It's that time of year again! It's "scour the house looking for the three rolls of transparent tape you know you own but cannot find" season. We've all been there. However, as the hustle and bustle of December is quickly approaching there are some ways you can save some of your precious time. Using some of these gift wrapping shortcuts will leave give you just a little more time on your hands, and maybe even help you find those lost rolls of tape.
BOX IT UP
One of the best shortcuts to wrapping gifts is to buy some boxes. If you purchase a large package of the same sized box you can cut your gift wrap ahead of time to fit the boxes. By cutting in bulk, all the same sized sheet of paper, you're also cutting minutes off the amount of time it will take you to wrap each gift.
Bonus: you can lay several sheets of wrapping paper on top of one another and cut several at the same time.
TRY DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE
If you're looking to save a little time, a roll of double-sided tape can be just the ticket. Instead of trying to hold a slippery piece of wrapping paper on an object while you maneuver it into place, a single piece of double sided tape can take down the paper and remain invisible. Win-win. You gift will have that professional "wrapped at the mall" look too.
GIFT BAGS ARE GENIUS
Nothing is faster when wrapping within a time constraint than using a gift bag. With all the patterns, colors, and sizes available you should be able to find a gift bag to suit your needs no matter what you're trying to wrap.
BE A "SMARTIE"
If your gift is a strange shape and you can't figure out how to make the wrapping paper fit. Try wrapping it up like a package of Smarties. The "candy method" means you can just put a piece of tape on the center of the package and then tie a ribbon to secure both ends. There's a detailed tutorial available for this here.
CREATE AN ASSEMBLY LINE
No matter how you're planning to wrap gifts, creating a space to do so successfully is the best shortcut there is. Lay out your paper first, and then line up your scissors and tape where you can see them and find them easily. If your space is big enough, place ribbons and bows at the end of the line so you can just move from station to station when the need arises. Better yet? Enlist some help and put your helper on ribbon duty. Then you can just slide packages down the line to the next person.
Don't feel like you need to dread wrapping gifts because it takes up too much time. Instead, look for shortcuts to cut down on the time spent wrapping. Remember, it's not the wrapping that counts, it's the thought behind the gift which matters the most.
