You’ve bought the Christmas presents, put the kettle on and cleared the dining table for a spot of wrapping.
Then you look at the roll of Sellotape and realise there’s just enough left to stick down one corner. And where have the scissors gone?
This is how a perfectly ordinary Christmas evening ends with somebody rooting through the toolbox and asking, “Do you think black insulation tape would do?”
A quick check of what you’ve already got can save a dash to the shops. And while you’re at it, count the Christmas cards. An impressive stack of cards is considerably less impressive when you discover only three of them have envelopes.
Your Christmas wrapping and card checklist
- Wrapping paper. Check how much is actually left on each roll. Set aside a full roll or a large sheet for the biggest presents.
- Sellotape or paper tape. Give the roll a quick test and keep a spare handy if you’ve got a pile of presents to wrap.
- Scissors. Find a sharp pair before you start. Paper that tears halfway across a sheet rarely tears in the direction you had in mind.
- String, ribbon or twine. Check you have enough to go round the larger parcels and still tie a bow.
- Gift tags and a pen. Write the tag as soon as you wrap each present. Six parcels in identical paper can turn into quite the guessing game.
- Gift bags and tissue paper. Handy for awkward shapes. A mug with a handle can make surprisingly short work of a sheet of wrapping paper.
- Christmas cards, envelopes and stamps. Make a list of who’s getting a card, check you have their current addresses and look up Royal Mail’s last posting dates if you’re sending cards by post.
Wrap the big ones first
Start with the biggest presents while you still have full sheets of paper. Save the offcuts for books, small boxes and stocking fillers. If you’re posting a present, set aside a sturdy outer box, something to cushion the contents and a roll of parcel tape as well.
And if you’re tempted to leave everything until Christmas Eve, try wrapping a few presents now. You’ll soon discover whether you’re short of paper, tags or ribbon, with time to do something about it.
After all, there’s only so much festive cheer you can get out of a roll of black insulation tape.