Christmas wrapping Grrrrr

shysal; had to buy a tape dispenser this year as I always used to 'borrow' the one from work round about this time.It's something I'd always wanted anyway and would have been delighted to receive one as a gift from someone! With presents for little children I always think it's best not to wrap them very well; recall one year when a child struggled for ages with a beautifully wrapped gift. My son always used to use beautiful hand made paper and ribbon but I found it painful having to rip them open, feeling that I was destroying a thing of beauty [which I was]. Not much of a problem wrapping presents this year as I've hardly bought any, having told everyone that I want them to only have something that they really want, even if it means waiting till after Christmas. We're all too strapped for cash to spend money on things that aren't needed [bah humbug ].

I start off well, trying to be methodical and neat. By the end of if, though, my parcels look a bit higgledy-piggledy. Might have something to do with the wine I drink to make the job bearable!

My sister always produced immaculately wrapped and matching presents all round. As we didn't spend Christmas together we we would get together just before Christmas and exchange a box of presents for our families to be opened on the day. Her beautiful parcels carefully packed into a box for my mismatch of untidy parcels stuffed in to carrier bags.

I do the colour coded thing too. I have just received a gift from someone who has wrapped it in tissue and put it in a gift bag as suggested on this thread - looks fine. I am going to steal all your ideas for my next bout of wrapping

Look in your local charity shop for remnants of material.I got 2 metres last year for approx £1.
Easier to wrap ,doesn't tear -and you can even collect up- wash and re-use

I do colour-coded wrapping for the DGC - one colour allocated to each child so you don't have to bother with labels. I also use gift bags and just loose wrap the gifts in tissue paper. Even do that for the grown-ups but they do get a label!

I certainly don't enjoy the wrapping and am not as good as my DD & DIL they can both do the curled ribbon's and bow's as good as any expert but I do match all my wrapping paper to the colours on my tree so that they look nice underneath,I was lucky enough to find some lovely sellotape again this year from Next which has "wrapped with love" printed through it I bought it last year and it has only just come back on sale this last fortnight its 3 for 2 and certainly looks good on all presents not just Christmassy ones.

Hateithateithaiteit. Which is why I'm on here, it has taken me two weeks to wrap just four parcels that need to be sent off. The last one is sitting on the table half-wrapped. I haven't even started on all the ones that can be handed out. The dining room looks like a bomb has hit it. One thing that I found again this year, in poundland rather than in paperchase where I first bought it years ago, is stretchy elastic gold string. It has made life a little easier. I really ought to get a tape dispenser to ease the pain a bit more.

tape dispenser
I use one of these, sold in most supermarkets, and re-fillable. No need for all the bits around the table any more!
I have given up adding ribbons for the children and use stick-on gift tags, written in advance, much quicker.

I like the gift bags because they are reusable if still in good shape. Wrapping I disliked until I watched a pro at a store wrap several. Picked up a few tips that made all the difference,but don't ask me to make a bow!

Well I have always wrapped lots of little stuff for my DD and DGD - little bits to open. Doesn't seem the same to put it in bags really. Trying my best but not very good. Penguin - I envy you. Tonight I have given it a go (unsuccessfully) with a little help from desert island discs website and

Gift bags are definitely the way to go. I usually wrap what ever goes inside in some tissue paper then put it in the bag and it's done! Big things like the DGSs presents will be wrapped as they are huge boxes and DD's present has come in its own very ritzy box with huge but classy gold bow so I shall leave that as it is. But even so, a cleared dining table, a glass of Bailey's, Christmassy music on the radio and no interruptions and I'm perfectly happy!

I love wrapping something and making it look pretty, ribbons and bows. I've made some pom poms to decorate GS and GD's presents this year. They will tear them off in no time.

There s no way I can be bothered with fancy Christmas present wrapping. but yes it looks lovely!

I don't bother with ribbon and bows but my parcels are very neat.
I do find it a boring chore.

I hate wrapping!

I've always thought my wrapping is OK and sometimes really nice. The trouble is that DD is really brilliant at it. She comes round with lovely little parcels with tasteful ribbons and trimmings. Her christmas tree always looks like something out of Homes and Gardens too. Still, this year the 7 year old has done the tree - it looks as if Mr Tumble has had a go at it

Glad it's not just me - bags for me next year !

KatyK, you have just described me. My DiLs make a lovely job of wrapping whereas my DSs take after me. I like to use Christmas bags and staple them at the top so that the children can't get into them before Christmas.

Oh I do sympathise. I am hopeless at wrapping too and parcels always look as if they were thrown together at the last minute - even using the lines! Some people have the gift and others (like me) don't. That is why gift bags were invented.