How to wrap a Christmas gift like a pro

Britain's most famous toy shop, Hamleys, has pulled slime toys from its shelves after tests found they contain unlawfully high amounts of a harmful chemical.

Thought you knew how to wrap a Christmas present? You've probably been doing it all wrong, as this video demonstrates.

When it comes to Christmas chores that nobody really wants to do, wrapping presents is at the top of many people's lists. This is possibly because we find this seemingly straightforward task so difficult and frustrating.

If only we could wrap our gifts like a professional, with crisp edges, sharp corners, and no gaps where we underestimated the amount of paper required for the task.

Well now we can, by copying the technique in the video above, which was shot in a Takashimaya department store in Japan.

The video has been viewed on YouTube millions of times which suggests that a lot of people want to improve their gift-wrapping technique.

The trick appears to be to place the gift at an angle of 45 degrees to the paper before wrapping it, and always apply a small amount of sticky tape after the first fold.

Of course, wrapping a rectangular present is all very well. Whether this particular Takashimaya employee is quite so skillful when it comes to wrapping bicycles, footballs or giant teddies remains to be seen.

Not sure what to buy? Use the Telegraph's gift guide tool for inspiration