Estimating Carpet Amount Needed

What is the best way to estimate the amount of carpet needed for a project.  The carpet I am looking at is 54" wide.

Are there any secrets? 

Aside from surface area, account for sides?

A side note, try to have seams on the top of the box. Do this to avoid ripping the carpet off the box when manuvering it around.

The key is to draw a layout of your proposed box, with each side laid out.  Figure out how you're going to apply the carpet.  You want to work it out so that the seams are in inconspicuous areas, like close to an edge or on the bottom.  A good way is to use graph paper and draw everything to scale.  I normally just use graph paper that you can buy in any drugstore or supermarket, and figure each block to be one square inch.

Do a search  for the word "double-cutting" in message body and you'll find one or two posts about how to conceal edges of carpet instead of having an overlap.  BCAE1.com has a pictorial chapter on covering a box as well.

Christ stevdart, can we get any more anal here? Your thoroughness never ceases to amaze me! ( just a joke, don't be offended)

I have never done anything near that complex when carpeting a box (my boxes look good I might add). SO you could wrap it like a burrito so there will only be one seam on the length of the box. If there is enough carpet, cut an "X" and do the sides. If not cut some squares and be done witht it.

...the anal, graph paper-using, double-cutting KING!

That was very funny steve, I did laugh at that.

Wow quite a digression here, oh well...

Damn stevdart, now a great philosopher.

Agreed. It takes a knack for both to do well here. They certainly complement each other.

The real question is, do you have the art of science or the science of art?

I know of the 'double cutting'  a great technique.

What do you mean by cutting X's for the sides?