DH used my wrapping paper

[YippeeKayakOtherBuckets]

And it’s tipped me over the fucking edge. I’m aware of how ridiculous that sounds.

DH buys and wraps the presents for his brothers and I do mine plus his SILs’ and MIL’s. Just the way it’s always been. I enjoy wrapping and am a bit of a ponce about it.

This year I had gorgeous, thick, expensive printed brown paper from Paperchase, contrasting tags and a selection of ribbon. I’ve done all of his gifts, the kids and most of my families but I’m still waiting for a couple of parcels.

While I was at work yesterday he wrapped his stuff. We’d had a conversation earlier in the week about there being tons of leftover wrap from previous years in the garage. I got back from work in the small hours.

Came down this morning to a pile of beautifully wrapped gifts for his brothers in MY paper. Leaving me with half a scrap.

He was SO pleased with himself for wrapping stuff before the eleventh hour (we are famously disorganised) and crowed about the prettiness of the paper. I picked up the remaining scrap and burst into tears. I now have the choice of ordering more (it took a week last time) or having to give family groups mismatched wrapping. Yes I can hear myself.

I think that this Christmas has been so weird already and we’ve missed out on so much that this was the straw that broke me. I can’t even look at him.

Please tell me about your ridiculous Christmas tantrums this year to make me feel better. I’m ok with not seeing family, I’m ok with no Father Christmas visits or illuminations or markets. I’m fucking fucked off that my wrapping paper has been used up.

Obviously some consider the wrapping of presents as a practical thing, and others put thought into the wrapping in the way they do to the present inside. Whilst I agree with the idea that wrapping is just more waste, cluttering up our landfill, unless it's banned there'll be those who want to be creative about it. I often use plain brown paper and create my own designs on it.

I wouldn't take ages selecting a personal gift for someone and then wrap it up any old how. I do re-use paper (if possible) over and over again. I am slightly prejudiced towards the wrapping thing, as my sister would use the Christmas gift carrier bags as an excuse to buy something and chuck it in there. No unwrapping - I knew what I was getting. I could also guarantee where the gift had come from before I got it. If I care enough to choose the gift, I care enough to make it look enticing to open.

I would wrap up 100 tiny parcels in the inferior paper from the garage and in one of the parcels put his car key but don't tell him about it until he's about to leave for work.
Maybe then he will understand the sort of frustration you feel.

This would really piss me off op. I am very meticulous about my wrapping. It has to be well chosen to suit the recipient and has to all match. I won't wrap groups of gifts in mismatched paper.

No I get it. I'd be the same.

DH kindly posted the cards yesterday that have been on the side for a week. Only he grabbed the pile that were meant to be hand delivered along with the ones with addresses and stamps on. The post box had already been emptied by the time I realised. So the postman has taken a pile of cards to the sorting office addressed to 'Kate and James' & Tony, Amy and family'🙄

So not only have I got to go and buy more cards, I've also got to re-write all the bastard things.

But then I'm the parent at school who wrapped their teacher presents in wrapping paper with animals that match the class names (duck paper for the ducks class teacher..etc) along with the correct paper for the teaching assistants in each class too and my school mum friends laughed at me

Its like you made a lovely cake and he handed it out to his rellies taking the credit for making it and no cake left for you. blooming cheek.

@DisneyPrincess37

I haven't cried, but my partner helps me wrap and I have about 10 rolls of different paper and checks with me umpteen times which paper he should use for which present (same as OP I wouldn't give mismatched paper!). My partner even shouts out to me and asks which paper he can use to wrap my presents in 🙈

I don't think you're being unreasonable, I just don't think all men understand our logic!x

We do exactly the same. DH's job is to wrap whilst I do bows, ribbons, tags and organise the paper to the recipient. There are rules to who gets what wrapping paper. And there is also special Santa paper that can only be used for Santa presents. Every present he asks me what paper he should wrap it in.

And yes I make DH do the harder job of wrapping but I pick and order all the presents so he could at least do 1 annoying job.

My DH knows better now, but it's been 12 years. In the early years he may have made this mistake.

I don't blame you for being upset OP.

I'm with you on this one.

I get this.
How is he going to make it right?

