100+ presents to wrap - tips please!!

[fullcircleagain]

Every year I'm the one wrapping until 3am on Xmas day. And then it takes me ages to work out what's what!

THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT!!!!

I'm going to attack the boxes in the garage tonight. I have four children to wrap for. There's probably about 120 things to wrap for the kids.

Any tips on making my life easier? Please help!!!

[Philoslothy]

Next year don't buy as much. Surely people can help you out.

[Bragadocia]

Can you cluster wrap some items that are related?
Maybe don't wrap the stocking items, or just roll them in tissue paper if you have it, and twist the ends.

[DeckTheHoopsWithBoughsOfHolly]

I also have 4 children and I have nowhere near 120 presents to wrap. They get one "big" wrapped present and then stuff in their stockings.

[Funkytown]

pick a number that you want to have done for tonight and do that if you are not tired and have more time do a few more
wrap every night until they are done

[TheFutureMrsB]

Sort things into piles by shape and size, cut the paper for a few same(ish) sized items and get wrapping. Leave the awkward shaped ones until last and put on some christmas music or film to pass the time. I'd do it for you, love wrapping

[TravellingToad]

Yes! I have the solution :) well... a good helper anyway

I saw this link the other day and bought one, it came today

It dispenses pre-cut strips of tape one at a time so you don't need to stop wrapping to try and cut another bit off.

amzn.to/1AkUY3q

[Iggly]

Why on earth did you buy so many presents!?????

[TarkaTheOtter]

Sellotape dispenser
Sticky labels
Wrapping paper with cutting lines on back.

[tinkerbellvspredator]

It's a bit late now but wrap things as you buy them. Get one of those sellotape wrist dispensers (disclaimer: I have never used one but covet them).

[Shamazeballs]

I had about this amount. I did a aldi bag full a night until it was done.

Then I twitched so need to do some more

[FannyFanakapan]

Divvy up the gifts into piles by person.

Put your scissors on a long string round your neck so you dont lose them

Buy the precut sticky tapes that you put on your wrist - here. Failing that, cut enough tape for 3 or 4 presents before wrapping. Put sticky tape roll on your wrist like a bangle, so you dont lose it. As you are cutting the tape, twist the end as you finish cutting a length, so you dont spend ages trying to find the end later.

Write your sticky lables before you start. As each gift is wrapped, put a lable on it.

Do big boxes first, saving off cuts of paper for the little things.

As you finish each child, put them all in bags so they are all together. Have a separate bag for stocking fillers by child.

Give yourself a target - all Jonnys presents by Friday night, all Janes by SUnday night etc. ALthough preferably all child 1's pressies on one night.

Get some wine and some tunes on the go.

[neddle]

Ironing board
tape dispenser
no kids

[TommyandGina]

Or whichever is your thing, and lots of determination. Imagine how great you'll feel when you sit back and there's a big pile of wrapped presents in front of you, just do it!

[NotQuitePerfect]

Yes yes to ironing board - best tip ever for wrapping without backache.

Heavy, solid tape dispenser and proper Sellotape.

Sticky labels rather than tie-on tags.

[kilmuir]

Children do not need so much stuff, puremadness

[marne2]

I'm sure op didn't post asking for views on how many presents she has bought?

I buy a lot so I wrap as I buy ( I take photos of what I have bought so I don't forget ), I enjoy wrapping and feel kind of sad when it's all finished .

[TurnOverTheTv]

I get everything out and put it into piles for each child. I have different wrapping paper for each child. Once wrapped it goes into a black sack for each child (to store in garage) I wrap until I feel like crying stocking fillers are wrapped in matching child's paper, put in a carrier bag, and dumped in matching child's bin bag.

[Frontron]

I definitely recommend a good heavy tabletop tape dispenser, having used hand dispensers in the past I found them uncomfortable after a while and the little bits of tape are sometimes not long enough and can be quite expensive to buy. Sort presents into piles by person or size or shape etc. Make sure you have everything to hand and plenty of space. I'm also using wallpaper scissors this year in the hope the extra length will make cutting straight easier.
I've got around 100 presents to wrap too and I'm sitting down for the evening tomorrow whilst text Santa is on :-)

[cookiefiend]

I use a permenant pen and write names in the sellotape on the back of each gift as I go. Then worry about labels and bows just before I put them under the tree. And a proper office style sellotape dispenser you use with one hand. Also find it easier to wrap similarly sized things at once eg DVDs so one slice of paper cut into two does two DVDs.

[profpoopsnagle]

TBH I don't think Father Christmas pressies need to be wrapped especially well, in our house at least they don't notice if the corners aren't perfect or if the paper doesn't quite reach....

I have a wrapping paper for each child, which makes Christmas Eve a bit easier for sorting. All pressies are then stored together and this saves writing any labels.

Sort each pile for a child.

Start with the biggest presents and work your way down, you may find the offcuts suitable and if you have a pile to work from.

[happsymum]

ooo v envious! i love wrapping and im done mine! eagerly waiting for a few very very little bits to arrive then wrap those - im also going to have to open and re-wrap stocking gifts from santa as my dd saw some thinking they're just general pressy's for friends/relatives (only ones she generally sees lying around the house) id flung a few stocking/santa gifts behind the sofa when heard her coming downstairs last night and dp thought he was being helpful putting the same under the tree first thing this morning before id got up, oops.

[MaryWestmacott]

all for DCs in a totally OTT way, or are you one of those people with 8+ siblings, who've all got DPs and a gaggle of DCs each, with a DP with a similar family size and you've ended up thinking just getting one or two things each isn't that big a deal until you see the mountain?

Do 20 a night. Get your DP to do a pile as well each night.

[MaryWestmacott]

oh and buy some gift bags with festive stickers to seal them up. Done.

[clownumbrella]

In this house - Father Christmas has special rolls of wrapping paper - 1 for each person - and stuff gets wrapped as it is bought and put into relevant bag & hidden in attic - Makes decanting into stockings very easy , even after drinking going to neighbours' Christmas Eve party!

DP is very good about wrapping FC stuff, (and keeping the wrapping paper hidden). My DD in particular, is as observant as Hercule Poirot would ask why Father Christmas had the same paper as me otherwise)

All the Other Presents from me get wrapped with lots of care/ribbons and poncetastic/pinteresting-ness (with a glass of wine) and I wrap 4-5 per evening for a few evenings during late November/early December until I am done. We have a large family and I buy for a lot of friends/their children so it does take quite a few evenings. I use gift bags for all teacher/staff presents.


I have no idea why you would wait until Christmas Eve Surely then you are too knackered to enjoy the opening of the presents on the day itself!!

[Lucy61]

Get a tape dispenser, buy stick on labels, write your labels first and stick them on as you finish wrapping each present. Have some wine and decent music ready. Oh, and don't buy so many presents!!!!