Formula for perfect Christmas wrap - ½(d+2h+w)" = 2(w+h)"

GIVERS whose efforts at wrapping leave their Christmas presents looking like an origami car crash will find solace today - scientists have come up with a mathematical formula for the perfect wrap.

The formula = instructs wrappers on the amount of paper and sticky tape to use, and even the best pattern to have on your wrapping paper.

Researchers at the University of Manchester said fumbling wrappers will improve their results by putting presents in boxes and wrapping them with striped or checked paper. Dr Sara Santos said the formula would minimise the amount of paper and tape wasted in the wrapping process.

“Our research found the rectangular sheet of wrapping paper to waste the least paper for any type of box, but it requires at least three pieces of tape,” she said.

“If the box has a square base then we can wrap it with a square sheet of wrapping paper allowing us to use only one piece of tape.

“If our pattern consists of regular stripes, checks, or a design with a certain type of symmetry, we can match the pattern in the folds and joins of the paper,” said Dr Santos who developed the formula after working with teams of wrappers at online retailer Amazon.co.uk.

Amazon managing director Ryan Regan said the company uses enough wrapping paper every week in the weeks before Christmas to wrap the new Wembley Stadium.

The formula for the perfect wrap is: ½(d+2h+w)" = 2(w+h)", where w = width of box, d = depth of box and h = height of box.

Instructions

Where w = width of box and h = height of box, cut out a square piece of paper with side square route of 2(w+h)" - this is one diagonal of the base plus one height plus half the height.

If the paper is striped, cut your square so that the middle of the stripe makes a right angle with an edge and divides the square into two equal parts. If it is checked, cut the square so that the edges of the paper pass through the middle of the squares in the pattern.

Place the box in the middle of the paper with the corners dividing the paper in two.

Pick two opposite corners of the paper and fold them around the box. Use sticky tape to hold these two ends.

Fold the excess of paper to the inside and fold up the two remaining corners of the paper. Hold them in place using sticky tape and a bow.