# How do you wrap gifts? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2004, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726 "2004-12-02T18:04:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/21 "2004-12-03T05:48:30Z")
I love wrapping presents. I stay away from religious paper. I’m compulsive about buying new paper every year, even if I have some left from last year, although I always try to mix it up and use some old and some new paper. I don’t use double stick tape. I always put tons of fancy ribbons and bows on, and for very special presents I put a cool ornament on top. My great-grandma used to wrap everything in the Sunday comics. I loved that as a kid. I’m going to have to save some funnies and wrap a few presents that way this year. I picked up a great tip from the [FlyLady](http://www.flylady.net/) on giftwrap storage. I now keep all of my wrapping paper in a hanging travel bag in my closet. The tubes fit in the bag perfectly, and there all sorts of pockets and places to tuck scissors, tape, bows, and gift bags. Now everything is always in one place, and if I’m careful to put everything back in the bag when I’m done, I don’t have to search for tape or scissors the next time I want to wrap something. It’s the only FlyLady thing that I do consistantly. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/22 "2004-12-03T05:49:08Z")
Poorly, but then I have a hard time keeping my shoes tied! Seriously, I use lots of tape, and hide as many of the blemishes with stick-on bows. Or use those bags that are designed for gift giving, or get the presents wrapped when I buy them. I would really like to be a better gift wrapper; as it is, everyone knows who wrapped “certain presents” under the tree, so I don’t even have to fill out the From line on the labels…humph! ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/23 "2004-12-03T07:15:02Z")
I potato-printed wrapping paper one year. Green Xmas trees and gold stars. It turned out great. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/24 "2004-12-03T09:12:22Z")
Potato printing…is that where you carve your own stamps out of potatoes? I’m trying out the stamping thing this year, and most of the packages have turned out pretty cool so far. It’s a lot of fun, too. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/25 "2004-12-03T12:56:44Z")
Tape is cheaper and longer on the roll at the dollar stores than the Scotch Tape Fancy Schmancy tape. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/26 "2004-12-03T12:57:52Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > On gifts to non-family members? Oh no, to peoples I want to impress I use a dollar store gift bag. No sense in them learning first hand just how pathetic I am. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/27 "2004-12-03T13:12:16Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Oh no, to peoples I want to impress I use a dollar store gift bag. > > No sense in them learning first hand just how pathetic I am. Do you remove the little plastic thing on the bag that was used to hang it up before purchase? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/28 "2004-12-03T13:43:35Z")
I’ve never gotten the knack of giftwrapping. Over the last couple of years I’ve found organizations that do giftwrapping at the mall or stores somewhere. These are charity organizations, so I get them to wrap my gifts (so they look nice and neat) and I get to also make a donation. I think it’s somewhere around $1-2 per package and then I usually round up to the nearest ten. Money is much tighter this year, so I’ll have to find a different solution. I don’t have a lot of old maps around, but the comix section sounds like a cool idea. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/29 "2004-12-03T17:51:12Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > Potato printing…is that where you carve your own stamps out of potatoes? I’m trying out the stamping thing this year, and most of the packages have turned out pretty cool so far. It’s a lot of fun, too. Yes, that’s it. Sweet potatoes may work better because they aren’t as wet. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/30 "2004-12-03T17:53:05Z")
Oh, and for locals, Wacky Willy’s has a bunch on cheap tsotchkes (sp?) this year that you can put on your presents; e.g., little bells, santas, etc. ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/31 "2004-12-03T18:27:10Z")
I used to work as a Gift Wrap Girl but I’d been one for the family long before and since. I generally vary it according to my mood - paper picked up from previous years holiday sales (generic, non religious non holiday specific in deference to the melting pot that still has a few lumps in it), home made paper, funnies, re-cycled paper from previous gifts … My favorite is cloth. Not, toss it in a bag and pull a draw string but pretty hemmed cloth (that can sometimes also be part of the gift as a table runner or placemat or even just do something like wrap matching mittens and hats in a scarf) tied with a nice string or ribbon; will whip stitch a gnarly loose end if needed as well - lightly and in a fashion meant to be cut. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/32 "2004-12-03T20:31:15Z")
> [@lee](#): > > Do you remove the little plastic thing on the bag that was used to hang it up before purchase? Yes. So I guess I am not that fancy-schmancy. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/33 "2004-12-03T20:34:10Z")
maps are easily had by looking into any FREE BOX at a garage sale for National Geographics. I scored about a 10 year subscribtion of NG two years ago, took my time reading them all and was going to pitch them…and out fell a map. It was a beautiful moment. Wrapping something up in Mesopotamia is a thrill. Another great source for maps is Triple A. If you have membership…don’t tell anyone…shhhhhhh. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726/34 "2004-12-03T20:43:13Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Yes. So I guess I am not that fancy-schmancy. No, removing the little plastic thing is fancy-schmancy. Taking it off is a triumph of class over laziness. Leaving it on is the opposite. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wrap-gifts/277726.md?page=1)