Wrapping Gifts | 12.14.19

It's not my favorite activity either. So, last year I (with the help of a friend) sewed up a bunch of reusable fabric gift bags. Wrapping was sooo easy, and so was clean up after everything was opened. Best decision ever... lol

 

I actually enjoy it, but not in a Buddy the Elf manic way lol, but in a "coordinated boxes look nice under my tree and I'm anal retentive" type of way. Bonus: DH has to keep the kids far away while I wrap, which means I can make hot cocoa, turn on my fave tv show (or with swear words that I can't watch when kids are awake/around), and wrap.

 

Love it! So much so that my family get me to wrap theirs for other people too

 

I have a big cutting table in my craft room (yes, mainly it just collects stuff that needs putting away, but when I’m going to sew something, or wrap gifts, it is completely cleared off). Years ago I bought 2 HUGE rolls of paper at Costco...one silver, one red. I also buy, as needed, huge bags of stick-on bows. I’ve used those 2 rolls of paper for years, alternating silver one year and red the next. Every gift is wrapped in the same paper, and it is a cinch to slap a sticky-back bow on top. In fact, it looks elegant. I’ve also taken to printing TO/FROM tags on my computer using sticky-backed Avery Labels (2 x 4”). PS: I think I have at least 5 more years worth of paper left on my rolls, and PPS: the paper has a grid on the back, making it super easy to cut, AND I have a rotary cutter dedicated to cutting paper only. I used to hate wrapping gifts, but this system has made it so I almost enjoy it.

 

Me too, @KarenB !!!! I look forward to wrapping more than the tree, etc. I like to make the package reflect either the year's decorating theme or more often than not, the person receiving the gift. I really miss wrapping this year, but with being from Christmas this year by DIL, there is next to nothing to wrap. Maybe next year it will return!!!

 

Used to love doing it. I would spread out all over the floor to wrap stuff. But like Cheryl as I have aged, that doesn't work any more. Not so much my back, for me it is my knees. But then again, I don't have gifts to buy that need wrapped. So gift bags work for me these days!

4 or 5 years ago at work we could buys gifts for needy families and I did that. I did enjoy wrapping those gifts knowing someone that didn't have much would love them. But I found that the wrapping paper was so old that it crumbled. It has been paper my mother bought in the early 90's and had been stored in the damp basement for many years. Found one roll that was still good. Ended up getting rid of the rest of it.

 

I used to wrap all the gifts for my mom when I was young but now that I'm the mom I don't enjoy wrapping. I'd like to do bags like @tkradtke Tracie says she does. Tracie can you show us what your bags look like?

One of my sisters once made a BIG santa bag and stuck all the presents in it one year and just pulled them out unwrapped like Santa had left his sack. I wanted to do that but my hubby insisted that all the presents be wrapped. That defeats my purpose of having a big sack so I don't have to wrap.

 

I LOVE wrapping! I'm also anal-retentive & HAVE to have matching papers/ribbons for our tree- which is pinks/purples/blues & snowflakes. So the majority of our paper has snowflakes on it. I've gotten better about letting random gifts sit under there with NON MATCHING wrapping... lol. Usually the presents the kids bring home from school or something. I just did a few hours of wrapping on the floor (which I love to spread it all out & work) but my back was NOT happy the next day. I finished all our wrapping yesterday at the table & that made my back much happier!

 

Here they are! The one with Santa on it is actually two tea towels that my friend found at a thrift store... just sewed them together.

 

I really don't like wrapping presents. Knowing the wrapping paper is going to be torn off soon and thrown away bothers me a bit. I have to push that thought away and focus on thinking about how my kids will enjoy the gift and unwrapping it.

 

All I do is paper wrapping. We've had cats for so much of our marriage that bows & ribbons aren't good ideas. The cats will chew on stuff like that so just wrap it up and call it good. I will sometimes use gift bags also. We have a table down in our family room so I will watch something on tv while I wrap.

 

Not a fan of the wrapping or the paper waste but like @michelepixels I try to remember the kids like to unwrap - I thought about doing the fabric gift bag thing like @tkradtke earlier this year when Xmas fabric appeared again, but remembered we have about another decades worth of wrapping paper still from DH's nan, she passed away about 6 or 7 years ago & must have had a lifetime stash of gift-wrap rolls b/c it was split btwn everyone & I'm still using it (mixed with the odd pattern & colour scheme I already had myself) & kinda feel obligated to - I did give one massive roll (like it weighed kilo's! ) to a charity shop b/c honestly it would have taken several years just to get thru that one roll & I couldn't commit to it (but I only gave it away this year in one of those almost tongue-in-cheek 'does this give me a spark of joy?! ' clean out moments).
I do think I'd enjoy wrapping more not on the floor & with a tape dispenser that didn't either scrape skin off my fingers with every piece or end up with so much mangled tape in the process of trying to 'cut it's that it wasted a third of the roll - & ribbons? It's a case of wishing I could recolour IRL as easily as in Photoshop

 

Not my favorite, either. I've worked really hard to be caught up the last couple of weeks. I have most everything wrapped that I've purchased. Still waiting on a couple of things and UPS lost one of my packages UGH.
A few years ago I got tired of choosing wrapping paper, so I started wrapping everything in craft paper and then making huge fancy colorful bows. I will admit I did get a little lazy with the bows this year
I'm another that wraps on the floor and my back is currently hating me.

 

I hate it! I used to pass the wrapping off on my DD's years ago. I loved it when they wanted to wrap all of my gifts. I'm a "bag wrapper" now.

 

I really don't mind wrapping gifts. I do not do fancy bows... just the sticker bows if any at all. I cannot put gifts out early, so everything usually just gets wrapped and placed under the tree on Christmas Eve after the kids go to bed. I am going to try wrapping everything on my half day next week, before kids get home from school. *crossing fingers*

 

Not my fav, would rather donate to a charity whose doing gift wrapping at the local shopping centre

 

I don't love wrapping gifts, mostly because it's hard to find the time to actually do it... but the last couple of years, I've taken my iPad down to my craft room with me and I watch movies or shows while wrapping so it's not so bad. I know how much everyone loves to unwrap the gifts, so that's why I do it in the end.

This year I went to a new Dollar Tree that just opened by us and they had Hallmark wrapping paper for $1. It's the good thick paper with the grid on the inside and everything! I was so excited that I went back and bought a bunch more because having nice wrapping paper helps me enjoy wrapping a LOT more!

 

I love this idea! I might need to utilize this.

I hate wrapping. Thankfully my older girls LOVE wrapping. They have it almost all done except for a few things I will have to do...or maybe I can sweet talk my hubby into it!