Gift wrapping demands a deft touch, a sense of flair and panache, and an appreciation of those frilly and ephemeral accents that add spice to life. In other words, it’s something guys suck at, and have no interest in not sucking at. It’s just something you’ve got to do. You don’t ever want to lessen the impact of your gift just because it’s poorly wrapped in the Sunday funnies. Luckily, you’ve got a lot of options short of actually wrapping the gift yourself.

First, shop online at places that offer a gift wrapping service. There’s no easier way to gift wrap a present than to click on “Gift wrap it!” Amazon.com does a nice job gift wrapping, as do specialty gift stores like RedEnvelope.com.

If you’re out shopping at a store, always ask if they’ll gift wrap your purchase. Most reputable retailers offer this service either for free or for a nominal charge. Regardless of the price, it’s worth it.

If the task of wrapping rests in your meaty, maladroit mitts, you can still get away without actually wrapping. If the gift is relatively small, you can stop into one of those card shops and purchase a nice gift bag and some white tissue paper. Just put a few layers of tissue in the bag, place the gift inside, and then cover with more tissue paper, poofed up in nice wispy peaks.

If your gift is larger or in a sizable box, it must be wrapped. If you’re faced with no other options than doing it yourself, rest assured that it’s not that difficult. As with making a bed, you should visualize this as a construction project, to move it into a manlier realm.

How to Wrap a Gift

1. First, make sure you’ve got a roll of nice, stylish wrapping paper. If all you’ve got in the house is last year’s Christmas paper with snowmen and reindeer, go out to the store and get something nice.

2. Cut about four or five pieces of tape, each about three inches long, and carefully stick one end of each piece on a handy surface near your work area (and not on the end table your wife just refinished).

3. Roll out enough paper to cover the top of your box, then place the box upside down on the paper. Keep unrolling as you bring the paper up and over the box, then down the other side. Roll out a few more inches and cut the paper at that point. Straighten out the paper and place die box in the center.

4. Fold the long sides up onto the box, so they overlap by a few inches. Pull them taut and secure with a piece of clear tape.

5. Turn the box so one of the open sides is facing you. Fold the top flap down along the edge of the box, and then fold each of the two side flaps in. Make a tight crease on either side of the bottom flap, pressing down on your work surface. Then, fold the bottom flap up and tape it to the side of the box. Repeat on the other side, and you’re all done.

And don’t forget a card. This time, forget the joke card or the poetic drivel. Get a blank card with a nice image on the front and write her a heartfelt note inside. See how easy it is to be “da man”?

Add a finishing touch with a bow or ribbon

Once your gift is wrapped, elevate it from amateur hour to something that looks like it came from a high-end boutique by adding a simple ribbon or bow. You don’t need to get fancy with elaborate curling or complex knot-tying—just wrap a nice ribbon around the package horizontally and vertically, creating a cross pattern, and tie it off with a basic bow on top.

Choose a ribbon color that either complements or contrasts nicely with your wrapping paper—metallic gold or silver ribbons work with almost anything and add an instant touch of class. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can buy pre-made stick-on bows from the gift wrap section, which require zero skill but still make your package look like you put in some serious effort.