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Original poster

Anyone else is wrapping hell?

159 replies

notforonesecond · 21/12/2023 14:02

It’s a bit cheeky of me to post this really, as I have just finished.

But my god.

I made the insane decision to save all the wrapping til my first day off work. I’ve just sat down now after starting at 9.30am.

I don’t even do fancy wrapping! There’s no ribbons, no bows, but it was such a slog.

I had this bizarre idea that I’d put some Christmas music on and wrap away, all festive. Now my entire body hurts and I have a paper cut.

And the kids will think Santa’s sodding elves did it all!

Solidarity to any one still in the trenches.

I did buy a proper heavy duty tape dispenser this year though which helped immensely. I mean, it broke the minute I opened it but I cobbled it back together with some bubble wrap and I feel like I’d marry it if I could right now.

OP posts:
Garman · 21/12/2023 16:10

47? How many people are you wrapping for, 30? I’ve definitely wrapped 20 in 30-45 minutes depending on shape and size, usually not wrapping that many though.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 21/12/2023 16:36

LenaLamont · 21/12/2023 15:56

I skill swap with my adult son - he does jobs for me that my knees object to, and I wrap his presents.

The sticky labels on wrapping paper is very annoying, although I do appreciate the reduction in plastic waste.

I've been using the same satin ribbons to decorate the gifts for 8 years so far. They go straight back in the ziplock bag once everything's been unwrapped. Really nice ribbon means my plain wrapping paper still looks nice.

I hear you with the sticky labels on wrapping paper! I got some from Next and some from sainsburys habitat range, both had those annoying sticky labels securing it together… luckily I had gin with me!

Sirian · 21/12/2023 16:38

Garman · 21/12/2023 15:56

Wrapping takes like 30 minutes total, what takes hours to do and hurts your whole body?!

Maybe if you’ve only got about 10 gifts to wrap? I wrapped 15 just for my DC. Then there’s DH, my parents, his parents, his brothers and their partners - maybe two each, so there’s another 20 gifts. Another 10 gifts for nieces and nephews. So that’s about 45 in total. No way will they get wrapped in half an hour! I estimate 3 minutes per gift with occasional breaks, it’ll take 3-4 hours.

LenaLamont · 21/12/2023 16:42

As long as I'm not fighting the multiple stupid sticky labels on a roll of wrapping paper, I can wrap 1.5 presents (complete with bows and baubles) per track on the Hamilton soundtrack on average.

Scientifically tested 😉

Garman · 21/12/2023 16:44

Okay I definitely wrap most items in under a minute if they’re regular shapes, teddies etc or bigger ones requiring paper stuck together take longer but I don’t usually have as many of them.

FreshWinterMorning · 21/12/2023 16:45

I have wrapped all mine. Did them over 2 days last week - I must have spent 7-8 hours on it in total! 😬

Had such a backache afterwards! (50-52 gifts in all!) Shock

I was tootling about/making phone calls/checking emails/watching a couple of Christmas films etc, and doing other bits and bobs, but basically yeah it took 2 afternoons!

.

MarleyandMarleyWoooo · 21/12/2023 16:51

I’m only about halfway done and I’m raging at the fact I’ve so much more to do 😂 I’d estimate there’s upwards of 60 gifts altogether, big and small of course. We have big families 🤦🏼‍♀️ we’re out all day (and night 🍻) tomorrow, and busy 23rd/24th so it’s got to be finished tonight really. Baileys at the ready.

ReadySalty · 21/12/2023 16:59

It's the biggest waste:

of time
Of trees
of resources

Couch25k · 21/12/2023 17:19

Same here. I stand at my kitchen island and listen to the TV or in my case a boring TEAMS presentation 🤣

Sirian · 21/12/2023 17:22

ReadySalty · 21/12/2023 16:59

It's the biggest waste:

of time
Of trees
of resources

Totally agree. But I have to do it to be socially acceptable. Can you imagine what people would say if they received unwrapped gifts - or no gifts at all?!

RuthW · 21/12/2023 17:25

Mine takes me about 4 days of that amount of time. I'd be thrilled if I could get it done in one day!

Haveallthesongsbeenwritten · 21/12/2023 17:25

I hate it and am terrible at it

piscofrisco · 21/12/2023 17:26

I've still got all mine to do 😭

Purplerain0505 · 21/12/2023 17:29

I’m a bit concerned reading this thread. DH and I have saved ALL the wrapping for this evening. And he’s crap at wrapping. I also drank a bit too much wine last night so don’t fancy it today. Maybe some gin will do the trick.

Last year I managed to nab a big weighted tape dispenser from work but I couldn’t find it this year (I expect someone else had the same idea). I guess at least we have a few more opportunities to get it finished before Christmas if it’s not done tonight!

3amShopper · 21/12/2023 17:40

I've shipped DC off to GPs and am going to tackle it tonight 😬

It's going to take me ages. But I have wine and sellotape and I'll put something festive on YouTube!

blibblibs · 21/12/2023 17:54

Finished this afternoon just before DC finished up at school.
Last two presents were for DH and I'd lost the will so it ended up as one present.

adventangelicat · 21/12/2023 18:06

My tip is to use the ironing board to do it on. It seems to be the right height and I didn't ache afterwards. I don't mind it with a drink and a podcast/audiobook on!

Pushkinini · 21/12/2023 18:06

I did the majority of mine last night. Used Nigella's genius tip of doing it on the ironing board. No more back ache and dead legs. But, I've run out of wrapping paper. Popped into Tesco, Aldi and B&M earlier and all have sold out. Might have to resort to brown paper!

sallydoodlecat · 21/12/2023 18:12

I have twins born on Boxing Day. So we have Christmas and birthday to wrap. We have 6 boxes divided up. One each for stockings. One each for Xmas and one each for birthday. AND we buy the presents from grandparents which we also wrap for them. Give me strength. But, apart from a few last minute things, I've finished it in record time this year. And feeling very very smug!

spiderlight · 21/12/2023 18:20

I've still got loads to do. We have a very clingy, newly rescued cocker spaniel who is obsessed with me and wants to be on my lap all the time or 'helping' with whatever I do, so it's taking ten times as long and she's shredded so much paper it's untrue. I can't put her in another room or she goes full Mariah Carey. I've got a pile that has to be done tonight and I'm dreading it. It's a good job she's cute!

Princessfluffy · 21/12/2023 18:33

I use drawstring fabric present bags from Etsy.

Game changer.

So quick and obviously reusable too.

hangingonfordearlife1 · 21/12/2023 18:35

Princessfluffy · 21/12/2023 18:33

I use drawstring fabric present bags from Etsy.

Game changer.

So quick and obviously reusable too.

i would put them somewhere really safe and then promptly forget where i had put them

TheKnittedCharacter · 21/12/2023 18:35

I spent the entire evening yesterday doing it and there’s still masses to do. I’m wallowing in the bath until my husband’s finished it.

He’s far better at wrapping than me, anyway. His are all immaculate.

LaPalmaLlama · 21/12/2023 18:36

Whenever anyone asks me if I wish I’d done anything differently as a parent I always say “ yes- I wish I’d never wrapped stockings presents” because that would literally halve my wrapping but I can’t seem to make myself stop now even though my dc are way past the believing stage.

SleepingisanArt · 21/12/2023 18:37

I love wrapping (I've even done it as part of jobs I had back in the early 1990s!) Now that I don't have much to wrap ( 😭) I have really upped presentation. So satisfying. Last year I helped a friend do her wrapping, she hates wrapping, and her family were convinced she'd been on a course to learn wrapping techniques.