Why didn’t you enough paper for all the presents including any for DH to use. Any Christmas paper in this is free for anyone to use including DCs.

Men can be weird about wrapping. My DH never buys his own paper. His gifts to me always come wrapped in whatever's left of the paper I bought. (If I'm lucky. Given his way they'd still be in the carrier bags.)

I had to teach him how to wrap a present when we first got together because he hadn't a clue. He was trying to wrap Christmas gifts for his family. The first one he tried had a big gap down one side because he'd cut the paper too small. I had to show him how to roll the paper around the gift first to see where to cut it.
The next one had enough paper, but when it came to the end flaps, he had one folded and taped to the back and the other to the front. So I showed him how it's so much neater with both folded to the back.
The next one was really good. Adequate paper, folded neatly, both flaps at the back, none of the white side of the paper showing. I nodded my approval, he beamed proudly ... and proceeded to stick the gift tag on the wrong side.

He hasn't got much better in the 20 years since...

Why didn’t you enough paper for all the presents including any for DH to use. Any Christmas paper in this is free for anyone to use including DCs.

Yep. The vast majority of presents we give are to family members and friends who are dear to us both - we give them as a family to people we love as a family, so I really don't get the stark separation between 'presents for treasured people from her in John Lewis premium paper' and 'whatever he fancies getting for the hangers on he knows in yesterday's screwed up fish 'n' chip wrapping'.

Maybe I'm projecting here, as I like to think I'm a nice enough sort wearing my beauty on the inside, but the flabby, ageing exterior wrapping has most definitely seen better days

Same happened to me yesterday. I feel the same as you f

Yep. The vast majority of presents we give are to family members and friends who are dear to us both - we give them as a family to people we love as a family, so I really don't get the stark separation between 'presents for treasured people from her in John Lewis premium paper' and 'whatever he fancies getting for the hangers on he knows in yesterday's screwed up fish 'n' chip wrapping'

Yep, same here - this made me laugh though

My DH only has to ever wrap my gifts I’ve already done everyone else’s, bought and wrapped for weeks before. I don’t really mind if he uses what’s left of MY Christmas paper for Christmas presents BUT I have a Christmas birthday and boy does it grind when my birthday gifts are wrapped IN MY (or any) CHRISTMAS Wrap!

My DH has committed many of the sins cited already. Used my paper for his presents, and even to wrap my present, used non- Christmas paper, and worst of all, used my precious tin-foil when he couldn't find wrapping paper. Just buy some ffs, it's not difficult!

I don't really understand why penguins are considered Christmassy. They live at the South Pole, as far away from the Xmas action as you can get!

So, you could decide that your husband has used strange non-Christmassy penguin paper, and you buy a replacement that is more Christmassy ;)

@DookaDakkaDikku what a very good point!

I get that feeling though when you have something all sorted in your head and someone ruins it..

So not only have I got to go and buy more cards, I've also got to re-write all the bastard things.

more fool you if you do it. Make him do it. Or not. And if people don't get cards, he can explain, surely?

My husband can't even wrap something for the fridge in clingfilm without leaving a huge, dehydrating gap.

To be honest and at risk of all manner of ill tempered comments, I’ve rarely heard anything quite so silly to get knotted underwear about.

A married couple have separate wrapping paper? Really? I don’t know how relationships survive at all if it comes down to being distressed by such non issues.

I used to be like this about presents.

But since having children wrapping became a bit like a production line. Bit by bit the nice stuff like ribbons and bows got dropped.

The final drop in standards was using a Sharpie to write on the present instead of a tag.😳

OP, YABaponce, but you know it.

It reminded me of Withnail & I.

Just waiting for the misguided pedantic ponce to chime in with, "Actually, I think you mean, 'It reminded me of Withnail and myself.'"

Aww I can imagine how shite that must feel after this year! No hope of getting any more? If not I’d LTB

3 years ago (less than 2 months after giving birth to youngest) I forgot wrapping paper completely. It was about 7/8 on Christmas Eve, the shops were shut and there wasn’t any gift bags in the house. Presents were hidden under blankets and inside carrier bags. Spent the entire night and half the next day crying over it and refused to unwrap my present because it was the only one that had been wrapped! I buy wrapping paper in august now