What is the Gift Wrap Paper Calculator?
This calculator tells you the exact size of wrapping paper sheet you need to fully cover a rectangular gift box. Instead of guessing and ending up with too little paper or a wasteful pile of offcuts, enter your box dimensions and get a precise paper width and length — plus the total area so you can plan how much off a roll to cut.
How to use it
Measure your box's length, width and height in centimetres. Add an overlap allowance (around 4–6 cm is comfortable for tucking and sealing seams). Enter all four values and the calculator returns the sheet dimensions and area instantly.
The formula explained
To wrap a box, the paper needs to go all the way around the cross-section formed by the width and height — that's two widths and two heights, so the paper width is \(2 \times (W + H) + \text{overlap}\). The paper length must cover the box length plus enough on each end to fold up the height, giving \(L + 2H + \text{overlap}\). The overlap creates a clean seam where the edges meet.
$$\begin{gathered} A = \frac{W \times L}{10000} \\[1.5em] \text{where}\quad \left\{ \begin{aligned} W &= 2\left(\text{Width} + \text{Height}\right) + \text{Overlap} \\ L &= \text{Length} + 2\,\text{Height} + \text{Overlap} \end{aligned} \right. \end{gathered}$$
Worked example
Suppose a box is 25 cm long, 18 cm wide and 8 cm high, with a 5 cm overlap. Paper width = \(2 \times (18 + 8) + 5 = 2 \times 26 + 5 = 57\) cm. Paper length = \(25 + 2 \times 8 + 5 = 25 + 16 + 5 = 46\) cm. So you need a 57 × 46 cm sheet, which is about 0.26 m².
FAQ
How much overlap should I add? About 4–6 cm works for most gifts. Add more for thick wrapping paper or large boxes so the seam sits flat.
Does the box orientation matter? Yes — length is the longest dimension along the paper roll, while width and height wrap around. Swapping them changes the sheet shape but covers the same box.
What units does it use? Centimetres for the box and resulting sheet, with the total area shown in square metres for easy roll planning.
