# When/how do you wrap presents?



## CarolfromTX (Dec 14, 2019)

When I was working, I used to have one or two marathon wrapping sessions. But now that I'm retired, I wrap my presents as I get them. I use bags as often as I can, but some things, like my grandson's Legos, have to be wrapped. My husband, on the other hand, wraps things on Christmas Eve, usually about 8 or 9 at night. LOL! Nah, he doesn't procrastinate much!


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## AnnieA (Dec 14, 2019)

A week or two before Christmas.  Planning to do a few tonight.


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## Lc jones (Dec 14, 2019)

I just finished up today, thankfully I had many gift cards and use wrapping bags instead of boxes, that makes the job so much quicker and easier. I remember when the kids were young I would spend hours wrapping their gifts, and I also wrapped all their stocking stuffers. Sometimes my friends and I would have wrapping parties, that was always fun.


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## peppermint (Dec 14, 2019)

I put gifts in pretty bags....


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## JustBonee (Dec 14, 2019)

Many  bags with lots of pretty tissue is my favorite way to go,  especially for the grandkids.   They are always in a hurry,   and make such a mess with paper and tape all over the place.


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## Keesha (Dec 14, 2019)

Yes I prefer the bags and pretty tissue idea also. 
It’s something that’s more likely to be recycled from one giver to the next.


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## Gary O' (Dec 14, 2019)




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## hollydolly (Dec 14, 2019)

This is me......













*NOT!!!!*...*never in a month of Sundays would I have the patience nor the inclination.... *


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## Ruth n Jersey (Dec 14, 2019)

I wrap as soon as I get the gift. Bags or paper. Whatever works.

This year I'm giving my daughter luggage since they travel so much. I bought a very large plastic tablecloth from the dollar store and it worked quite well. Sturdy also for the trip to their house.


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## AnnieA (Dec 14, 2019)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I wrap as soon as I get the gift. Bags or paper. Whatever works.
> 
> This year I'm giving my daughter luggage since they travel so much. I bought a very large plastic tablecloth from the dollar store and it worked quite well. Sturdy also for the trip to their house.View attachment 84698



Creative to think of a tablecloth!  I'd have never thought of that but will keep that handy fact filed away for future large, bulky gifts!


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## mike4lorie (Dec 15, 2019)

I take it to those people in the mall, make a donation, and usually buy them all a coffee...


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## Ronni (Dec 15, 2019)

Most of my shopping is through Amazon, and I start my online shopping on Black Friday.  I wrap as I buy as much as possible.  Because there are so many gifts due to how large the family is, we all try and wrap everything in wrapping paper rather than use bags, even the more difficult to wrap items.  It saves a LOT of space....when we all get together and put our gifts under the tree at my daughter's house Christmas morning, the gifts are mounded and spilling all over the floor so we conserve as much space as possible by wrapping that way.

I use gift bags liberally though for wrapping birthday gifts.  Between all the kids and grandkids, I have a LOT of those throughout the year!


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## Ronni (Dec 15, 2019)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I wrap as soon as I get the gift. Bags or paper. Whatever works.
> 
> This year I'm giving my daughter luggage since they travel so much. I bought a very large plastic tablecloth from the dollar store and it worked quite well. Sturdy also for the trip to their house.View attachment 84698


I love this idea!!   Thanks Ruth!


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## RadishRose (Dec 15, 2019)

I only have a few, actually 5 family members to buy for. The days of many in-laws and their children are long over.

So, I wrap, lately bag, whenever I get to it.


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## StarSong (Dec 15, 2019)

I"m a wrapping procrastinator.  In years that I'm very organized I start and finish on the 23rd.  More typically it's the 24th, and many years I'm still wrapping a few on the 25th!  

When our kids were young and getting lots of gifts, there were often too many for me to stash away from them, plus they wanted to see gifts under the tree in the days before Christmas.  I didn't want to identify which gift was for whom because the temptation to sneak a peek would have been too great for them, so I put little notes to myself about which gift was what.  

For instance, when they were in their early teens if they looked at six different gifts jumbled together under the tree they might have seen 183, 175. 153, 171, 154. and 166. The games began for them to figure out the method to my madness.

My code represented the number of letters in the last names of each of their first grade teachers (hubby included - I found out her name from my MIL). 183 identified it as being for my son Garrett.  His 1st grade teacher was Mrs. Williams, and it was the third gift I wanted him to open.

Another year I added up the hour and minutes of their births and used that. So 4:53 am was 4+5+3 meaning I put 125 (5th gift to open) on that package. Most years one of my kids would crack the code a couple of days before Christmas. It kept them very busy and they greatly looked forward to the game. They started off working individually but would eventually collaborate. Being the first to crack the code meant major kudos, and the solution was kept secret until all had solved it.

That morphed to me putting very cryptic notes/hints on the gifts.  One year I didn't bother and the hoohah and disappointment over the lack of notes made me realize how much my family looked forward to them.  So I brought it back.  (For instance, the note on a box of warm slippers might say, "Excellent for toasting but not good much for eating.")  

I mostly use wrapping paper unless something is such a weird size and shape that it doesn't lend itself well to that. Birthday, shower and other during-the-year gifts usually go in gift bags, but Christmas presents are nearly always wrapped.


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