Wrapping Paper Size Chart (UK): Sheet to Cut for 11 Boxes, in cm
Find your box in the chart and cut the piece of paper shown. A shoe box of 33 × 20 × 12 cm needs a piece 69.0 × 47.5 cm, and a 70 cm × 4 m roll wraps 8 of them (a 50 cm × 3 m roll wraps 4). Every size here uses the same arithmetic as our wrapping paper calculator, with a 5 cm overlap at the seam.
Wrapping paper chart for common boxes
The box sizes are examples, so measure yours. Rolls also vary: the two used here, 70 cm × 4 m and 50 cm × 3 m, are examples, so check the label on yours. "Per roll" means pieces cut whichever way round wastes less, with small pieces side by side across the roll.
| Gift | Box (L × W × H) | Paper to cut | Paper used | Per 70 cm × 4 m roll | Per 50 cm × 3 m roll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gift card or jewellery box | 9 × 9 × 4 cm | 31.0 × 15.5 cm | 0.05 m² | 50 | 27 |
| DVD or video game | 19 × 14 × 1.5 cm | 36.0 × 23.0 cm | 0.08 m² | 33 | 16 |
| Paperback book | 20 × 13 × 3 cm | 37.0 × 25.5 cm | 0.09 m² | 20 | 11 |
| Hardback book | 24 × 16 × 4 cm | 45.0 × 30.5 cm | 0.14 m² | 16 | 9 |
| Mug box | 12 × 12 × 12 cm | 53.0 × 26.5 cm | 0.14 m² | 15 | 5 |
| Shirt or jumper box | 38 × 25 × 6 cm | 67.0 × 46.5 cm | 0.31 m² | 8 | 4 |
| Shoe box | 33 × 20 × 12 cm | 69.0 × 47.5 cm | 0.33 m² | 8 | 4 |
| Board game | 40 × 27 × 8 cm | 75.0 × 50.5 cm | 0.38 m² | 5 | too wide |
| Boot box | 45 × 33 × 13 cm | 97.0 × 60.5 cm | 0.59 m² | 4 | too wide |
| Toy box | 40 × 30 × 20 cm | 105.0 × 62.5 cm | 0.66 m² | 3 | too wide |
| Large toy box | 50 × 40 × 25 cm | 135.0 × 77.5 cm | 1.05 m² | too wide | too wide |
On a 70 cm roll the large toy box is too big to wrap in one piece. On a 50 cm roll, the board game, boot box, toy box and large toy box are too wide, because even the shorter side of the piece is wider than the roll.
When a box is too big for the roll
The large toy box needs a piece 135.0 × 77.5 cm. Its shorter side, 77.5 cm, is wider than a 70 cm roll, let alone a 50 cm one. For anything wider:
- Join two pieces with tape on the back before you wrap, and put the join on the bottom of the box.
- Wrap the box in two halves: one piece over the top and down the sides, a second over the bottom, overlapping by a few centimetres.
- Use a gift bag or plain kraft paper from a wider roll, and keep the patterned paper for smaller gifts.
Depth uses more paper than you expect
The height of a box counts twice going around it and once more along it, so a deep box takes far more paper than a flat one with the same top. The same 30 × 20 cm top at different depths, on a 70 cm roll:
| Box | Paper to cut | Paper used | Per 70 cm × 4 m roll | Ribbon, crossed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 × 20 × 2 cm | 49.0 × 34.5 cm | 0.17 m² | 16 | 1.59 m |
| 30 × 20 × 5 cm | 55.0 × 37.5 cm | 0.21 m² | 10 | 1.71 m |
| 30 × 20 × 10 cm | 65.0 × 42.5 cm | 0.28 m² | 9 | 1.91 m |
| 30 × 20 × 15 cm | 75.0 × 47.5 cm | 0.36 m² | 5 | 2.11 m |
| 30 × 20 × 20 cm | 85.0 × 52.5 cm | 0.45 m² | 4 | 2.31 m |
The 20 cm deep box uses 2.6 times the paper of the 2 cm box, and a roll wraps 4 instead of 16. If a small present has a choice of boxes, the shallowest one saves paper and ribbon.
How many rolls for a gift list
A family list of 16 gifts, all on 70 cm × 4 m rolls:
| Gift | How many | Per roll | Share of a roll | Ribbon, crossed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirt or jumper box | 5 | 8 | 63% of a roll | 10.0 m |
| Hardback book | 4 | 16 | 25% of a roll | 5.9 m |
| Shoe box | 3 | 8 | 38% of a roll | 6.1 m |
| Board game | 2 | 5 | 40% of a roll | 4.3 m |
| Toy box | 2 | 3 | 67% of a roll | 5.4 m |
That adds up to 2.32 rolls, so buy 3 rolls, and about 32 m of ribbon for crossed bows on all 16. The pieces cover 5.2 m² and one roll holds 2.8 m², so the rest is offcuts: use them for small gifts and gift tags.
For how to measure and fold, see how much wrapping paper do I need.
Frequently asked questions
What size paper do I need for a shoe box?
A shoe box of 33 × 20 × 12 cm needs a piece 69.0 × 47.5 cm with a 5 cm overlap, which is 0.33 m² of paper. A 70 cm × 4 m roll wraps 8 of them.
Is a 50 cm roll wide enough?
For books, games and most clothes boxes, yes. The piece's shorter side has to fit across the roll, and in this chart that rules out the board game, boot box, toy box and large toy box on a 50 cm roll.
How much wrapping paper do I need for a family Christmas?
For the 16 gifts in the list above, about 2.32 rolls of 70 cm × 4 m paper, so 3. A list of mostly books and small boxes needs much less.
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