Guide
How to add captions to a gift wrapping or DIY gift craft video on iPhone
Updated
To add captions to a gift wrapping or DIY gift craft video on iPhone, say each fold, measurement and supply out loud as you work, open the clip in CaptionAddr, let it transcribe the English speech on the iPhone, fix paper, ribbon and craft terms in Edit Captions, place the captions clear of your hands and the gift and export a captioned copy to Photos. Videos up to 2 minutes are free; CaptionAddr Pro covers up to 30 minutes.
Why caption gift wrapping videos
Gift wrapping and gift craft videos, such as wrapping an awkward box with hidden tape, tying a ribbon bow, folding a gift bag from wrapping paper or making a handmade tag, card or ornament for the holidays, are watched in a feed with the sound off and paused by viewers who want to copy each fold. Captions let them follow each fold, measurement and supply, and they help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This guide is for wrapping and small handmade gifts. For building and repair projects, see the DIY tutorial guide; for sewn, knitted and crocheted gifts, the sewing and knitting guide. CaptionAddr burns the captions into the picture, so they show wherever you post.
Caption a gift wrapping video on iPhone
- Say each fold out loud. Explain the step as you make it, such as “fold the edge under by one inch” or “cross the ribbon underneath and pull it tight.” Crinkling paper and tape aren’t captioned, but they can cover quiet words, and CaptionAddr doesn’t remove noise.
- Choose the video. Tap Select Video in CaptionAddr and pick the clip with Apple’s Photos picker. Overhead, vertical, square and landscape videos all work, and the video keeps its shape.
- Let the captions generate. Captions start as soon as the video opens; keep the app open; the English speech is transcribed on your iPhone, not on a server.
- Fix craft terms and measurements. Ribbon and paper names, fold names and measurements are the words most likely to come out wrong, and they matter most to someone wrapping along. Correct them in Edit Captions. You can edit, delete and reorder words, with undo and redo.
- Keep your hands in view. Choose one of the 20 fonts and a size that reads on a phone, turn on the tinted background over patterned paper or shiny ribbon, and drag the captions to an edge of the frame where they don’t cover your hands, the folds or the finished gift.
- Export and post. Tap Export Video to save the captioned copy to Photos, then upload it to TikTok, Reels, Shorts or any other app. The watermark is off unless you turn it on.
Tips for gift wrapping captions
- Say measurements out loud. Captions come from your speech, not from a template or text shown on screen, so say how much paper to cut and how far to fold.
- Name the supply as you pick it up. Say “the wired ribbon” or “double-sided tape” when you switch, so the captions match what viewers see.
- Explain before the quiet part. Long stretches of folding and taping with no talking have nothing to caption. Say what you’re about to do, then let it play.
- Keep holiday music low or out. Music under your voice can cause missed words; add it in the app you post to, after the captions are made.
- Keep your original. CaptionAddr exports a new copy and leaves the original clip in your library.
Limits
- Speech only. CaptionAddr captions spoken English. It doesn’t read templates, gift tags or text shown on screen, and it doesn’t caption paper sounds, music or sound effects.
- Captions only. The app doesn’t add supply lists, titles, arrows or step labels, and you can only fix, delete or reorder the transcribed words.
- No audio changes. The app doesn’t remove paper or room noise or change the audio; deleting a word removes it from the captions only.
- English only. CaptionAddr transcribes English speech and doesn’t translate.
- Single-word captions. Words appear one at a time, timed automatically, always in uppercase; there are no speaker labels, full-sentence layouts or manual per-word timing.
- Length. Free covers videos up to 2 minutes; CaptionAddr Pro covers up to 30 minutes. CaptionAddr doesn’t trim, split, speed up or combine clips. The App Store shows the current Pro price in your currency.
- Burned-in captions only. There is no SRT, VTT or text export, and the app doesn’t post to social platforms.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add captions to a gift wrapping video on iPhone?
Say each fold and measurement out loud as you work, open the clip in CaptionAddr, generate captions on your iPhone, fix ribbon, paper and fold names in Edit Captions, drag the captions clear of your hands and export a captioned copy to Photos.
Why are words missing while I fold and tape?
Crinkling paper and tape can cover a quiet voice, and CaptionAddr doesn’t remove noise. Say the step before you fold, or record a voiceover over the clip, then fix any remaining words in Edit Captions.
Will holiday music in the background be captioned?
Usually not. CaptionAddr leaves out sections that are clearly music or singing and keeps speech over background music. If a stray lyric shows up, delete it in Edit Captions.
Can CaptionAddr add a list of supplies?
No. CaptionAddr only makes captions from what you say, and you can only fix, delete or reorder the transcribed words. Name each supply out loud at the start of the video so it appears in the captions.
Will there be a watermark on my video?
No watermark is required. A small CaptionAddr watermark is optional and off unless you turn it on.