Christmas wrapping paper UK: sheets, rolls and sizes

Christmas wrapping paper, gift bags and cards

Christmas wrapping paper in printed sheets and rolls, plus gift bags, boxes and cards. Most packs are paper, from 70 x 50 cm sheets in packs of 8 to 16 to rolls 43 cm wide and up to 15 m long, and they cost between about £5 and £12. The guide below shows how much paper a book, a jumper box or a large toy needs.

Christmas wrapping paper: sheets or rolls?

Paper is almost everything in this range, from printed sheets and rolls to a few plain kraft sets. Packs cost from about £5 to £12, with a median near £7, and the average rating is 4.5 out of 5. The first choice is the format.

Compare	Sheets	Rolls
Size	70 x 50 cm	43 or 44 cm wide, in lengths of 3 m, 10 m or 15 m
Pack sizes	8, 10, 12 or 16 sheets	1 roll, 3 or 4 rolls, or 28 m in one set
Extras	Often tags and jute twine	Rarely
Suits	Small and medium presents, stored flat	Many presents, cut to length

Finishes

Finishes include matt, glossy, metallic foil and plain kraft. Kraft is plain brown or coloured paper, and several listings call it recyclable. Metallic and glossy finishes look brighter but are the ones to check before you recycle them.

Comparing packs by area

Pack names mix sheets and metres, so compare by area. A 70 x 50 cm sheet covers 0.35 square metres, so a pack of 12 covers 4.2. A roll 43 cm wide and 15 m long covers about 6.5. Divide the price by the area to see which is cheaper per square metre.

Tags, twine and ribbon

Sheet packs often include about 10 tags and 10 to 20 m of jute twine, so you may not need ribbon at all. Check what a pack includes before you buy extras separately.

Recycling wrapping paper

A quick check is the scrunch test: plain paper stays scrunched in your hand, while paper with a plastic or foil layer springs back. Glitter, metallic foil and plastic film usually mean it cannot go in the paper recycling. Is wrapping paper recyclable? explains how to tell.

How much Christmas wrapping paper do you need?

Cut the paper to the box. It must go round the box with a 3 cm overlap, which is 2 x (width + depth) + 3 cm, and be wide enough to fold over both ends, which is length + depth. The table applies the rule to four common presents.

Present	Box size (cm)	Paper to cut (cm)	43 cm roll	70 x 50 cm sheet
Paperback	20 x 13 x 3	35 x 23	Fits	Fits
Mug in a box	12 x 12 x 11	49 x 23	Fits	Fits
Shirt or jumper box	36 x 24 x 5	61 x 41	Fits	Fits
Large toy box	45 x 30 x 10	83 x 55	Too narrow	Too small

A 15 m roll cuts about 24 wraps of the shirt-box size, and a 3 m roll cuts four. A pack of 12 sheets wraps 12 of them. Twenty shirt-box presents need 12.2 m of roll, so one 15 m roll covers them, or 20 sheets, which means two packs of 12. Boxes the size of the toy box need a gift bag or a box with a lid instead, both covered below. How to wrap a present neatly shows the folds.

Gift bags, gift boxes and Christmas cards

Christmas gift bags

Christmas gift bags take the presents that paper handles badly: large, soft or oddly shaped ones. Packs hold 2 to 34 bags in foil, non-woven fabric or paper, and some sets mix sizes from XS to XL. They cost from about £4 to £17.

Christmas gift boxes

Christmas gift boxes suit clothes, treats and fragile items. Shirt boxes with lids measure about 36 x 24 cm, magnetic-lid boxes about 33 x 27 x 12 cm, and small treat boxes hold sweets. They cost from about £5 to £29, and a few are light-up boxes or wooden crates.

Christmas cards

Christmas cards come as single cards and packs of 10, 20, 24 and 32, from about £2 to £14, and are rated 4.6 out of 5 on average. Charity packs are common, and the packs are mostly 10 to 15 cm square. Posting dates matter, so check last posting dates for Christmas cards and parcels before you order.

Common mistakes when buying wrapping paper

Judging by length alone: the width decides which boxes fit, so read both numbers.
Choosing metallic or glossy paper, then expecting to recycle it.
Buying exactly enough: allow a few spare sheets for mistakes and oddly shaped presents.
Buying extras twice: many sheet packs already include tags and twine.

Frequently asked questions: Gift Wrapping & Cards

What is the best Christmas wrapping paper?

The best paper is the one that fits your presents and your recycling. Sheets of 70 x 50 cm suit small and medium boxes and often come with tags and twine, while a roll 43 cm wide suits a pile of presents. Plain uncoated paper is the most likely to be recyclable.

How much wrapping paper do I need for Christmas?

A shirt-box present needs about 61 x 41 cm. A 15 m roll cuts about 24 of them, a 3 m roll cuts four, and a pack of 12 sheets of 70 x 50 cm wraps 12. Add a few spare sheets for mistakes.

Is Christmas wrapping paper recyclable?

Plain paper and kraft usually are. Paper with glitter, metallic foil or a plastic layer usually is not. Try the scrunch test: if the paper stays scrunched in your hand it is likely to be fine, and if it springs back it probably has a plastic layer.

What is the difference between wrapping paper sheets and rolls?

Sheets are cut to 70 x 50 cm, come in packs of 8 to 16 and are easy to store flat. Rolls are 43 or 44 cm wide and run from 3 m to 15 m, so you cut each wrap to length. Compare the price by area, not by pack, to see which costs less.

What can I use instead of wrapping paper?

Gift bags and gift boxes are the usual alternatives, and they work for large, soft or awkward presents. A bag can be reused, and a box with a lid saves wrapping altogether. Both are in their own collections below.