This Christmas, I was wrapping a rectangular present and noted that the regular way of wrapping did not work for a portion of wrapping paper – but diagonally, it would work, or almost work for rectangular items.
I found this video linked at the Popular Mechanics article years back. It’s interesting that the most standard way of wrapping is inefficient for books and other similar items, if you look at their diagrams this is due to four large rectangles that are effectively extra and redundant, have to be folded around or cut.
This Christmas eve remember to wrap all the gifts you are giving… and remember the ultimate gift … that is not a square!