped base, or gather the toy in light cloth or tissue and tie it.
  • Fragile or oddly shaped toys: cushion them in a box or tube, then wrap the container normally.
  • Big toys: use a gift bag with tissue, a cloth sack or a festive blanket instead of paper.
  • Kraft paper and fabric are easy to personalize, and fabric needs no tape.

Table of Contents

  • Pick a method by toy shape
  • Wrapping a boxed toy
  • Wrapping plush toys and stuffed animals
  • Wrapping odd-shaped and oversized toys
  • Materials that make wrapping easier
  • Wrapping ideas kids can help with
  • Our perspective
  • Toys ready to give
  • FAQ
  • Recommended Reads
  • Sources

Pick a method by toy shape

Before you cut any paper, look at the toy and decide what the wrapping has to do. Does it need protection, softness, or just something to hide the shape?

Toy type Best wrap Why it works
Boxed toy, building set, board game Classic paper, tape, tag The box already gives you clean edges
Plush toy or doll with soft limbs Paper pouch, cloth gather or tissue Soft items squash into a pouch without sharp corners
Fragile or sharp-cornered toy Box or tube, then paper The container protects it and gives you flat sides
RC car, truck or large vehicle Gift bag, cloth sack or blanket Wheels and antennas tear paper
Very large toy Tablecloth, blanket or laundry basket No cutting or measuring needed

Wrapping a boxed toy

If the toy came in a box, you are already most of the way there. Set the box on the paper, bring the paper up around it, and cut so the sheet overlaps by a couple of inches on the long side. Fold the ends like an envelope, crease sharply and tape. Sharp creases do more for a neat look than extra tape does.

A few habits make boxed toys look better:

  • Wrap the box with the printed side facing down, so a bright toy graphic does not show through thin paper.
  • Use double-sided tape on the seam so no tape shows.
  • Keep batteries, small accessories and instruction leaflets inside the box. If the batteries are separate, tape the pack to the outside of the box under the ribbon so the child can play right away.

Building sets are a good example. A building block set usually arrives in a sturdy rectangular box, so it takes paper well and needs no special treatment.

Wrapping plush toys and stuffed animals

Plush toys have no corners, so flat paper wrinkles and bulges around them. A pouch solves that. Best Products describes a custom gift pouch made from wrapping paper that suits soft, irregular toys, and it needs only paper, scissors and tape.

The paper pouch, step by step

  1. Wrap the paper lengthwise around the toy and add about 1 inch to find the length to cut, as Best Products explains. wikiHow gives a simpler width rule: cut the paper about twice as wide as the toy.
  2. Fold the two long edges inward so they overlap slightly in the middle, then tape only the center seam.
  3. Fold the bottom up by roughly 2 to 3 inches, then press the sides in to form a diamond shape. wikiHow’s stuffed toy guide suggests folding and taping the diamond’s top and bottom points to close the base.
  4. Slide the toy in head first, so the face is not squashed against the seam.
  5. Fold the top edges in the same way, tape them shut and finish with ribbon or a tag.

Practice once on scrap paper if the toy is large. The base fold is the part that goes wrong most often.

The no-tape gather

For a softer look, set the toy in the middle of a thin tablecloth or light cotton cloth, gather the corners above its head and secure them with an elastic band. A bow over the band hides it. This method comes from a stuffed animal wrapping guide, and it works with tissue or clear cellophane as well. GiftExperts notes that a standard tissue sheet is about 20 by 30 inches and suggests about 20 inches of ribbon or twine for a toy up to 10 inches tall. Keep the gathers loose for plush toys so the fur is not crushed.

Plush toy gathered loosely in cotton cloth

Wrapping odd-shaped and oversized toys

Odd shapes are where most people give up and reach for a bag. Bags are fine, but you have more choices.

Put it in a container first. For a distinctive or fragile item, wikiHow recommends placing it in a box or tube, cushioned with newspaper or bubble wrap if needed, then wrapping the container normally. This suits a delicate display figure or a toy with thin parts. If you want the container itself to feel special, take a look at luxury gift packaging, which shows how boxes and tubes can protect and conceal delicate shapes.

Use a gift bag with tissue. GiftList recommends two or three sheets of tissue in a gift bag for odd-shaped toys, with tissue around the item first when needed and cardboard in the base for heavier gifts. That cardboard base matters for a metal truck or a die-cast model, since a thin bag bottom can split.

Cover it with cloth. When paper is impractical, wikiHow suggests covering a large item with a festive blanket or tablecloth and tucking the covering underneath. A kid-sized ride-on, a play tent or a big plush gets a good reveal this way.

