Present wrapping - arghhh!

baubles I use the ironing board, a set up pretty similar to yours.

I do hampers for my adult DCs, containing all sorts of odds and s*ds that I think they might (hopefully!) find useful. I pop them into plastic vest carrier bags before putting them into a proper forever-type bag that can be reused ad infinitum. The plastic vest bags are used after Christmas to put used cat litter or rubbish in.

Not sure why you need to use the ironing board???
I sit at the dining room table to wrap.
I’m not a fan of wrapping gifts, have to be in the right mood.
I’ve found not using too much paper & small
pieces of tape helps.

Where my daughter lives, the local toy shop includes complementary gift wrapping with each purchase - absolutely brilliant!

I don't mind wrapping....I do it in batches .....I'm all done now...everything under the tree

fancyflowers

I don't mind gift wrapping as long as the gifts are square or rectangular. It's the weird shapes that give me the problems. (Granddaughter, I'm looking at you).

For many people in the family, Amazon vouchers are always popular, with the added bonus that they only need slipping in an envelope.

Save smll and medium cardboard boxes, then you may (or may not) have a box you can put an awkward shaped present into before you wrap it.
Square and rectangular shapes are so much easier to wrap although I can still make a mess of those sometimes.

I sit at the dining room table to wrap.^
So do I.

Just remembered a small gift which DH likes every year so ordered it from Amazon. Expected date of delivery 16th/17th January! It will have to be an IOU.

My son works long hours so every year all his wife presents get given to me to wrap, 2 recycling bags full, i make a afternoon out of it i do it on my high bed.. saves my back, put some Christmas music in the alexa, and a bowl full of nibbles, i ban hubby from the bedroom, and enjoy every minute of it

ferry23

I absolutely hate wrapping gifts. My Mum used to make gifts look like works of art and my daughter has followed suit.

Me - well I tear the paper, lose the scissors, get sellotape stuck to already wrapped gifts, manage to cut the paper too small for the gift - you get my drift.

I've just gone to wrap an umbrella for my daughter - it took my absolutely ages to source exactly what she wanted as she had various criteria it needed to fill - and it wasn't partiularly cheap. I had surplus paper at one end so cut it off - only to find that I've also cut the fabric loop on the end of the umbrella in half as it was poking out the end of the packaging.

After turning the air blue I'm now going to sit in my conservatory - the sun is shining here - and very carefully sew the loop back together. And try and decide whether I should fess up and tell her, or hope that she won't notice.

We are kindred spirits Ferry! My mother loved wrapping presents and made them look like works of art, though woe betide anyone who threw the decorative bits away. Her view was it’s not the cost of the present but the thought that has gone into buying and the love in making it look beautiful. I try and remind myself of that advice when I’m cursing having left wrapping to the last minute then I can’t find the sellotape and end up using parcel tape!🥴

I’m sure your daughter will love her gift whether you fess up or not. 🌂🎁

I had a great idea last Christmas - I bought some Christmassy fabric and was going to make reusable drawstring bags to put presents in. The fabric is still there, waiting.... maybe next year?

Oh I so agree! This year it was the Sellotape. Despite it being the named brand it kept splitting! Trying to pick it off the roll split the nails and raised the blood pressure. Tte sheer joy of finishing the job. Yes a nice g&t!

I set up a wrapping station on spare bedroom chest of drawers, which is about the same height as the kitchen cabinets. The good thing is that I can leave everything out when I’ve had enough, and go back to it when I’m ready. I put on a podcast or a radio programme and set to.

I really don’t enjoy it, but I do like to see them all done and even now my girls (40+) like to see them under the tree. Like someone else mentioned above, I try to take a deep breath and do it with good grace, and loving thoughts for the recipient. Sometimes with more success than at others 😉

One gadget that I used for a couple of years that was really successful was a device that took pre-cut length of tape and attached to my wrist. No losing the tape, no need to let go of the paper to cut it, et cetera. I’m going to look for a new one this year. I think the last one got thrown out with offcuts!

I too am not particularly good at wrapping presents, but have found some strategies that help. I realise that telling you all these now will do no good this year, but might be of help next year.

Through the year whenever I receive anything that has been packed in a box, I keep the box. Most can be opened up and stored flat, apart from the old fashion shoe-box type. It is far easier to make a neat parcel, if you put the present in a suitable size of box.

My imagination boggled at the thought of anyone trying to wrap up an umbrella neatly!

You can also collect carrier bags and use them by simply putting the present in, tying the handles neatly together with a nice big bow and adding a label.

Or you could ask the shop assistent if they gift wrap presents.

Wrapping paper is such a poor, thin quality that it is almost bound to play up. If you have cloth remnants you can either use these instead of paper, or if you are handy with a sewing-machine run up your own cloth gift bags.

When wrapping a box up, you need to measure the depth, length and height of the box then add on five or six centimetres extra so you have enough paper to fold in and over the ends of the box.

I love wrapping (sorry). I’m the person that makes them look frilly and fabulous. However I also do all my daughter’s wrapping for her, and have done about 150 for her so far this year. (Lots of little bits for her teenage daughters). These I merely wrap in paper and tape, as the kids really don’t care how they look. I watch Christmassy movies, get myself a glass of something, and I’m in heaven. If I hated doing them I’d just buy Christmas bags, and shove things in there. However, I don’t like those plastic drawstring ones they advertise so much. They look horrid and feel worse.

It's just easy! Step out of your self imposed persona of the person who cannot wrap presents!
Get all the things together in a quiet place, something nice on the radio, take your time. Enjoy it! Use your imagination.

If you lack inspiration, there are so many videos on You tube. I watch them for relaxation and fun!

Imagine someone said they would give you 1,000,000 pounds if you did it well - I bet you would be able to then!
Good luck! You can do it!

I hate wrapping too!
When I was at my DDs the other day I asked if I could help with anything and finished up wrapping presents for her! Grrrr ....!

One thing I’ve found is that really cheap paper is gals economy as it tears very easily. A nice thick paper and job done….

I buy gift bags if cheap post Xmas and wrap some and I am as hapless as the op wrapping - it’s boring ! 🎅🏻 📦

Every year I say I will wrap the presents as I buy them - do I? No, yet again I’m lumbered with wrapping loads of presents all at once. Will I ever learn?

Another here who is rubbish at gift wrapping! I get easily bored and find the whole process tedious beyond measure! I hate all fiddly repetitive tasks for this reason and I tend to rush it to get it over with leading to ripped paper lost sellotape and much bad language

There are some great Youtube and instagram videos showing how to do fancy wrapping with origami pleats, washi tape and bows. As I only have one secret santa to wrap I try to do it elaborately. The DGC het gift bags or envelopes.

I used to wrap for my children and foster children up to 5 although every year. Just did some every night started mid November
Now it's easier as 2 adult children only want money so I buy a bottle biscuits and tub chocolates. DIL gets gift card n chocolates, 2 grandchildren get money, chocolates and small bathroom gift. DD and other DGC likes presents so have to wrap them.

I've got my granddaughter a few bits and bobs, all various shapes and sizes. So this year I am going to sew a Christmas sack or stocking to put them all in. I'll wrap each one with tissue paper, as it's much easier.

Any other awkward shaped presents, I'll put in a box first, as suggested above, before wrapping.

I LOVE wrapping, almost my favourite part of Christmas. I do it very neatly with great care!

I was onve wrapping a gorgeoys shorts and top pyjama set for my daughter in law- I cut right through the strap of the top whole I was cutting the paper!🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ went to buy another but it was out of stock so had to buy a whole new set 😡