How Much Wrapping Paper Do You Need? A Gift-by-Gift Guide for Christmas
A shirt box takes about 3 square feet of paper. Here is how much common gifts need, how many gifts a roll wraps, and how to cut it right the first time.
Most people either run out of wrapping paper on Christmas Eve or end up with a closet full of half-used rolls. A little math fixes both. Here's how much paper common gifts need and how many gifts you can wrap with a typical roll or set.
How much paper common gifts need
| Gift | Typical box size | Paper needed |
|---|---|---|
| Jewelry or gift card box | 4 × 4 × 2 in | About 0.7 sq ft |
| Book | 9 × 6 × 1.5 in | About 1.4 sq ft |
| Shirt box | 15 × 10 × 2 in | About 3.3 sq ft |
| Shoe or boot box | 14 × 10 × 5 in | About 4.4 sq ft |
| Large toy box | 20 × 14 × 6 in | About 7.9 sq ft |
These figures include a small overlap so the paper closes neatly. Add a little more if you like generous folds.
How to measure a piece of paper
- Length: wrap the paper all the way around the box, then add 2 inches for overlap. That's 2 × (width + height) + 2 in.
- Width: the box's length plus its height, plus about 1 inch. That's enough paper to fold neatly over each end.
Paper with a printed grid on the back makes this much easier. Look for "cut lines," like Hallmark Black Christmas paper with cut lines.
How many gifts does a roll wrap?
Based on medium shirt-box gifts of about 3.3 square feet, and allowing for some trimming waste:
| Paper | Medium gifts (about) |
|---|---|
| One 25 sq ft roll | 6 to 7 |
| One 30 sq ft roll | 8 |
| A 90 sq ft, 3-roll set | 24 to 25 |
| A 120 sq ft, 3 or 4-roll set | 32 to 34 |
A family wrapping 20 to 30 gifts of mixed sizes is usually well covered by one 90 to 120 sq ft set. Small gifts use far less, so a gift-heavy year with lots of small items goes further than you'd expect.
Ways to make paper go further
- Wrap the biggest gifts first and use the offcuts for small boxes.
- Use gift bags for odd shapes. Bottles, plush toys and oddly shaped items waste a lot of paper. Hallmark large gift bags with tissue are quicker and reusable.
- Choose reversible rolls. Two designs on one roll let you vary the look without buying more.
- Buy a set with bows and tags. Sets like the American Greetings Buffalo Plaid set include matching extras, so you don't have to buy them separately.
When to order for Christmas
Standard shipping takes 3 to 5 business days, so ordering by early December leaves plenty of time. If you're cutting it close, expedited shipping takes 1 to 3 business days. December delivery times can stretch as carriers get busy, so earlier is always safer.
Frequently asked questions
How many square feet of wrapping paper do I need for a shirt box?
About 3 to 3.5 square feet, including overlap.
How many gifts does 90 square feet of wrapping paper wrap?
Around 24 to 25 medium shirt-box gifts, or many more small ones.
What does "cut lines" mean on wrapping paper?
It's a printed grid on the back of the paper that helps you measure and cut straight.
Shop every roll, set and gift bag in our wrapping paper collection, or see the full Christmas Shop.
Written by the TissuPaper team. We stock and ship these products from Plano, Texas, and we update our guides when brands change their rolls or packs.
