Every year I look forward to wrapping holiday presents. I imagine Christmas music playing in the background, a steaming mug of coffee nearby, the children quietly playing with a festive spool of ribbon, the perfect creases in the brightly-colored paper surrounding the boxes, the sense of reward and accomplishment afterwards.
Ha. Ha ha. HA HA HA HA HAAAAAA.
Ahem. Let’s just shine a brief and unforgiving light on the reality, shall we? Tantruming children demanding attention, wads of dog hair stuck in the forty tons of tape I’ve used to hold together a crushed and lumpen package, a growing sense of hatred for all things holiday-related, the mug of coffee gone long cold and probably spilled down the back of someone’s pants. The sense of irritation and exhaustion afterwards, when beholding the stack of coyote-ugly boxes that look like they’ve been wrapped during Craft Time at the mental institution.
For my fellow wrapping-haters, here are a few ideas for non-traditional present-presentation ideas that might make the whole process a little easier, or at least give you the illusion of having creativity, spare time, and a quiet household on your side:
Gift bags tied with ponytail holders. Some fancy tissue paper, an eye-catching ponytail holder, you’re done. Note: this probably works better for girls, unless you have a Fabio on your list.
Can it! Find a metal can at a craft store or re-use a cookie tin. Festoon with stickers, add a bow.
Cover it with a scarf. Cover your present with a present: a pretty scarf or dishtowel, tied with string.
Get crafty (paper). Buy a roll of butcher paper or craft paper, and use that as wrapping along with some string or a pretty ribbon. Bonus: have the kids stamp or color the paper first.
Bag it in fabric. Make your own, or buy from the growing number of fabric gift bag sellers. Reusable!
Use the funny pages. Comics, old newspaper pages (although these options seem hand-ink-stainy to me), or old maps make unusual and cool wrapping options.
Go metallic. Here’s a wrapping idea even I can’t screw up: cover the box in aluminum foil. No tape necessary!
I always thought I was the only one who hated wrapping. I can’t stand it! I do love the aluminum foil idea, it would make it a lot easier to wrap those odd shaped items.
Eric's Mommy | December 9th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
I SUCK at wrapping. I throw everything in gift bags, and was thinking of buying some reusable ones.
Angella | December 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
The first Christmas my husband and I were dating, he insisted on wrapping all his gifts in kraft paper with twine and NO TAPE — “like on Little House on the Prairie” — it totally cracked me up! Now, we usually make a night of wrapping (after the kiddo is in bed, of course!) and get it all done at once with a Christmas movie on in the background.
aimee @ smilingmama | December 10th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
For newspaper wrapping - if you don’t like the inky-stainy business, just a quick (dry) ironing will seal most of the loose ink for you. Put a piece of tissue paper or paper towel between the newspaper and the iron and have at. Keep the heat low, though, you know? Goes without saying, too, but seriously no steam.
It’s a very hoity-toity trick I learned years and years ago from a friend of mine who no foolin’ was a butler for some knob who wanted ironed, non inky-stainy newspapers.
KKF | December 10th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
This year I ordered a bunch of white bags and boxes, colored holiday stamps, stickers, and sticky jewels from Oriental Trading Company. I’ll have my kids decorate and help fill the packages. Other than that, I’m targeting one “real” wrapped gift for most of the people on my list. A lot easier than past years, when I had to wrap about a hundred separate gifts on Christmas Eve after the kids went to bed.
SKL | December 10th, 2009 at 4:11 pm