Gransnet forums

Chat

Wrapping presents ...

(75 Posts)
Luckygirl3 Fri 15-Dec-23 08:41:32

........ why does the sticky tape always spilt lengthways and I have to spend ages trying to sort it!!?? Grrr!

lizzypopbottle Thu 21-Dec-23 12:59:46

I made bags of varying sizes a few years ago they are not as exciting as ripping off paper but infinitely reusable 😇

ninamoore Thu 21-Dec-23 13:03:44

I’m with Bella23, corner to corner and one bit of tape.

Quizzer Thu 21-Dec-23 13:32:40

Just to complicate wrapping our dog hates the sound of sellotape being pulled off the roll. Maybe it hurts her ears, but she barks incessantly so DH usually has to take her for a walk. That’s his excuse for not helping!

sunglow12 Thu 21-Dec-23 13:33:41

Could it be your eye sight ?

Musicgirl Thu 21-Dec-23 13:44:55

I’m another with a sellotape dispenser. It is a sturdy, heavy duty one and it makes wrapping presents so much easier.

Nannashirlz Thu 21-Dec-23 13:53:23

Oh no I’ve been buying the bags for the last few years just drop gift in bag pull the ribbons and stick on a label and done then when they open them pick up and repeat following year lol why make life hard for yourself

Mojack26 Thu 21-Dec-23 14:09:25

Me too as arthritis in my hands makes it difficult and I hate doing it, always have...🤣

georgia101 Thu 21-Dec-23 14:17:12

I used to save and iron the old wrapping paper too. Also saved the ribbons and bows. Things were tight when our children were small so I had lots of little economies going. Not many people seem to know how to economise well now.

Greyduster Thu 21-Dec-23 15:07:27

Am I the only one whose heart sinks when she sees the words “remove backing” on those little foil bows? The whole thing ends up a dog’s breakfast!

fluttERBY123 Thu 21-Dec-23 15:41:43

I quite like the routine of present wrapping. Also making tags from last year's cards. Therapeutic.

Mirren Thu 21-Dec-23 15:47:27

Last year I bought a few cotton bags from a Christmas fair. They worked really well ,especially for odd shapes.
They have a drawstring ribbon that ties really tight and prevents peeping.
This year I have reused those and spent a happy hour at my sewing machine running up a dozen more.
A really quick job .
I will make some more again next year and , one day at a future Christmas, I won't need to fight with the sellotape at all !

queenofsaanich69 Thu 21-Dec-23 16:03:30

I bought lovely Christmas material years ago and made bags of different sizes which I only gave to family so they returned one way and another,anyway only got one here at present see if any more return 😁

ileea Thu 21-Dec-23 16:06:20

I tend to wrap a lot of my 🎁 presents in towels or t-shirts or for my mom I use a yard of pretty fabric she can use later. Little kids still get wrapping paper as I enjoy watching the different ways they unwrap. Some are so careful and take forever and others just tear right into them.
I do like getting fancy with my wrapping at times though. Like Calypso, I would love to be a professional present wrapper at Christmas time.

Madwoman11 Thu 21-Dec-23 17:21:33

I use gift bags. Save tissue paper that is packed between any clothing I buy throughout the year to place in the top of gift bags. Makes life much simpler.
I also reuse gift bags I have received.

Graygirl Thu 21-Dec-23 21:38:43

I have cotton sacks from Amazon third year of using , GC grown up so have one each for them plus one for DD and SiL

Hil1910 Thu 21-Dec-23 21:55:30

Wrapped our gifts last week and use wired ribbon plus sellotape before popping them into Lidl Christmas bags. I enjoy wrapping and do a few every day. Mostly buy for our great great nephews and nieces so like to wrap their presents before putting them into bags.

annodomini Thu 21-Dec-23 22:12:17

Why didn't I read this thread before spending an hour wrapping four presents for toddler DGGD. I can see now that there are lots of hints that would have made my labours easier. One hour to wrap; thirty seconds for her to rip open!

Diplomat Thu 21-Dec-23 23:04:08

Anyone else mystified by why wrapping paper is now secured at several points by a roll of tape which is hard to get off and damages the paper?

Nannan2 Fri 22-Dec-23 02:04:34

Everytime i say ill copy the character Smithy from Gavin& Stacy's idea and just wrap them all in tinfoil- scrunch & done- and everytime i forget🙄

Nannan2 Fri 22-Dec-23 02:10:50

Why would you enjoy wrapping😑 its my most detested chore of the festive season. So time consuming and im not very good at it 😐

DeeJaysMum Sat 23-Dec-23 00:31:50

Sellotape dispenser here.
I start buying presents in early July once all the family's birthdays have passed, wrap them as I buy them, they're all bought and wrapped by mid-September, then distributed by end of second week in November.
I've now closed my doors, turned the lights and tv off, I'll turn my phone off on Sunday morning and will completely ignore the outside world until at least 3 January.

25Avalon Sat 23-Dec-23 08:42:26

mistymitts

A tip I was given to find the end of a roll of tape, instead of using fingers to feel for it, use the tip of your tongue, much more sensitive to the edge of the tape, really works!

It works! Thanks for the tip mistymitts.

JackyB Sat 23-Dec-23 09:31:36

I love watching YouTube videos of clever wrapping ideas but can never remember how they went and usually do my wrapping in a hurry so stick to the tried and tested simple envelope corners.

I cut off strips of sellotape and stick them round the lamp over the table, which has a glass shade, ready to grab as I go. Of course, I don't know in advance hope many I'll need, and sometimes someone will notice bits of tape dangling from the lamp when we're sitting at Christmas dinner!

vegansrock Sat 23-Dec-23 11:23:41

I do the gift bags or make my own out of fabric. Recycled tissue paper over the present in bag, fun key ring to tie the handles together. IKEA is a good place for bags and fancy string. I don’t do sellotape.