Gift wrapping is one of my favorite holiday activities. The process of actually wrapping gifts is actually very soothing to me. I also love the looks of a all of those neatly wrapped, ribboned, and bowed gifts!
I know that gift wrapping isn’t everyone’s favorite activity, though.I’m sure that some people would much rather be doing just about anything else other than wrapping gifts.
Whether you love gift wrapping or hate it, these gift wrapping tips can (hopefully) make your job a little easier this year…
- Take a lesson from this gift wrapper! Instead of lining up the edges of square and rectangular gifts evenly with the paper, angle the package and wrap the corners up and around the box one by one. More of a technique than a hack, but awesome nonetheless!
- Save any shipping boxes that you get. They make oddly shaped gifts SO much easier to wrap.
- Turn products boxes “inside out” to avoid confusion (“Cereal…?”) or false excitement (“A new HDTV!”) on opening day. Carefully undo the seams of the box and refold the box so the plain side is facing out. Tape the seams back together and you have a plain box! At lest on the outside.
- Glue wrapping paper to heavy lidded boxes with spray adhesive. Cover the outsides of the box and tuck the edges into the inside. You can then just put the gift inside, pop the top on, and tie a ribbon around it or add a bow.
- Work with oddly shaped gifts. I was once faced with the task of wrapping a soccer ball, not once but twice. The first time, it was wrapped like a huge piece of candy, and the second time, I attached it to an empty wrapping paper tube and it was a lollipop.
- Invest in a pop-up tape dispenser. Or at least get several strips of tape ready and hang them from the edge of a table or shelf.
- Print your own gift tags. You can find fun festive fonts and wingdings (clipart-like fonts) on free font websites like DaFont.
- Old grocery bags as wrapping paper don’t have to look plain and cheap. Use stamps and paint to add a little holiday flair.
- If your wrapping paper comes up a bit short, don’t rip it off and redo it. Just use a wide strip of contrasting paper and wrap it around the whole gift, covering the open spot.
- Tape is obviously a necessity when wrapping presents, but it isn’t always pretty. Use double sided tape for a much cleaner look.
- Keep track of who gets what. Each year, my daughter’s presents and my son’s presents are each wrapped in different wrapping papers. This eliminates the need for gift tags and prevents any accidental openings.
- After your gift wrapping adventures, slide a ponytail elastic around your wrapping paper to keep it from unraveling. Long-haired girls usually have one or two on their wrists, and they’re less likely to rip the paper since they don’t catch n it like rubber bands can.
- If you don’t have a hair elastic on hand, slit one side of a toilet paper tube and clamp it onto your wrapping paper to prevent it from unraveling.
