Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husband has wrapped Christmas presents so badly I’ve had to throw the paper away

149 replies

ThatFunRubyHelper · 17/12/2024 21:22

I have some Christmas presents needing to be wrapped. My DH has not wrapped presents before. I just heard him in the bedroom with the wrapping paper and tape.

Hes wrapped my mums Christmas present so badly I’ve I’ve had to rip the paper off and throw it away. I’m so annoyed as there wasn’t much Christmas wrapping paper left and I was planning on wrapping them neatly.

Just had to have a vent! He’s now annoyed at my becuase I got annoyed at him!

OP posts:
Toohardtofindaproperusername · 17/12/2024 22:55

He didn't wrap the present the wY you wanted it to be wrapped. This is like a parody or something.. id also be team husband . RIdiculous ..

TheDowagerCountessofPembroke · 17/12/2024 22:58

I’m dreadful at wrapping.

I once bought some biscuits in a lovely department store in Tokyo. The assistant offered to wrap it. She did this crazy thing with a piece of paper and a single piece of tape. It was beautiful. All other wrapping since has been shit.

WigglyVonWaggly · 17/12/2024 22:58

Pathetic. I mean, there are YouTube videos for absolute simpletons to learn how to wrap a gift. He’s an adult - no excuse for being utterly feeble and expecting others to do it for him.

ThatAgileGoldMoose · 17/12/2024 23:01

How have you got to the point of being married to somebody who had never wrapped a gift? Don't you find it a bit concerning?

RickiRaccoon · 17/12/2024 23:03

My DH isn't great at it. He's not crafty at all with no eye for aesthetics. I like doing a nice job so I do the wrapping myself --except for the occasional easy square-shaped item.

I'd probably be annoyed if he got in and tried to wrap a present before I had a chance but it depends on who it was going to. My parents wouldn't notice but my sister appreciates a nicely wrapped present too so I wouldn't give her something he's wrapped.

RedHelenB · 18/12/2024 04:56

Cheesyfootballs01 · 17/12/2024 21:26

Wrap your own presents?

Getting annoyed because someone’s not good at wrapping presents is pretty stupid…. the paper gets ripped off anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️

This. It would have just become the family joke in out house.

Eyresandgraces · 18/12/2024 05:03

Onlyvisiting · 17/12/2024 21:55

Ooooh. I need a link to how to do this!!!
How much does it look like a festive McDonald's??

It’s a game changer for me.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/wQF5HadCcS4?si=CUTEo1jzgLeHXS7s

Eenameenadeeka · 18/12/2024 05:07

I think you were unnecessarily mean to him, you're complaining that he's upset at you because he tried to do something kind and help with the gifts, and you've come in and said it was so bad that you unwrapped it and threw the paper in the bin. That's not a very kind way to treat a partner who is trying to help you. If I tried to do something and my husband said this is so bad I'm throwing it in the bin I think I'd be annoyed at him too.

countrygirl99 · 18/12/2024 05:10

I've been wrapping presents for 60 years and still never manage to make it look good. No one has ever cared.

tolerable · 18/12/2024 05:12

Its the thought that counts-I have years of gift wrap experience, Generally resemble average fish supper. Given is first attempt,i understand him annoyed t you being annyed-your mum may of been likely to notice unusual style -would she care?really? providing wrap concealed contents- yabu.

BlackChunkyBoots · 18/12/2024 05:17

When I was married my father in law would offer to do certain things, make a deliberate hash of it, and his wife took on the task thereafter. He was a sneaky bugger.

Wrapping a gift is just to disguise what's inside. If it was that badly wrapped, I think the suprise would be greater, to be honest, because, no-one would be able to identify the contents!

Thevelvelletes · 18/12/2024 05:17

I'm not great at wrapping as long as it's covered and with a gift tag on correct present job done.

WillowTit · 18/12/2024 05:17

why hasnt he ever wrapped before?

Bubblebuttress · 18/12/2024 05:23

Toohardtofindaproperusername · 17/12/2024 22:55

He didn't wrap the present the wY you wanted it to be wrapped. This is like a parody or something.. id also be team husband . RIdiculous ..

