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I've lost the knack......

(48 Posts)
kittylester Fri 06-Oct-17 11:47:35

of wrapping presents! I was the family go to person until a short while ago but now I just can't do it!

DH and I will have been married 47 years next week and he spoilt my normal anniversary present by buying himself a single malt from Aldi thus doing me out of the ritual of going to the local wine shop, asking their advice and using a bottle bag!! grin

So, I've bought him a CD rack for his newly refurbished study and it's so big and heavy that I can't wrap the blessed thing however hard I try!

Help - anyone recommend any wrapping sites?

yggdrasil Fri 06-Oct-17 12:04:37

A CD rack? How many trees would that take to cover. Tie a ribbon to it, cover it with a sheet and whip the sheet off as you hand it over.

MawBroon Fri 06-Oct-17 12:14:58

I sympathise, I used to enjoy it and take pleasure in being creative, but just lack the patience. I also think the rubbish quality of wrapping paper makes it harder.
I have never used a wrapping web site though,and
my most successsful attempts have included brown parcel paper and raffia, cream paper tablecloth (JL) and black ribbon (very Jo Malone!) or (again) brown parcel paper and narrow tartan ribbon. I have also used an old Ordnance Survey map.
DD who is very artistic manages to create an effect wuth newspaper and orange or bright pink ribbon or raffia.
Have fun!

kittylester Fri 06-Oct-17 14:21:46

yggdrasil, it's not that huge but wider than wrapping paper and very heavy being made of oak and slate.

I often use brown paper Maw but have run out! I have friends who use newspaper but when I do it looks like badly wrapped fish and chips! Artistic daughters annoy me!! grin

KatyK Fri 06-Oct-17 14:28:25

I'm the same kitty I hate wrapping presents. They always look like a dog's dinner. At Christmas I get in a right pickle - sellotape in my hair, on my clothes, on the furniture and floor. I wrap and unwrap in an attempt to make them look better. The only solution is to buy boxes to put awkward nes in but even then I haven't got the knack of pretty bows and ribbon etc. My DD's parcels are always beautiful.

KatyK Fri 06-Oct-17 14:29:03

Oh and happy anniversary smile

kittylester Fri 06-Oct-17 14:31:52

Thank you Katy, I think my confidence took a knock watching lots of Japanese people go 'bish, bash, bosh' and achieve a beautifully wrapped parcel usually without sellotape!!

Eglantine21 Fri 06-Oct-17 15:16:57

Maw room and kitty, Iwent on a parcel wrapping course ( yes really!) and one of her must haves was paper tablecloths for big items. She also showed us how to wrap a bottle so that it looks fabulous!

Eglantine21 Fri 06-Oct-17 15:17:31

Mawbroon, sorry. You got auto corrected!

Ellie Anne Sat 07-Oct-17 08:37:43

Like others I used to enjoy it. I had a wrapping presents night with good stuff on the telly and a glass of something.
Now I can’t be bothered. I lose the scissors and the sellotape and get in a muddle.

cornergran Sat 07-Oct-17 08:48:54

A good quality paper tablecloth for big things, kitty, easily cut to size. Good luck and happy anniversary for next week.

Kim19 Sat 07-Oct-17 09:27:53

Recently had occasion to wrap an awkward gift. Brown paper was the only solution but really cheery when I festooned it with imogee stickers from my GCs collection. Some you win!

Coconut Sat 07-Oct-17 09:38:03

I have always been asked by everyone to wrap gifts and I did love a challenge, to make any present look amazing. At Xmas now I have mostly opted for “brown paper packages tied up with string” then a lovely sprig of holly with berries tucked into the string. We have so many unusual bushes here with pretty leaves, they really do look lovely and make the gifts extra special. Most people hate wrapping gifts tho.

ginny Sat 07-Oct-17 09:40:25

Would it fit in a pillow case. Tie up wit a ribbon

JanaNana Sat 07-Oct-17 10:35:23

I think the best way is to find a suitable shaped box ....this makes it easier to wrap ...or just a gift bag. I do the presents shopping, buy and write the cards, and my husband helps with the wrapping which I am very grateful for. He does it like a mini production line.....all the sellotape cut into pieces first, the rolls of paper to hand. My role is his assistant, writing the labels, passing each present with the paper etc. I used to do all this myself but used to get into such a sweat, with a few choice words under my breath that he offered to help and it's now easier with two people. Another thing that has probably brought about this is my dislike of over commercialism and thinking why are Christmases now like this. We have simplified our present giving as well so there is now less to deal with.

Legs55 Sat 07-Oct-17 11:46:46

When DD lived at home she wrapped all presents except her own of coursegrin

Now with 2 young DCs she doesn't spend as much time wrapping. I now have to do my own but apart from DGSs most of my gifts are money, nice card in an envelope, easygrin

Tegan2 Sat 07-Oct-17 11:56:36

One of the best things I ever bought was a large office type sellotape dispenser. Mind you, I still can't wrap presents. Tend to cut off too much wrapping paper (or too little).

DeeWBW Sat 07-Oct-17 11:56:49

Oh, and I occasionally add a boiled egg!

DeeWBW Sat 07-Oct-17 11:57:14

Oops! Wrong posting.

pamdixon Sat 07-Oct-17 12:29:14

once when I was wrapping xmas presents, the king charlie I was looking after, managed to get sellotape on his tummy..........I had to put him on his back, place a hand firmly on him to keep him still, and cut off the sellotape very gently - removing loads of hair enroute. As I got nearer his 'sensitive bits' he started to panic as you can imagine........I always think of that when I am wrapping up xmas presents!! So anything after that is a doddle!

Diddy1 Sat 07-Oct-17 12:34:11

I love wrapping up presents, I am grateful for the tip about a paper tablecloth, what a brilliant idea,thank you.

sarahellenwhitney Sat 07-Oct-17 12:48:11

kittylester. That sounds a lovely present and I imagine expensive. Me?, if possible, armed with wrapping paper and a big smile back to where purchased and ask if they would gift wrap.Nothing venture nothing gained.

SueDonim Sat 07-Oct-17 13:10:25

I'm another who has 'gone off' wrapping presents. I think it's because of the sheer quantity of wrapping that needs to be done nowadays. With four children, three in-law children, and four GC, plus my Dh and other family and friends, there's just so much to do.

Some things need to be posted, too, so that is another layer of wrapping. Gone are the days when I could do all the Xmas wrapping in one evening, plus I need to sit at a table now instead of crawling around on the floor like I used to.

Still, there are worse things in life, so I won't moan too much!

Direne3 Sat 07-Oct-17 13:12:38

One can sometimes buy an odd roll of wallpaper in one of the poundshops - look out for the thick ones which are very strong.

Blinko Sat 07-Oct-17 16:17:29

I hate wrapping and have never been good at it. My solution over the years has been to purchase only regular shaped gifts, preferably boxed. The paper table cloth sounds like a good idea, if ever I buy something humungous.

DiLs are both teachers and have the knack with wrapping. Both are great wrappers.