Gift Wrapping Made Easy: How to Simplify and Organize

It’s gift-giving season! I’ll bet you’ve already put in a lot of effort: making your gift list, budgeting for the gifts, planning the gifts, comparison-price shopping for the gifts, buying the gifts, and squirreling the gifts away in a hidden corner of your home.

Now it’s time to wrap the gifts!

Does this seem like an insurmountable hurdle? Let me make it easier on you with a few key strategies.

THE EASY WAY OUT
You really hate wrapping presents. And you have no time for it. Here are your two options.

1. Let the store wrap it
   Local shops often offer free gift wrapping. As a former main street shop owner, that makes my heart sing. For unique, clutter-free gift ideas, check out my blog about shopping local. Many online stores will wrap for a small fee. If you really dislike wrapping, add this into your gift budget.
2. Bag it
   Order yourself a bundled pack of matching bags in assorted sizes. — your gifts will look so pulled together! Plop your gifts in the bags and top them with a swirl of tissue paper. Easy!

SET UP FOR SUCCESS
Maybe you hate wrapping gifts because your supplies are stored inconveniently and you don’t have a good station.

My favorite storage options:

• Elfa gift wrap organizer: Install it on the back of a door or a wall.
• Gift wrap box: With pockets for supplies, bags, tissue, and bows you can slide this under a bed or stand it in a closet.
• 3-tier cart with clip-on gift wrap holder: Pull it up to your work table.
• Chest or large bureau drawer: Outfit your 32”-wide drawer (a roll of paper is 30”) with small boxes and dividers to hold everything.

Be sure to store all your supplies together so you don’t have to hunt all over the house. In addition to tissue paper, bows, and tags, be sure you have good scissors (multiple pairs if you have wrapping helpers) and tape in a weighted dispenser so you can use it one-handed.

LIMIT YOUR OPTIONS
You don’t need dozens of different papers and millions of bows and ribbons to wrap a pretty gift. The excess will only add to your frustration. One of these two strategies will help you find your signature style.

1. One Paper, Many Ribbons
   Simplify by choosing one paper (solids, stripes, and dots work well) — or one style for each occasion — and dress it up with an assortment of ribbons. I buy my favorite light-blue-and-white striped paper and use it for birthdays, weddings, showers, babies, etc. with a different style of ribbon to fit the occasion.
2. One Ribbon, Many Papers
   ​If you love variety in your wrapping paper, then buy one type of ribbon in bulk and use it on every gift. Black or white satin or grosgrain will give you an elegant look for every occasion.

LEARN THE SKILLS
Wrapping is no fun when you don’t know what you’re doing. Quit fumbling around and learn how to wrap like a pro. Grab some practice paper and boxes and watch a few to perfect your technique. It might seem like a hassle, but investing 15 minutes now will save you so much time and headache later.

Check out my wrapping tutorials here:

REUSE OR BUY NEW?
Wrapping gifts is much easier when you use good-quality bags and paper. The cheap stuff rips, causing frustration and waste.

Go ahead and toss out:

• ends of wrapping paper rolls, especially if they’ve gotten wrinkled
• used tissue paper (it never looks good)
• less-than-perfect gift bags
• tired, old boxes
• wrapping paper, bags, and bows you just don’t like!

If gift wrapping has been a chore for you, I hope these strategies will banish your frustration. Ultimately, wrapping should be a fun time to think about the recipient and how you hope they’ll feel when presented with your lovely gift.