Life
You have made your list and checked it twice. The shopping is done and the presents have been hidden. Now you finally have the house to yourself and are ready to wrap these bad boys up. But once you gather all your supplies and the eggnog wears off, you start to dread making all these gifts laid out before you look pretty. Luckily, there are gift wrapping hacks to make it less stressful, more successful, and — dare I say? — fun.
Some people love gift wrapping. They go all out and make every package look more like a work of art than a collection of paper and ribbon. Not me. Although I love the finished product — a pretty package under the tree — the actual work is messy, frustrating, and kinda boring. Each year I put off wrapping until the last possible minute and try to combat the boring part by listening to music or turning on one of my favorite holiday movies. But it's not long until I am swearing at a roll of wrapping paper for it's hideous disobedience and getting thin arm hairs caught in scotch tape.
It's gotta get better than this, right? Thankfully it does. If the thought of wrapping a pile of presents has you reaching for the wine bottle, use these seven gift wrapping hacks that make this holiday chore easier.
1Use Double Sided Tape.
Scotch Double Sided Tape, $4, Amazon
Double sided tape is the ninja of gift wrapping supplies. Not only does it save you time, but it saves tape, as you use less of it. Not to mention you don't see the tape on the creases where the paper meets, making for a neat, pretty package.
2Use A Mailing Tube.
Have a baseball bat or something that won't fit just right in a square box?Real Simple suggested using a mailing tube to package elongated items that won't fit in boxes.
3Recycle Scraps Of Wrapping Paper
Want some colorful and creative fill for your gift bags? Make like Martha Stewart and run your scraps of wrapping paper through the shredder to create a fun, festive filler.
4Add Pizazz With Washi Tape
Colorful and decorative washi tape is an easy way to close those paper seams and make it seem like part of the package. With so many patterns and styles to choose from, there is a washi tape to match up with any wrapping paper color or scheme you choose.
5Use Fabric To Wrap Wine Bottles
This is a trick I have been using for years, and it makes a beautiful wrapped bottle of wine or champagne. Just set the bottle in the middle of a large fabric scrap, gather the fabric at the top of the bottle, and secure with a ribbon.
6Use A Rotary Cutter.
Instead of scissors when cutting wrapping paper using a rotary cuter to get a crisp, precise edge with every cut.
7Master Bow Making
This one minute (yes, you read that right — only one minute) video from Hallmark, demonstrates how you can easily make your own bow for gifts.
Images: Kaspars Grinvalds/Fotolia; Amazon (4); Steve Depolo, Quinn Dombrowski/Flickr
