Wrapping presents: your tips please!

freyasmum

For neat wrapping, measure your gift and cut just enough paper so that you don't end up with lumpy, bumpy sides - also ensure that you pull the paper tight and creeeeeeeaaaaassee your edges.

For odd shapes, tissue paper and cellophanes are handy. Finish with a nice decoration of curling ribbons.

If you have two gifts that you wish to wrap in the same paper, but don't have quite enough, you can use a co-ordinating tissue paper and then use the remaining paper as a 'belly band' for the middle - this also makes a nice, but postable decoration for the gift.

Invest in some really good scissors and a decent tape dispenser - one that can hold its own and not just be thrown around.

Set aside enough time and space to wrap your gifts.

If you can't afford (or don't want to waste the money) on lots of decorations, make your own. Measure and cut the paper as before, leaving too much on one side. Fold in, accordion-style and secure with some curling ribbon wrapped around the box. Use sparkly papers as tags.

DigForVictory

I wrap depending on the audience/recipient.
Under 5, any box, with a gaudy paper outer, is more fun than anything I put inside it. Hence a net of chocolate coins in an empty crisp box (thank you supermarket!) & I have an undeserved reputation with the under 5s.

For school & Scout things, I drop in on Interflora florists & appeal for their out-of-Interflora data cellophane. They have to have certain patterns in, which change. So they have old cello, no real use for it (the designs are pretty bland) and I show up with a Good Cause & lug away armfuls of ends of rolls. With natty ribbon bows bought off ebay, it all looks *far* more glossy & expensive than the effort justifies.

In a belting rush & out of nifty ideas? Tinfoil clamped around the item, total dropped in a pretty bag. (One year I got a bundle of paper bags with handles & spent time with poster paint & potato prints. I had the time & had fun...)

Now, I get generous with bubble wrap from the supermarket fruit boxes, bundle that in gaudy paper, with really clear labelling as to the intended recipient & then pile the lumps in bags for life by family. The waitrose Christmas bags a couple of years back - faux red & white knitted - were very popular. The Morrisons Christmas bags for life with foodstuffs or baubles were also very eyecatching. Poundland do some smashing fake designer styles which may appeal to the label aware... Fit the bag to the target recipient.

Then there are "real designer" bags - like Orla or Cath at Tesco (!) - which accommodates a big tub of sweets and a few odds & bits handily. Wrap? Why? The bag is part of the gift!

Hope this saves you some time effort & money!

torbrex

kingfisherblue

Is it just me, or does the picture in the above post look very rude?

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

PixieDust

nope, not just you

springdreams

I highly suspect that that was the intention

Hence the reason for saying leave the item in its box when wrapping it ...

pinknfluffy28

Being prepared is my tip to a successful wrapping spree.

I do mine over the space of a couple of evenings, once kids are in bed, and dh is on a night shift.

I make sure I have the gifts, ample wrapping paper, gifts bags, tissue paper, my sellotape dispenser, double side tape, bows, ribbon, and tags, spread out on the lounge floor.

I pop on a christmas cd, pour a glass of wine (ensuring the rest of the bottle is close by), and squeeze myself in to the middle of my organised mess.

This method has never failed me, and dh always has lots of fun christmas eve pointing out which presents were done before I got through my first glass of wine - you can see the decline in quality of my wrapping, as the bottle nears completion!

Nannylala

Katiehound wrote: »

Our local Clarks shoe shop used to save boxes if asked. Much easier to pack items in a box.
If you want you can also decorate the box as part of the present.
use a couple of coats of emulsion inside and out- preferably a contrast colour inside, also matt, then acrylic varnish the outside. You can paint a few boxes from a tester pot (cheap in Wilco). For children you can then paint or glue letters for their name making it a personalised "treasure" box.
There are lots of ways to decorate the outside- the world is your oyster!

Another one here that loves to use shoe boxes..makes for a lovely neat parcel and more difficult to guess what the pressie is inside ...whether it be a pair off slippers ;)or a pair of earrings ..

tizerbelle

I spotted this on youtube today - shows a pretty nifty way of wrapping kids novelty slippers but could equally be used for other odd shapes https://youtu.be/rHjiDlgiIP0

mum2one

Time - if you think our get it done in 4 hrs - double it

Others - give others tasks away from the presents

Sellotape - Another vote for heavy duty sellotape dispenser

Santa's presents - If you have to wrap for Santa to bring - use different wrapping paper just for that ocassion - hide away safe

Hiding places - try to vary the hiding place from last yr -

In the mood - This may sound daft, but you need to be in the right frame of mind for wrapping, so grab a drink / dvd / music

Odd shaped - cello wrap, tissue paper - new best friends

Family - one person one set of paper - that way you only need a couple of tags

Batteries - if your giving a present that doesn't have batteries included - add some, nothing more frustrating as a parent - playing hunt the battery...

large present - but the disposable table cloth (plastic - kids designs / paper one for adults