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 think smithy from gavin and Stacey had a point
Silver foil.
Twist and scrunch - done

My dad used to own a very high end gallery in a very posh area and gift wrapped all purchases. They all came wrapped perfectly and beautifully with ribbons but there was always tiny bits of tape hidden securing them underneath.
He taught me to wrap from a young age to help out in the shop at Christmas and when I have time I can still wrap like that but as DH doesn't wrap anything (he pays for someone else to wrap my presents) I have to do the bulk so only a few special ones get the posh treatment. Mainly his and his partners and great grannies - the kids don't give a monkeys how it's wrapped.

My mum is the opposite of my dad and wraps nothing generally presents come in a plastic bag or a blanket

Ahhh this has affectionately reminded me of all the (batshit) things my late DM thought were common. They included:

Teenagers girl shaving
Women not shaving
Mini skirts
Any piercings except one set of earrings
Any tattoos
Motorbikes
Living in a flat instead of a house
Renting instead of owning
Taking sugar in tea (coffee okay as long as it's one lump)
Women drinking a pint (is okay if spread across two halfs)
Drinking spirits
Potato smilies (oven chips okay)
High heels above 1 inch
Drinking in Bars
Bikini waxing
Tinsel
Pop tarts
Pepperami
Take away food
Supermarket value ranges
Rice pudding
Scampi (langoustine fine, WTF)
Marbella
Corronation Street (Neighbours and EastEnders fine)
Cider
Laundrettes
Pontins

I could go ooooooon and on. Now she's gone I do rather miss her bonkersness!

I let my alpacas lick the edge of the brown wrapping paper - very sticky saliva - then decorate the parcel with shed antlers and pheasant feathers. You r MIL sounds a little unsure of herself ask her for a nice pack of serviettes, hand crafted.

My DM thought ITV was common . I missed out on loads of good telly as a child.

Hilariously my DGM despite verging on UMC read the Sun in her later years. She told my dad she got it 'for the sex'. I watched ITV at hers .

My DM thought ITV was common

Twas channel 5 in our house

I would ask around everyone and get her the sparkly reindeer paper Tesco did a year or two ago . My mother is as posh as you like - even she would not disagree with sellotape. ( but yes in my youth ITV was considered " Common " ) - but then considering anything "common" is common. I rest my case

My mum thought shouting in the street was common (happened most days in our street) My nana thought red nail varnish was common and for strumpets

Tbf ch5 is grim !

I think you should use brown parcel tape on her present!

Oh and to thisnamechanger when I was a young girl - pierced ears ( only one each ear - heaven forfend) was "common - clip on ear rings and pearls - Ears pierced only after 16th birthday - not a day before

I've used glue stick this year and paper raffia because we've gone eco this year and I want my wrapping to be 100% compostable. I miss tape though, it took 3 times as long to wrap the damn things and they look shite.

Fun fact about sellotape from my vet... It contains a plant sugar called cellulose. I learnt this when I explained my bunny had eaten most of a roll of it while I was in the other room. Apparently they think it's yummy?!

It's not common for Pete's sake. It's just a piece of stationary

It's common in the sense that lots of people use it... Because it's useful...

redfruitgun - of course it isn't - just funny to hear - as indeed was ITV not common. I watch it all the time - Morse and Lewis - great programmes

I used to work for a display and event management company and I wrapped tons of super extra double fancy presents- mostly empty boxes for displays at SUPER posh events and shops, but also for rich people whose staff would drop off the gifts (hundreds of thousands of pounds of stuff, and in one case, a Birkin bag that was worth more than I made in a year at that time) and we used tape. Tape, tape, tape, tape, so much tape.

She’s right. It commonly occurs on 99% of presents.

@Thisnamechanger with the exception of the shaving (which I don't care about on teenagers or women) and Pontins (which I had to look up - I didn't grow up in the UK) you've basically made a list of 'Things Mallorie likes' - yes, even laundrettes, I like the way they smell and the companionable waiting around with strangers and the chance to read a book uninterrupted.

Is she living in the 19th century?

Foil idea is genius 😄

She'd hate me, I've used yellow and green electrical tape for about 6 years now, ever since an electrician left a huuuuuuge roll behind when he was doing some work here.
I reckon I've got another 2 years worth left before I'll need to buy sellotape.

Haworthia! You know about the carrot circles! Thought that esoteric knowledge died with my mother.

Thisnamechanger I am impressed you are able to remember so many things!

Loving the tin foil idea!