Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Christmas presents.. do you hide them?

29 replies

sundaydayisnotmyfundayday · 04/12/2023 14:33

Please save my sanity.
I have always hidden presents until xmas eve and then wrapped them and put them under the tree.
I really do not want to be up til silly o clock xmas eve doing the wrapping again though.

Would it be remiss to wrap now and put them straight under the tree? My youngest is 9 so no chance of him diving in early but does having the gifts not just appear on xmas morning take away from the "magic"?

What is everyone elses approach to this? Am I overthinking?

OP posts:
LadyDanburysHat · 04/12/2023 14:35

I've put gifts under the tree as soon as it's up for years. Santa only ever brought stockings anyway. My youngest is now 12 so not a big deal. But if I had space to wrap and then store them hidden i would probably do that.

HavingToStartAgain · 04/12/2023 14:35

I do hide them but I wrap them early, I don’t do it Christmas Eve.
I take them down late Christmas Eve so they are under the tree for morning.

Weatherwax134 · 04/12/2023 14:36

I'm in a similar scenario- my youngest is 10 now, but I want to retain the magic so I suppose I'll wrap them over the next couple of weeks but keep them hidden and pull them out xmas eve. I always tell myself that they're only little for a few years so I might as well.

ChickpeaPie · 04/12/2023 14:36

Can’t you wrap them and hide them?
My mum always said don’t put them under the tree until Xmas even because burglars will see them through your window

ChickpeaPie · 04/12/2023 14:36

Oh and I wouldn’t put it past a 9 year old to have a peek. I still peel off a bit of tape at 39 years old 😳

Catza · 04/12/2023 14:37

I wrap way before Christmas Eve, then hide them wrapped and ready to go.

SirenSays · 04/12/2023 14:38

If you do wrap early, write a list of what you have bought. I didn't and completely forgot and had to unwrap some!

Dishwashersaurous · 04/12/2023 14:40

Hide them wrapped

cardibach · 04/12/2023 14:40

SirenSays · 04/12/2023 14:38

If you do wrap early, write a list of what you have bought. I didn't and completely forgot and had to unwrap some!

Why? Wrapped and labelled so why did you need to know what was in there?

Whatevs23 · 04/12/2023 14:40

I don't know why you can't wrap them a few at a time and still keep them hidden until Christmas Eve. Why does wrapping them mean they have to be under the tree?

My kids are young adults now. I put presents from friends and family members under the tree as they arrive, but I still wait until Christmas Eve to put out the presents from me and my husband - the ones that would have been from Santa in the past. I still think it's nice for them to have a bit of a surprise.

cardibach · 04/12/2023 14:41

I don’t understand the binary nature of this. Wrap when you want - how does that stop you still hiding them?
I wouldn’t like presents under the tree early as you can rule some things out/in by the shape and size of the parcels.

bluesky45 · 04/12/2023 14:42

We wrap in brown paper which the children decorate and the presents go under the tree through December as and when they are wrapped. Then on Christmas eve, Santa delivers presents wrapped in red! So on Christmas Day there are new presents that look different to what has been there throughout December.

Whatevs23 · 04/12/2023 14:42

cardibach · 04/12/2023 14:40

Why? Wrapped and labelled so why did you need to know what was in there?

Show quote history

I'm wondering the same thing. Why do you need to remember?

ShineBright1209 · 04/12/2023 14:43

Just wrap them early and then hide them wrapped. Even when they no longer believe in Santa it’s still magical when they come down Xmas morning and see how many presents they’ve got sitting under the tree.
Even before I had my kids I wouldn’t put presents under the tree until Xmas eve.

FatFatMary · 04/12/2023 14:45

I’m not sure what to do this year. I’ve got them all wrapped in my bedroom cupboard. It might spoil the novelty to put have them out prolonged over weeks before Christmas Eve ?

Mothership4two · 04/12/2023 14:48

Have always wrapped and put them under the tree once it's up. Hidden them before that. DC never seemed to mind and I think it makes the tree look Christmassy.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 04/12/2023 14:49

Whatevs23 · 04/12/2023 14:42

I'm wondering the same thing. Why do you need to remember?

Show quote history

I might have an answer. We open our presents gradually throughout the day, but I like everyone to open their 'big' present at the same time. As kids get older, the 'big' presents get smaller (and can be just envelopes, if gift experiences are being given), so if I want everyone to open their big present at the same time and I'd forgotten which were the 'big' ones, I'd have to peek.

Now, however, I write it all down in a book and it's normally possible to work out which present is which from the shape (or I number them and write down which present is behind which number, which is also useful if the tags fall off).

Chipsahoyagain · 04/12/2023 14:52

I wrap and write A/B/C/D on each one and just make a note on my phone what each one is. Why the big dilemma surely this is common sense?

TempName247 · 04/12/2023 14:52

Wrap and hide! Can’t understand anyone doing the wrapping on Christmas Eve , it takes bloody ages!

shivawn · 04/12/2023 14:53

We wrap in brown paper which the children decorate

@bluesky45 Very cute idea!

Anoisagusaris · 04/12/2023 14:55

Santa doesn’t wrap presents. So I just hide them and on Christmas Eve they are laid out around the tree and put into the stockings (which hang on the fireplace until Christmas Eve).

Whycantistaymotivated · 04/12/2023 14:55

We wrap throughout December, a few at a time. All presents hidden until Christmas eve

Houseplantmad · 04/12/2023 14:58

I wrap and hide (DCs are 22 and 20) but wrap all in brown paper but have different stickers for each person in the house. DCs also have a stocking, which they love.

Original poster
sundaydayisnotmyfundayday · 04/12/2023 17:25

Ok so the reason I didn't suggest wrapping and then hiding is because I don't have much space so anything hidden is seriously packed in and I am wary of rips and then having to wrap twice. Anything to avoid additional effort😂

OP posts:
hby9628 · 04/12/2023 17:49

Suitcase in the garage