Present wrapping - arghhh!

ferry23. You made me laugh out loud. I too suffer from these troubles, having 'trimmed' many a present accidentally - although not so importantly than your achievement!
Merry Christmas!

I'm too impatient to wrap presents well, fortunately Mr Soda loves wrapping and does a wonderful job. I've learned from experience that cheap paper doesn't cut the mustard.

I'm not the best by a long shot. Can't be bothered with ribbons and bows most of the time, just the wrapping and label.

But yesterday I did manage 4 tins of Quality Street. Those octagon shaped tins are not for the faint of heart!

More wrapping to do later today, I usually pour myself a glass of wine to help me along.

glammagran

My mother was the worst Christmas wrapper I’ve ever known. If you picked up a wrapped gift the contents would often just fall out once handled. I’m no great shakes at wrapping either (though DH is far worse). DD1 is a precision engineer when it comes to wrapping however.

You havent met me 😂

To wrap gifts - not umbrellas - go the easy way. Get yourself some sweaters from the charity shop, cut across under the arms, and sew [from the inside]. Hem the bottoms, pass the ribbon through, and you have reusable gift bags. Make sure the design has no 'up' and 'down'.

Am I the only one with a ‘Wrapping Station’ from a company called ‘Must Have Ideas’. It’s been a lifesaver as you clamp it to the kitchen table. It holds your roll of paper and two different sizes of tape. It also has a cutter for the sellotape. I’m on a mission today to wrap all presents whilst listening to the Archers on radio 4 and drinking Baileys. Hic!

My mother was the worst Christmas wrapper I’ve ever known. If you picked up a wrapped gift the contents would often just fall out once handled. I’m no great shakes at wrapping either (though DH is far worse). DD1 is a precision engineer when it comes to wrapping however.

I'm with Baubles - I also start early with the actual shopping, usually in September. I get paper and ribbons in the Jan sales and in December I use the afternoons when I'm not busy, so I can watch a movie, to wrap. I used You tube for ideas for decor and feel great when it's all done. I wasn't this good when the kids were small and still remember the horror of wrapping in a frenzy in the early hours though.

SueDoku - unless it's a pocket/folding one I think a bottle bag is too small for a brolly!
This is easy though:

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Um, I still haven't even managed to put the tree up! In my defence, I am in the throes of a nasty chest infection and I'm now taking antibiotics - hoping they kick in soon. Present wrapping has been done for my sister and family (but only because she came to see me yesterday) but any oomph I had, has not yet reappeared. I can't find my Christmas spirit at all

I love wrapping (but do it neatly, without fuss). I set up my folding picnic table in the spare bedroom and sit on the bed to wrap. I can have all the paper, box of labels etc spread out on the bed, and yes - buy a nice heavy sellotape dispenser, they're worth their weight in gold .!
My other tip - write the label before you wrap, and attach it immediately - that way, if you wrap several similar presents, you don't have to open them to see which is which..! (Voice of bitter experience 😁)
And the umbrella? Roll in tissue paper and pop into a bottle bag... job done..!

I SO love wrapping things nicely.
I think I'm a bit extreme as I even send my shop-returns back very well packed!

Obviously I don't decorate the returns but do like to see everything tidy!

I unwrap gifts carefully and save any nice paper. I cut off any damages and have manilla type folders to store the smaller pieces in - one for Christmas off-cuts and recycled paper and one for "general wrap".

I do also keep the huge bottom drawer of a linen cupboard topped up with various paper - from hand-made silk, two-sided patterns to brown, melinex type and also a wide range of tissue papers.

My precious decorations include old velvet flowers (for weddings and special birthdays mainly),some 1960s grosgrain, early versions of cellophane for bows and so on - as well as rafia and modern ribbons.

I am a sucker for beautiful trimmings!

I think wrapping - even simple wrapping - is a small gift of love. 🥰

I went to a lot of effort in buying specific theme re-useable bags for my grandchildren. I did not wrap the multiple content. My DD told me off for "not bothering" and just sticking things in shopping bags!

I meant to say paper bags; definitely not plastic.

I don’t mind the actual wrapping, but my knees can’t take it these days. I prefer to wrap on the floor, I find it much easier, particularly for big items. I have to pace myself or I seize up.

I thought I was the only one that did this. There are more holes in the paper covered with bits of sellotape. My friends take it all in good part cos they always know my present and tell me not to change it’s the biggest laugh they have at Christmas

I also hate present wrapping.
I don't know why .
I nearly ordered some of those squishy tie bags that look simple to use .
I've bought some boxes for costume jewellery and gift bags plus tissue .
It's wrapping stuff to post that almost defeats me .

Handy hint from DH, cut loads of bits of sellotape and stick one end to a suitable surface eg. edge of table or in our case the metal light shade that hangs over our table then use when needed 😀

You could probably do it with paper ones; worth it in the end

Jane112

I was given a great tip for present wrapping this year, do it on the ironing board, no more sore knees and pins and needles from kneeling on the floor and no bending as it's height adjustable. For those who feel throwing everything in a gift bag unwrapped spoils the present opening experience try coloured tissue paper, you can just scrunch it round presents and drop them in the bag, it's much more forgiving than proper wrapping paper.

This is exactly what to do!! I’ve been doing the ironing board trick for years and may do the tissue paper one when I’ve run out of “proper” paper in about 2035! 😂

Christmas gift bags and lots of tissue paper is often used here in the States. More expensive than wrapping paper, but so much easier! Happy Christmas GN’s!

I have adopted the Japanese/Korean tradition of wrapping gifts in cloth. It is very easy as you just need a square piece of cloth and you wrap and knot opposite corners. You can easily unknot and knot again, if you want to take away or add anything to the parcel. The wrapping cloths can be used over and over again so it is ecologically a good thing. The wrapping cloth can be used by the recipient when they next give a gift themselves. Or they can return it to you.

Unlike a Christmas sack, you don't have to sew seams and you can have small squares for small gifts. You can secure the edges with a pinking shears. I have some nice cloths made out of Christmas printed cotton and some colourful African printed cotton.. But you can use any suitable cloth you might have, like parts of worn clothes or household linen. In Korea they traditionally sew together small pieces of cloth to make bigger wrapping cloths which is very thrifty and are considered heirlooms but that is too much work normally for me.

Make it fun. Christmas music and glass of fizz. Buy cheap fabric or charity shop scarfs (best shop over the year) and go Japanese with wrap that can be reused.

My present wrapping skills are getting worse every year so now I don’t bother, I buy loads of pretty decorated foil bags pop the present in and tie the ribbon in a bow Done !!! you can get these bags in a mixture of sizes from QVC or Amazon

Tut tut ladies! All that wasted paper. Use fabric and either pass it on or take it back to use next year
(Admittedly it is tricky to seal)