Sure, the obvious solution may be to use smaller boxes. But not everyone has that option readily available, and we often have to make do with whatever boxes we have on hand. But there is some good news — you may have materials lying around that you can repurpose into smaller boxes that are perfect for those tinier gifts.

How To Repurpose Shirt Boxes

Many people stock up on shirt boxes with lids around the holidays because they’re useful for wrapping clothing items, accessories, small electronics, gift sets, and more. But unless you spring for an assorted pack, you may end up with shirt boxes that are simply too big for smaller gifts. Fortunately, there’s a clever trick that allows you to create a smaller box from a single panel — meaning you can keep the lid for future gifts.

TikTok creator @dallinxbella introduced us to this hack, and it’s saved us countless trips to the store for more wrapping supplies. All you need is a pair of scissors and some basic folding skills, and you’ll end up with smaller gift boxes galore. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Lay the gift box on a flat surface, positioning it horizontally and putting aside the lid. Grab the left side and fold it over so it lines up with the border of the right side. Unfold the box to reveal a crease.

Step 2: Repeat step one with the other side of the box.

Step 3: By now you’ll have created two vertical creases and the shape of your gift box will resemble a bound book. Take a pair of scissors and carefully cut along all four of those creases on only the top layer (aka the border), leaving a small amount of space between your cut and the edge. It’s important to cut away from the center of the box and to leave the bottom layer of the box intact.

Step 4: Fold the left side of the box over the right side, ensuring the cut flaps are tucked inside. Just like that, you have a homemade gift box that’s half its original size.

If you don’t have any shirt boxes lying around, you can purchase them here or hold onto the box the next time you receive a dress shirt as a gift. These boxes fold up flat, so you can easily store them in a drawer or the back of a closet to prepare for any future gifting occasions.

Try Custom Wrapping Paper

Looking to make your gift stand out under the tree? Purchase some custom wrapping paper to set your present apart from the rest. Custom wrapping paper allows you to upload a unique design that you won’t find in stores, whether it’s a special message or a funny image of someone’s face. It’ll make your gift all the more special!

The next time you cut your wrapping paper too short, instead of reaching for another roll, try this brilliant hack that will change the way you wrap presents.

The Diagonal Wrapping Method

The solution couldn’t be simpler:

1. Center the gift box on the sheet of wrapping paper and rotate it diagonally.

2. Starting with the top right corner, pull the triangle-shaped piece of wrapping paper over the gift box and secure it with clear tape.

3. Repeat this step with the bottom left corner. This should create two overlapping triangles; one upside down and the other right side up.

4. Carefully fold the corners of the wrapping paper so they align with the sides of the gift box and lie flat, and then tape them into place. This part may require some adjustments, but it’s possible to create flush, neat corners with the diagonal wrapping method.

5. That’s it! Now you have a well-wrapped gift and a new trick up your sleeve.

How To Make Bows With Leftover Wrapping Paper

If you severely underestimated the amount of wrapping paper needed to cover your gift box and the diagonal wrapping method just won’t cut it (pun very much intended), use the leftover scraps to make matching bows. This hack was introduced to us by TikTok creator ​​@stephanieboothhome; here’s how it’s done:

1. Grab a rectangular sheet of wrapping paper and fold it lengthwise (hotdog-style). I used an 11-inch-by-13-inch scrap of paper.

2. Fold it in half again widthwise (hamburger-style).

3. Position the folded edge at the top. Starting from the bottom, aka the open edge, use scissors to cut 1/2-inch-wide strips of paper. Be sure to leave a 1/2-inch margin at the top; you don’t want to end up with separate strips.

4. Unfold the entire sheet of wrapping paper with the nonprinted side facing up.

5. Starting from the bottom, tightly roll the paper into a tube. Wrap a piece of clear tape around the center to secure it.

6. For extra curl, carefully run each strip along the edge of a scissor blade. Note: If you are working with flimsy wrapping paper, do this extremely carefully; I lost several strands in the process.

7. Fluff the bow, fold it in half, and secure it with tape or staples for a more compact shape. Then, attach the curly bow to the wrapped gift with tape.