I’m crap at wrapping

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

Honestly it looks like my 10 year old has wrapped the presents this year!

I’ve tried everything, different paper, different sellotape, even the shape of the gift has no bearing on how well it will be presented! The corners rip, the paper doesn’t fold nicely, it isn’t even. Honestly it’s just a mess.

It’s all done for this year now, any tips for next year?

There must be videos on YouTube showing how to perfectly wrap, mine start off great and gradually get worse!

I do mine (family stuff) on Christmas Eve with a baileys- so I don't care by then!!

I did look when I was trying to find ways to tie a bow on a hamper (why the hell do I do these things to myself) and they are all really elaborate. I just want a simple roll of paper stuck around a gift. Nothing fancy.

Have you tried that man-wrap stuff? It's like patterned tin foil. May help?

I even tried brown paper this year but it was worse; too thick.

Doesnt matter. You bought people gifts. You’re spreading the love.

I have painful fingers and can't wrap. Tissue paper with clear cellophane for something really special always works well and gift bags for everything else. I just shove a bit of tissue paper in the top of the gift bag.

I buy in bulk online and have lots of different colours that I can coordinate with my Christmas decorations, as well as use all year round for every other occasion.

I also buy elaborate bows that come together just by pulling a piece of sting. Search for Pull Bow.

Give up and use gift bags!

Drawstring bags.

Making sure the paper is the right size is key.
Take time to measure and size, cut before you start. Too big and it will be messy.
As others suggest look at youtube.
I am an expert wrapper.
I wrap 10,000 items a year posting for my business.

@Sadhoot

Give up and use gift bags!

Is this not really expensive? Same with the man-wrap? I'd never heard of until now.

@speakout

Making sure the paper is the right size is key. Take time to measure and size, cut before you start. Too big and it will be messy. As others suggest look at youtube. I am an expert wrapper. I wrap 10,000 items a year posting for my business.

So I suspect this is my problem. I just approximate from the roll and cut along the whole way. Then make it fit. If I misjudged for that gift I find a smaller one to wrap instead.

If you shop around for gift bags, they are not that expensive, and with family it's totally ok to ask for them back!!

I use these ones, they are small but they do other sizes too. I've found the prices very reasonable. £6.09 inc delivery for 10.

I am a useless wrapper too. Keep losing the end of the sellotape then rogue bits gets stuck to the paper and take the pattern off.

This year I have some Wilko paper with faint grid marks on the back, which makes cutting neatly and to size a bit easier. Some of the paper is shiny gold, and I leave fingerprints on it.
It is a job I hate, almost as bad as doing the Christmas cards.

Pretty teatowels tied with ribbon. Gather up gift inside them.

Mine starts off fantastic - I take time and do it properly, then by about present 8 or 9 I’ve had enough and throw it together and hope for the best!

Does it really matter? It's unwrapped and in the bin within seconds. Just make sure whatever you use is recyclable.

@whatnow41 what a great idea!

I have just ordered a roll of cellophane, tissue paper and craft sting. This will make wrapping so easy and even messy wrapping will look nice.

So thank you!

Weirdly I love wrapping - hate shopping.

As speakout says measure it properly. Too big and you get a messy pillowy look, to small and... well hmmmm .
Cut straight - if it is a curved item then pleat it to accommodate.
Fold all the outside cut edges in by about 0.5cm or less, and press it really hard.
Crease the corners well - use the back of the scissors
Use more small bits of sellotape rather than one large bit.
Wrap everything upside down so the seam is on the bottom.

Who cares

As long as it's wrapped that's what matters

(Because the fun is in unwrapping it)

I love wrapping presents, I'd do everyone's for you if I could :). I have 4 dc, and after years of shitly wrapping hundreds of presents, I decided enough was enough, and I was going to learn to do it properly. I went on a course purely to learn, and ended up loving it so much!

But bottom line - most people are more interested in what's inside the paper so don't fret too much :)

I wrap stuff all day. My top tip is to cut to the right size. Measure and fold it around before you cut.
I always wrap on the diagonal. Right hand corner pointing towards me. Lift the pointy bit over the item, tuck under. Same with the other sides, securing with a little dot of sticky tape as you go. Fully tape down safter. Kind of roll the parcel as your wrapping. Works with most shapes but cylinders are awkward. I do a kind of fluted cracker effect at the top --it looks shit but they're soon unwrapped--

Brown paper is awful to wrap with. So that probably didnt help.

Bags are only expensive if you have loads of stuff. You can put multiple presents into one big bag and anyway, I find bags circulate in my family. People take care of them.

My family all use gift bags and the same bag will be used umpteen times too so better for the environment we're also generally doing more cash/voucher gifts too which negates the wrapping. I won't be doing ANY wrapping this year as I'm ordering online and requesting the retailers wrap where possible.

I think the older style of wrapping using rolls etc will soon fall out of favour.