Go bigger on the container. GiftExperts also lists a bag, a cloth sack or a laundry basket for oversized toys, and a box when the toy has sharp corners.

Five container and covering options for toys

An RC vehicle with its remote is a classic awkward shape. Put the vehicle in a bag, tuck the remote and charging cable alongside, and add a tag that says “batteries included” or “charge me first.” Our RC toys are a good example of gifts that look better in a bag than in paper.

Materials that make wrapping easier

You do not need a craft room. A few materials cover almost every toy.

  • Tissue paper. The New York Times Wirecutter says used tissue works well for soft or unboxed gifts, can be strengthened with two or three layers, and can be reused as decorative strips.
  • Kraft paper. Wirecutter also points to kraft paper as a customizable option: kids can doodle, add stickers or write the recipient’s name directly on it. It suggests yarn in place of ribbon.
  • Fabric. Martha Stewart recommends reusable fabric wrapping such as furoshiki cloth, scarves, bandanas and tea towels. It needs no tape, and the fabric can become part of the gift.
  • Recyclable paper. The same Martha Stewart article advises that unwaxed kraft paper is recyclable, while glossy, textured, metallic or glitter-finished wrapping paper is not.
  • Card or cardboard. A flat piece in the base of a bag or pouch keeps heavier toys from sagging.

A practical tip from us: buy one roll of kraft paper and a pack of tissue before the holidays. Between them you can wrap nearly everything on this page.

Wrapping ideas kids can help with

Kids love wrapping as much as unwrapping, and the right idea turns a chore into a project. Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration shares four kid-focused designs:

  • A birthday-cake package made with colorful tissue paper and paper straws.
  • A dimensional 3D flower design.
  • An animal-themed card envelope built from construction paper, a marker, scissors and glue.
  • Thumbprint art on white kraft paper, using washable ink pads and a fine-tip marker.

You can also turn the package into the toy’s own character. A reindeer, a robot or a monster truck made from kraft paper and cardstock suits a vehicle gift. Another idea is a photo tag: print each child’s picture on cardstock, cut it out, punch a hole and tie it on with twine, which helps children who cannot yet read find their own presents. For stuffed toys, wikiHow also lists playful options such as a plastic tablecloth gathered and tied with ribbon, candy-style tissue wrap, or a small toy inside a large balloon.

If you want more hands-on crafts, our guide to DIY toys and paper play ideas pairs well with a wrapping afternoon.

Our perspective

We ship toys of every shape, from flat building sets to cuddly plush animals and RC vehicles, so we see how a toy’s shape decides how it should be given. Our view is simple: the wrapping is the first moment of play. A child who tears into a cloth sack or a kraft paper character is already having fun before the toy appears.

We also think neat does not have to mean perfect. A pouch with a slightly crooked ribbon says someone made it for you. Choose the container that protects the toy, then spend your effort on the tag and the reveal. If you are unsure what to give in the first place, our notes on what makes a toy truly giftable are a good place to start.

— Thane Holland

Toys ready to give

If you are still choosing the gift, Toylandeu™ carries more than 30,000 toys, from plush toys and dolls to STEM kits, RC vehicles and collectibles, with free worldwide shipping. Plush toys in particular are made for the pouch and cloth methods above.

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Browse the full range at Toylandeu™ and pick something that will look as good unwrapped as it does wrapped.

FAQ

How do you wrap a toy that will not fit in a box?

Make a pouch from wrapping paper, use a gift bag with two or three sheets of tissue, or cover the toy with a cloth or blanket. For heavier toys, add a piece of cardboard in the base of the bag. Fragile toys are better placed in a box or tube first.

What is the easiest way to wrap a stuffed animal?

The easiest way is to gather the toy in a light cloth, tissue or cellophane and tie it with ribbon or twine. If you prefer paper, fold it into a pouch with a diamond-shaped base and tape only the center seam. Keep the gathers or folds loose so the plush is not squashed.

What can I use instead of wrapping paper?

Kraft paper, tissue paper, fabric squares, scarves, bandanas, tea towels and gift bags all work. Fabric needs no tape and can become part of the gift. Unwaxed kraft paper is recyclable, while glittery or metallic paper is not.

How do I wrap a toy so the child can open it easily?

Use tape only on the center seam or a single closing fold, and skip layers of paper. A cloth gather or a gift bag is easiest for small hands. For very young children, a bag with tissue is usually the least frustrating choice.

What is the hardest gift to wrap?

Irregular toys with wheels, antennas or stands are among the hardest, since they tear paper and refuse to sit flat. Put them in a box, a bag or a cloth sack rather than fighting the shape with paper.

Sources

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