MIL just told me sellotape is common...

[Diorissimo1985]

... is it?! I had no idea

She just told me off for wrapping presents with sticky tape and that I should be using just ribbon to hold the paper in place. I was a bit flummoxed as to how to respond.

Tell me, is this a thing?!
And why?!?

I don't know anyone like this.

It's for the best all round.

If you spat on the paper that would probably stick it down for long enough to lash it into place with a ribbon [helpful face]

Ask her if that's how she does it, I dare you

I was taught at my Swiss finishing school I didn't go to a Swiss finishing school to not use sticky tape. It could be used if there's absolutely no alternative, however should be folded over inside the joins so that it can't be seen, making it a little bit like double sided sticky tape. A tied fastening to be opened with one easy tug is better, or a box.

However, I was also taught at my Swiss finishing school I haven't even been to Switzerland that it is the height of poor manners to draw attention to somebody else's (alleged) poor manners. It is therefore ghastly and not smart of your MIL to comment on your choice of gift wrapping closure.

The best gift I have ever received was the first one a DC wrapped for me all by themselves. It was more sticky tape than paper. I think they used most of a roll.

You don't make someone feel awkward or embarrassed, you just don't. Silly MIL. In future I would approach wrapping all gifts for her with as much sticky tape as possible, like my DC. It will keep her quiet for some time while she battles to open them, and quietly make your point.

Is her first name Hyacinth....?

Your MIL is a twat.

She’s abounds ike Margo from The Good Life. (That’s on efor the oldies).

I do agree with others, that she behaved very rudely towards you by pointing out your cellotape usage. (Especially on FaceTime!)

Hold the paper flush to the box, staple gun until the paper stays put and the box stops struggling

No?

How horrendously middle class to just use string.

A wax seal is an absolute must-the graceless fuck.

Tell her that people who use the word “common” are crashing snobs who belong in the 1950s.

I once heard a bunch of people say that slicing carrots into circles was “common” FFS.

DH was trained in Brussels by a chocolate company to wrap boxes uses only paper and ribbon. So it is a thing, just not a thing normal people fuss about.

Until I read this thread, it had never even occurred to me that you could wrap presents without using tape, although I feel silly now as wrapped gifts have surely been around longer than tape which I think has only been around since about the 30s. Just never thought about it before.
My wrapping is bad enough with tape, never mind if I attempted to wrap something without it!
I hate the attitude some people have that anything convenient and used by many should be avoided so as not to seem common.

@MrsJayy, I've brown papered everything and added ribbon which I'll re-use. It looks very nice (if I do say so myself).

Sellotape isn't common. It's sensible. And your MIL is being silly.

Tell her you CBA with ribbons so will be using a stapler to secure wrapping paper in future.

I found out about common carrots on MN. It's my go-to source for UK based stuff and nosense.

Get mrturnip being all ladeda with his belgian wrapping

MIL just asked "must you use all that ghastly plastic tape again? It's not smart"

"...But quite clever, don't you think?"

Pretend you do not know what she means.

I'm going down the same route as loya this year so may end up potato stamping amazon boxes, pure class!

I've enjoyed having parcels wrapped beautifully in french shops.

Surely using actual branded Sellotape is middle class? "Common" (a word that I only hear my mother using these days!) would be using that cheap tape that comes as three rolls for £1 in Pondland, doesn't really stick except to your fingers and splits annoyingly if you don't cut it perfectly, surely?

Not sure where Scotchtape fits in the class hierarchy of parcel wrapping accoutrements... Upper middle class, perhaps?

mrsjavy To be fair it was his job at the time although the yearly lectures on how to do this since have worn a little thing 😀

Smallish presents can be secured with an elastic band Those brown ones that come with the post are brilliant. OP would your MIL like that instead?

Give her what my mother gave me for Christmas for the last few years of her life. £1 coins inside a Steradent tube. Problem solved. No Sellotape!!

Laughing at the wax seal, also your MIL is bonkers

No joke, my MiL did the same thing to me 7 years ago. I smiled and asked her to use her finger to hold down the paper while I got the ribbon in place. When tying the ribbon in a knot, I won't lie, I squeezed her finger damn tight! I think I said something like 'Oh that should work' and used scissors to curl the ribbon, another purposeful faux pas. She is called Mrs Bucket by her DS. Love my DH!!!