ALT-1 How to Set up a Gift Wrapping Station
When you have a huge pile of presents to wrap, it can look like a really daunting task. You might be wrapping a pile of presents for a lucky dip, a sack of Santa's gifts for a children's home, or just a big pile of goodies for your own children. Whatever the reason, take a few minutes to draw breath and think carefully before you rush in.
Setting up an organized gift wrapping station really does help you to get through the task with the least amount of hassle. So whether it's 24 tiny advent gifts or 40 New Year favors, get organized and get wrapping!
Firstly, make sure that you have enough room to lay everything out. Shut the cats out of the room, send someone out to walk to dog, and make sure the children are asleep. Pop your favorite soothing CD on the player, and you're ready to work. Tidy away as much as you can that is to do with any other job, so that you have a big space, either on a table, or if you prefer (or there's no other alternative), on the floor.
Pile all the presents up at one end of the space, put the paper, scissors, tags, tape, pens and ribbon in the middle, and leave the other end clear. I like to sort my presents out into piles so I know who is going to get what, and I using wrapping paper accordingly.
I like to wrap all the presents for each person in a separate color paper, or with a separate color ribbon. I usually have three or four boxes in the clear' end of my space, ready to pack presents that need to be taken to another house. For example, all the presents that have to get transported to my sisters house go in one box, the presents that go to my parents house go on another, and the ones to my best friends in a third. All the ones to go under the tree just go in a pile for now.
As you wrap each present, add the bow and write the tag. This way, you won't forget which present is which. Add them to the appropriate pile and you'll be done in no time!
There are several ways of speeding up the process if you have a really big pile of presents.
• Stack a pile of gift bags and tissue paper in with your wrapping materials, and simply scrunch odd-shaped presents into tissue and pop them into a bag.
• Use the sort of glittery elastic bands that little girls use instead of sticky tape.
• Buy ready-made decorations instead of tying bows
• Use self-adhesive tags instead of tie-on ones
• Write all your tags out to begin with so that you don't have to keep putting down your scissors and picking up your pen.
• Buy boxes instead of using wrapping paper
• Put all the gifts for one person into a large basket and cover with cellophane and a big bow instead of wrapping each one individually
• Use a sticky tape dispenser with a serrated edge that will cut lengths of tape for you
When you have one or two gifts to wrap, it's a pleasure to do, but it can become a chore if you are faced with too many. Set up a wrapping station, and you'll find that the task becomes much easier. Remember, giving is mean to make you happy, not get you all hot and flustered. Wrap a few presents each day, chill out and keep your cool it'll all come out right in the end!
