There's a good chance that a lot of us are in the same boat, rushing to get all of the Christmas presents that we've bought wrapped in time for the big day.
And in that rush, many may not spot the simple mistakes that they're making which slows them down and makes wrapped gifts appear a little more shoddy. Thankfully, professional gift wrapper Jane Means - also known as 'The Gift Wrapping Queen' - has shared some of these common slip-ups as well as ways to avoid them.
In some cases mistakes are made before you fold a single piece of paper, according to the social media sensation who has more than 16k followers on Instagram.
Jane pointed out that you can easily lose track of what gift is for what person if they're all similar in shape, and so advises that you write your gift tags first, before wrapping a present.
She explained: "This ensures you don’t have to unwrap any presents if you forget what’s inside, especially if you’re wrapping a lot of presents at once.
"If you’re feeling fancy, you can write on a bauble with a marker pen and use this as a gift tag... and an extra present!"
This wasn't Jane's only tip, she shared a list of useful hacks that she swears by and uses at her Gift Wrap Grottos which are popping up across Amazon Fresh locations. Here's her top tricks:
- Use other materials for tricky shapes. For large items, use a paper tablecloth. These easily mould around large objects like luggage and can easily be purchased from Amazon, party suppliers and supermarkets. Awkward shapes are best wrapped with flexible materials such as tissue and cellophane which are easy to work with. Potted plants are best wrapped with fabric or paper tablecloths which won’t disintegrate if they happen to get soggy.
- Use double-sided tape for a neater look. This means you won’t be able to see the tape, and you can show off your sharp folding skills. It also makes it easier to secure bows, gift tags or other decorations to your gift.
- Use recycled brown wrapping paper and offcuts of fabric for a more sustainable approach. Brown wrapping paper is easy to get hold of (especially if you’ve had lots of presents delivered), inexpensive and can be accessorised in so many different ways to suit a festive theme - it’s a timeless classic that has really come back into fashion. Using fabric offcuts is a more unique and also low cost idea - you can gather the ends and tie them around themselves, or with ribbon, to secure your gift.
- Think about colours. If you do go for traditional wrapping paper, choose a theme using only three solid colours so that everyone knows your gifts are from you (with or without a tag!). You could also choose to incorporate the recipient’s favourite colour into your wrapping, if you know it, as this is a special detail that people remember. Avoid Christmas patterned paper so you can use it throughout the year and instead opt for evergreen favourites like dots or chequered patterns.
Jane, as well as her team, have been busy at the Gift Wrap Grottos which have been popping up at Amazon Fresh stores across the UK.
If you happen to be down in Sevenoaks tomorrow - December 20 - you can drop by the Grotto where Jane and her team will turn whatever you have bought into presents to be proud of.
The launch comes after research conducted by Amazon Fresh revealed that 24 percent of Brits avoid wrapping until the last minute.
Despite this, almost 22 percent feel embarrassed handing over a gift that isn’t wrapped as well as they would have liked.
Speaking about the pop-ups, Jane said: "The research shows that shoppers are looking for tips and tricks to take them from a wrapping rookie to a present pro. We’re looking forward to sharing some insider expertise at the Amazon Fresh Gift Wrap Grotto."
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