Agree.he tried, not right to have a Xmas Zilla moment

oakleaffy · 18/12/2024 05:33

MerryChristmasYaFilthyBrusselSprout · 17/12/2024 21:24

He’s done that so he doesn’t ever have to do it again. I don’t believe a grown man can’t wrap a present.

Exactly this.
Is he usually so feeble?

Edit: If he has a missing limb or injured arm of course that would make a difference..If not..zero excuse for poor wrapping.

FizzyBisto · 18/12/2024 05:44

As PP have said, we really need to know if he's left it looking like a 4yo attempted to wrap a gift but nevertheless functionally adequate, or if he just didn't do it perfectly as "the work of a moment" with elaborate ribbon and scooped-in twigs and petals, like Rowan Atkinson's character in Love Actually?!

If it's covered and kind of rectangular-shaped (assuming the present is not awkward-shaped to begin with), and the paper is taped to itself, surely it's fine?

I have a family member who wraps gifts so that they look beautifully presented, with perfect sharp edges and corners; but every time, when you come to open them, you realise that she's achieved it by firmly sellotaping the paper to the actual gift - and the tape unavoidably rips the outside.

Thus if it's a box that will get thrown away anyway (e.g. box of chocolates or external packaging), it doesn't overly matter; but if it's a book, board game or similar, it spoils it permanently.

She's a very intelligent, highly-educated person, but no amount of 'tactful' comments - "Oh, what a lovely book - but what a terrible shame the cover is all torn now" - ever seem to get through. In that one respect, she's like Fr Dougal when you try to state a very obvious simple fact and she reacts like you're trying to explain trigonometry to a cat.

She either has a mental blockage in that one particular area or otherwise just doesn't care that people receive brand-new but already-spoiled presents, as she has indeed wrapped them and handed over an attractive (on the surface) package. I've never quite worked out which it is; but I'd gladly take non-neat edged messy paper over an actually destroyed gift any day.

Beesandhoney123 · 18/12/2024 06:01

Suspect your dh said he hadn't done it before to avoid your inevitable scene where its not perfect enough.

Your reaction was unkind.

Bjorkdidit · 18/12/2024 06:34

Differentstarts · 17/12/2024 21:55

Was it badly wrapped or do you have high standards

This.

If you're one of those women because no man ever went to such unnecessary lengths people who think gift bags are unacceptable, that you need different wrapping paper for Santa presents vs those from you, that all paper for each recipient needs to match, that the design needs to be perfectly lined up at the joins or the sellotape must be just so, then YABU. As long as the wrapping conceals the item, it's fine.

MagdaLenor · 18/12/2024 06:36

CatamaranViper · 17/12/2024 21:24

How has he not wrapped presents before?

This was going to be my question!
Although I suspect that I know the answer.....

Bjorkdidit · 18/12/2024 06:36

In that one respect, she's like Fr Dougal when you try to state a very obvious simple fact and she reacts like you're trying to explain trigonometry to a cat

Grin
Coconutter24 · 18/12/2024 06:36

Why be annoyed? Go buy more wrapping paper and do it how you like it done. I certainly wouldn’t be annoyed at DH for trying to help

Coconutter24 · 18/12/2024 06:39

Screamingabdabz · 17/12/2024 21:25

Weaponised incompetence. Clever. He has achieved what he wanted and that was for you to do it in the first place.

I don’t think this is it because if he’s not done wrapping before it doesn’t sound like OP has asked him to ever do any.

susiedaisy1912 · 18/12/2024 06:39

Screamingabdabz · 17/12/2024 21:25

Weaponised incompetence. Clever. He has achieved what he wanted and that was for you to do it in the first place.

This.

gannett · 18/12/2024 06:40

I'm sorry there is no such thing as "wrapping presents badly" as long as they're actually covered. It gets ripped off in two seconds anyway. Wasting paper because it doesn't meet some batshit neatness standard is much worse than being a bit sloppy with the sellotape.

gannett · 18/12/2024 06:42

And if anyone dared tell me I was "bad at wrapping" I'd think they were a nightmare and tell them to do it themselves.