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Christmas

Getting in a tangle

(73 Posts)
lemongrove Wed 06-Dec-17 11:00:14

Does anyone else find doing all the Christmas wrapping up
A real pain? The paper tears, the sellotape gets in a tangle, or worse breaks off and you can’t find the end!
No matter how I try, the presents all end up looking like parcels of fish and chips. With fancy bows stuck on....at a rakish angle.tchangry
I do all the wrapping as DH usually hides somewhere at the mention of him doing any.

henetha Wed 06-Dec-17 11:03:14

Me too lemongrove. All my parcels look like they were wrapped by a 3 year old.

J52 Wed 06-Dec-17 11:27:36

I was just thinking this!! I’ve just wrapped presents to go in 3 large parcels.
My tip to help, is to use the biggest scissors, sticky tape roll and pen that you have. That way they are less likely to ‘ hide’
under the detritus! tchsmile

Eglantine21 Wed 06-Dec-17 11:35:01

Ha! Have paper and presents strewed all over the living room and was just amusing on the ironies of life and wondering whether to post.
Yesterday I was fretting about the hospital appointment. Today I am fretting because my sisters present won't wrap neatly hmm

Eglantine21 Wed 06-Dec-17 11:35:30

Musing not amusing

ninathenana Wed 06-Dec-17 12:01:45

I save boxes in the run up to Christmas, anything from a cereal box to a multi pack crisp box depending on what I need to wrap. It's much easier to put an awkward shape in a box to wrap. Using rolls of decent quality paper and a tape dispenser I find help.

I'm good at present wrapping, even if I do say so myself. Perhaps I should hire myself out tchsmile

Eglantine21 Wed 06-Dec-17 12:14:39

How much? grin

Greyduster Wed 06-Dec-17 12:49:11

Where does the queue form!!

shysal Wed 06-Dec-17 12:54:54

I have found wrapping so much easier since purchasing a hand sticky tape dispenser and a paper cutter. I wouldn't be without them.
This year for adult presents I am using heavy duty brown paper decorated with snowflake stickers bought by the sheet from Lidl. If I say so myself they look good!

GrandmaKT Wed 06-Dec-17 13:04:49

I've been collecting little bits and pieces all year for my DS and his GF in New Zealand. Carefully wrapped each piece in tissue and wrapping paper. Packed all tightly in a box, wrapped box in a double layer of brown paper, secured with several metres of parcel tape and addressed. Took it off down to the PO. It was 12 grams over 2kg meaning that the postage price jumps from £20 to £60!! Brought it home, fought my way into it, removed one of the small gifts, re-wrapped box and finally got it sent off! Need a lie down... tchconfused

ninathenana Wed 06-Dec-17 13:45:08

Eglantine Greyduster
tchgrin

£1 per item, donated to charity. Line up behind Eglantine.

Squiffy Wed 06-Dec-17 13:48:27

Every year I tell myself that, the following year, I must only buy gifts that are rectangular or cube shaped. Every year I forget and end up like the rest of you, fighting with shapes that just will not co-operate with the wrapping process!

Willow500 Wed 06-Dec-17 13:51:11

This is the second year I've used specialised bags which have ribbon ties through them - stick the present in, pull the ribbon and put a label on it. The presents I've had to use paper on have all been in boxes which are easy to wrap. Still hate doing them though!

GrandmaMoira Wed 06-Dec-17 14:11:43

My husband always did the present wrapping and enjoyed it. I hate doing it and am very messy - it's one of the worst tasks I've had to take on being widowed.

hildajenniJ Wed 06-Dec-17 15:52:17

I've never been good at wrapping, but the job always seems to fall to me. I don't mind admitting that I haven't an artistic bone in my body! I dread the day DH says "you'd better wrap the presents". I've asked him to do it as he's better at it than me, but he always declines.?

lemongrove Wed 06-Dec-17 17:06:03

Christmas is marvellous for men isn’t it?
We women wrap all the presents and write all the cards, we probably do most if not all the buying of the presents.
After all that is done, we think about what food and drinks we need to get in for Christmas, and invite family.
What do men do? Pop out to the shops a few days before Christmas to buy us a present and a card, then settle back to enjoy Christmas.Alright for some! tchgrin

Smithy Wed 06-Dec-17 17:14:23

Are all men like that? I'm not married so am used to doing everything, but my friend's hubby is exactly as you have described, Lg.

grannyactivist Wed 06-Dec-17 17:42:49

Following an insensitive remark one Christmas, along the lines of 'how hard can it be?' The Wonderful Man was given the pleasure of showing me how easy it actually is the following year. Of course when it got to mid December and, having made no preparations whatsoever, he went into panic mode, he discovered exactly how hard it is! Peace has reigned since then and he now appreciates just what is entailed in making Christmas look easy. tchgrin

BBbevan Wed 06-Dec-17 17:54:36

My DH does the wrapping. He is a perfectionist so each parcel is beautiful. I bung on the ribbons and bows. He even makes boxes to disguise awkward things. Takes ages but well worth the wait

Luckygirl Wed 06-Dec-17 18:02:46

I HATE wrapping up presents - I HATE sellotape.

Friday Wed 06-Dec-17 18:07:51

I’m minding a friend’s kitten for two weeks while she convalescences from an knee replacement. Puddifur ha been a real help - NOT!

Telly Wed 06-Dec-17 18:55:20

Made the mistake of buying a cheap roll of tape while I was in the local post office/small shop. Ohh I thought a bargain for £1! NOT.....

POGS Wed 06-Dec-17 21:50:53

I don't dislike wrapping presents but every year the big bear are lights.

I checked ALL the outside strings of lights were working OK. , Hubby duely / duly got the ladder out and fixed them to the guttering etc. Great we thought. Ha!

You could have heard him swearing a mile away when one string 1/2 were working, another string 3 bulbs were out.

Every year he declares 'This is the last b----y time I'm doing this'. ?? ?

Jalima1108 Wed 06-Dec-17 22:12:58

ninathenana - yes, please put me on the waiting list!!

Actually, someone else mentioned to me about saving boxes and putting presents in them, much easier to wrap. However, I always forget and someone offered me some boxes this evening and I said 'no thanks' thinking more waste to get rid of

Duh!

Jalima1108 Wed 06-Dec-17 22:17:15

Christmas is marvellous for men isn’t it?
Christmas morning - family opening their presents from DH and me:

"Oh, thanks Mum, thanks Dad Granny/Grandad/!" Then laughter as they say to Dad/Grandad - "you've never seen this before have you!"

Willow500 where did you find those bags? They sound brilliant!