gift wrap header
improvement
Holiday Gift Wrapping the High Reliability Way
First came High Reliability Thanksgiving. Then High Reliability Camping. In keeping with the Lean holiday spirit, Accelerate’s Marcie Hopkins shares her method for high reliability gift wrapping — with a little help from our friends in Sterile Processing, who’ve perfected the envelope fold.
We

all know a gift wrapping expert — and we all know someone who could use a little folding guidance. With the holiday season upon us and gift-giving hitting high gear, the following steps can smooth out the kinks in your gift-wrapping process and make that next batch of presents to go under the tree look better on Christmas morning.

gift wrap 1

(A) Lay your package out on the gift wrap and make sure you have enough to wrap around the present with a couple inches of overhang.

(B) Also be sure you have enough at each end to cover the ends of the box.

gift wrap 2

Slide your package to one side. Pull the gift wrap up around the side of the present and fold the edge up and over the corner. Tape it down for added security.

gift wrap 3

Wrap the other side of the gift wrap snugly around the present, folding it over the box. Run your fingers along the corner to score the paper. Open the wrapping back and crease the fold.

gift wrap 4

Tape the folded edge down. Using double-sided tape will keep the present looking clean. The edge should line up exactly with the corner of the box.

gift wrap 5

Tightly fold the left side against the box.

(A) Starting in the bottom corner, crease the paper moving away from the box.

(B) Repeat and crease from the top corner.

gift wrap 6

Repeat step 5 on the right. Tightly fold the right side against the box.

(A) Starting in the bottom corner, crease the paper moving away from the box.

(B) Repeat and crease from the top corner.

gift wrap 7

Fold the top flap under to create a clean edge and tape it down to the box. Fold the bottom flap to create a clean edge. Aim to have the bottom flap run to the middle of the box. You may need to trim extra paper off each flap to remove bulk.

gift wrap 8

Fold the bottom flap up to the middle of the box and tape.

Master the "Envelope Fold"

Sterile Processing runs a lean operation, delivering millions of instruments to University of Utah Health’s procedural teams. This clip highlights the "envelope fold," which allows surgical teams to remove the protective wrapping on sterile items using only one hand.

Who would have thought that holiday gift wrapping would have such a practical health care application?

Happy wrapping!

Contributor

Marcie Hopkins

Manager, Patient Experience, University of Utah Health

Subscribe to our newsletter

Receive the latest insights in health care impact, improvement, leadership, resilience, and more.