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AIBU?

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Original poster

Wrapping paper - save me from myself

45 replies

mydailymailhell · 23/12/2025 21:31

My DH has been diligently wrapping presents over the past week or so - ones for me, and owns for the kids that have been delivered from his extended family. I selected and bought nice wrapping paper and labels and some ribbons etc that I was planning on using. I hoped there would be enough for all presents. Today I was asked “ how are we doing for wrapping paper”…. So he had used all the wrapping paper and the question was how WE were planning on sourcing more. I had picked nice wrapping paper and was planning on wrapping my presents tonight. My presents to others, ours to the kids and my families to the kids are the ones left to wrap. My reply was WE had left out all the wrapping paper in the spare room so if WE still had presents to wrap then WE would need more paper. He tried to buy some while carrying out various errands today and there’s no Christmas wrapping paper left. So now I’m wrapping my presents with shitty birthday wrapping paper. He’s also used up all the nice tags. I’m fuming. Please talk me down from a ledge and tell me AIBU and I should just move on as it’s not a big deal. How can I avoid this happening in future? (I had similar- what are WE doing for wrapping paper chats last year which irritated me. If I raise it he’ll get defensive and tell me I’m making a big deal out of nothing (which to be fair I probably am). I’m probably annoyed because o have done all the planning, sourcing, shopping, travel booking and arranging of social plans and I’m done

OP posts:
WildLeader · 23/12/2025 22:19

Oh this would have sent me totally over the edge @mydailymailhell

hide the paper, tell him he has to source his own in future

as. We. Fucking. Always. Do.

<breathe>

StripyHorse · 23/12/2025 22:18

I have managed to get round this issue in a few ways. This is a long term plan though, I did have a few years of having the shitty left over paper because DH wrapped my presents last, while his family, friends and even colleagues had the decent stuff I bought....

*Let DH know that you are a bit disappointed at this. Don't get mad, but point out what you have said in your post.
*Buy more paper than you think you will need. You can always use left overs next year.
*Speaking of which - next year, suggest that DH uses the left over paper when wrapping other people if you still have presents to wrap.
*Try not to leave the important presents till last. Easier said than done though, and it took until my oldest DC was about 15 before I didn't have to stay up until 2am on Christmas eve wrapping presents.

We also have some cheap paper left over from when we needed it for large (size) presents for our DCs and other children we bought for. If there is a large present required for non-family presents (e.g. colleagues) I suggest that would be a good one.

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 23/12/2025 22:18

We're a "all the paper is in that box, use it as you need to" house. If my mother had any special paper, she simply didn't put it in that box

Why aren't his family sending wrapped gifts? Isn't that normal?

And ffs it doesn't matter if they don't "match". It's the wrapping paper. It will be ripped off in seconds without taking in if its all matching or not

Higglea · 23/12/2025 22:16

I don’t think this is really about paper, is it? He’s bought some, I don’t understand the issue. This is an overreaction

PickledElectricity · 23/12/2025 22:15

My god I would be fuming.

DP and I always buy our own wrapping paper.

Hide it from him in the future and maybe put laxatives in his mulled wine

OneNewEagle · 23/12/2025 22:15

Post offices will have brown paper or boxes . Get them with nicely colour tags. Should have tissue paper too.

I have wrapping paper box anyone can use with tags old paper ribbons etc but the stuff I’m using doesn’t get put in there until uve finished with it. So mines kept separate.

Original poster
mydailymailhell · 23/12/2025 22:12

And for context he did buy paper after looking in two supermarkets but it wasn’t Christmas wrapping paper and looks totally out of synch with all the other presents (it’s brightly coloured, the other paper is very plain/muted)

OP posts:
RunningNananananananananana · 23/12/2025 22:12

I was going to suggest parcel paper too.

Next year you need to hide the good stuff.

Original poster
mydailymailhell · 23/12/2025 22:09

I didn’t have time to wrap until now and nor do I have time to keep track of what paper is being used. I’m too busy working full time and doing absolutely everything Christmas related. I guess my point is AIBU to expect someone not to just use up something they had no involvement in sourcing or buying and when they see it’s gone asking another person “how are we doing for Christmas paper”. I would never have e dreamed of using any of my parents wrapping paper without asking when I lived with them as a teenager (with a job)

OP posts:
Gazelda · 23/12/2025 22:07

I’d be annoyed too. Momentarily.

I bet you’d find loads in charity shops. send him out in the morning, with a warning not to come back empty handed.

I’ve switched to just using brown paper, brown paper tags and different coloured ribbon for each person.

A big roll of paper lasts for years, including birthdays. I get big reels of ribbon and brown paper tape. huge bag of tags.

we’ve got a very traditional house so they all look fab under the tree. And I no longer get stressed about running out because Amazon will always have emergency stock.

MumChp · 23/12/2025 22:04

He could have used the crap paper?

I hadn't given mine up. Put it away and leave him to sort himself next year.

Lots of paper in town here. He sounds lazy.

Hairymaryfairy · 23/12/2025 22:04

Our tesco express has wrapping paper and so did Sainsbury's.

Sprogonthetyne · 23/12/2025 22:03

There's absolutely loads at our pound shop. I think you need to send him out to source more.

mamaduckbone · 23/12/2025 22:03

Very annoying, but my way round this is to make sure I do all my wrapping first and let the rest of the family use what's left. Dh and the (adult/nearly adult) dcs would never dream of actually going to a shop and buying wrapping paper.

JustJoinedRightNow · 23/12/2025 22:02

I buy about 6 rolls in the sales when they've gone down to 10c a roll (Australia) and store them in the garage. Could you that OP so next year is sorted?

Ritual9 · 23/12/2025 22:00

That is really annoying however your post sounds like you knew he’s been using it? I probably would have checked before now that there was some left.

TigerDroveAgain · 23/12/2025 21:59

It’s annoying but in the end, it’s just paper

rosydreams · 23/12/2025 21:48

At morrisons i found the shelves were clear but there was still good wrapping paper hidden by the self check outs were am. Found some really cute stuff for kids

VikingLady · 23/12/2025 21:41

Next year I’d separate your wrapping paper supplies and remind him why.

WhiskyandWater · 23/12/2025 21:36

It would give me the absolute rage too. You can either not buy any as he wraps first then he’ll have to source it, hide it so he can’t use it or wrap before he does.

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