A tip for Christmas day for those bastard ties.

[PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange]

You know the ones I am on about. The ones that seems to take forever to get off the toy and at the end of the day your fingers hurt.

Well use nail cutter. So much easier and quicker and no sore finger.

bump. not expecting a reply

We figured that one out too! Great tip!

I shall pack one into my travel pencil case of wonder. Scissors. A plethora of batteries. A multitude of screwdrivers. Nail clippers.

We open the boxes before the day, remove the ties, and replace the item to save disappointment/delay on Christmas morning. Likewise anything which needs application of stickers is sorted before FC delivers.

I open all the boxes, remove the ties and put the thing back in then wrap for all family kids presents. For ds he is only 1, everything is out the box and built up, GPs are also doing this at my request.

I would be happy to pay someone to put the stickers on.

I can put together any flat pack, family joke that i should work for ikea. But stickers are a huge downfall.

Even if you are removing them before hand < sensible> then use the nail cutters/

I always used to remove them before wrapping, using wire cutters.
Evil things.

Doing it before hand is all very well for your own presents but the sane problem still arises with family presents.

I have wire cutters in my christmas basket but that's because I'm the dirt of woman who has and can find more wire cutters than scissors

They are the bastards of the world and need to die HTH

That shrink wrapped hard plastic stuff is far worse!

Shrink wrap use a tin opener.

I have a mini penknife which has a small pair of scissors that work well on these too. I had removed them from the toys from us, but the toy from a friend had them on and needed to be cut from the box to get to them! Of course this was the toy DD wanted immediately!!! (We had our little family Christmas on Sunday due to work commitments)

Shrink wrap use a tin opener.

Good shout!

Oh I love these tips, thank all. I am deffo going to make up a pencil case of wonder. With nail clippers in. Any other tips?

In the past DS had lots of Imaginext which are sold in open fronted boxes so they have lots of ties.... luckily recently they moved to twisted paper ones, but yes we took them off before wrapping.

Its the God damn strips of plastic that are screwed on that get me now. I have just remarked to OH that at least with lots of Lego there isnt much waste and cardbordage

This could totally out me but here goes!

In the late eighties I was about 5 and all I wanted from Santa was a Barbie Camper Van. It was amazing! Our neighbours had a girl the same age as me and she was getting one as well.

The Camper Van had so many stickers and attachments that had to go on that my neighbours dad actually wrote a letter of complaint to Mattel after having to assemble said camper van on christmas eve!

Another year my sister requested a dolls house. A proper fancy one from the dolls house emporium magazine. In the magazine it was a lovely mock tudor house with a ref tile roof.

At 10pm on Christmas Eve my dad finally got around to getting the box down to assemble it. It was not painted. And no roof tiles. That was a long night!

Having watched my parents always leave things to the last minute I try to make sure al it prepped and sorted at least a week in advance to save any mad panic of too many stickers or incomplete toys!!