Reflections Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 This is sort of a tongue in cheek question but... I started wondering tonight - do I really? I was thinking about maybe putting each of the kids' gift in one big box (one big box per kid) and wrapping that big box. I'm still really tired and other stuff from that thing a couple of weeks ago... and I really don't think I'll be able to wrap everything. I'm already planning on using all the Christmas bags I own. My dh is gone until tomorrow night, and yes he'll wrap on Christmas Eve if I need him too. And my inlaws sent lots of gifts for the kids - all wrapped individually - so they won't miss anything there. Just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 We're a bag family. I am not wrapping presents for 8(or more) people. Not happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I WIN this one. I'm married to an engineer. Engineers are perfectionists. He's NEVER been happy with the way I wrap things, so long, long ago in our marriage HE volunteered and took over ALL wrapping of any present from our family even if it's something only I am going to and taking a gift for. He also decorates our tree (with our boys as he has to teach them how to do it correctly). What a shame, huh? :D Middle son was just commenting on this last night. Apparently there is a video out there (supposedly humorous) switching roles at Christmas between men and women. Men are doing the wrapping and the tree. MY son is sitting there saying to himself, "yeah, what's the big deal?" :lol: There are times when it is really nice being married to a perfectionist. ps I've been telling people for years that this son will be a great husband someday. He's been adopting many of his father's traits. My other two took after me more (sorry!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Have your children wrap them. When I was a teen, I wrapped most of the gifts my parents bought, even my own. My mother would put the items in boxes, tape them shut, and write the names of the recipients on the boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 The only gifts dh wraps are mine and I have been known to wrap a few of mine that were boxed because things were crazy. Dh is an engineer and doesn't care how I wrap as long as it gets done. I figure when dd is old enough to do it by herself he will ask her to wrap my gifs. Do you have similar things that you could wrap together so that there would be a few packages per person instead of just 1? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Have your kids help wrap them if they're old enough. After midnight mass my dad would have all 7 of us in the living room and send one of us out as the rest wrapped a good chunk of that person's presents. It continued until all gifts were wrapped. He didn't start this till I was 12, I'm the youngest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Gift bags are where it is at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 How old are your kids? Old enough to wrap for siblings? Would they keep the gift a secret or go blab, ruining the surprise? I've never heard of putting all gifts in one box, but if that is all you can do, then go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 How old are your kids? Old enough to wrap for siblings? Would they keep the gift a secret or go blab, ruining the surprise? I've never heard of putting all gifts in one box, but if that is all you can do, then go for it. Now that mine are teens I do have them help with most of it. My teens are each getting one larger gift, and then I'm putting together a box or bag of some "favorite things." Two gifts each to open from mom and dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 This doesn't reduce wrapping, but it does eliminate the tag.... I pick one kind of wrapping paper for each child. They receive a "stocking gift" wrapped in that paper - that's how they know which paper is theirs. Then all presents are passed out accordingly. No more writing to and from on every present, which does speed things up a bit when I'm wrapping. I stole this wonderful idea from relatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My first 3 presents are wrapped beautifully. The ends are folded crisp and clean. But the 4th, the ends start getting a little shaggy. By the 8th, it's just a wrinkled ball of paper taped around the present any which way I can manage it. The ends are big, puffy blobs of paper without a crease to be seen. And by the 15th, it's all gift bags with some tissue paper mashed into the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My 11 year old is begging to wrap this year. It's going to look like one of the cats did it, but OH WELL! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My 11 year old is begging to wrap this year. It's going to look like one of the cats did it, but OH WELL! ;) My 12 year old is begging, too. Must be the age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caclcoca Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I wrap a couple of presents from us to each of our children. Santa does not wrap the presents that he leaves here. They just appear during the night. We did several couple gifts for our family, so we just didn't have much to wrap this year. I was very thankful. Good luck with the wrapping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Wrapping stresses me out, so I only wrap dh's gifts from me. Dh wraps all the kids' gifts. He and our kids wrap all the other gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My grandma and mom both made each of us kids a giant draw string bag. All of our presents were in the bag unwrapped. It was awesome. This works better if you tend to do last minute shopping. I heard tale of siblings peeking ahead of time but I always liked to be surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbotoast Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 This year we joked about putting all the Amazon boxes under the tree and opening those on Christmas morning. It would work great for the adults! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 We wrap as we go along -- once the tree's up, wrapped presents start to appear under it. So it isn't one huge slog. And the kids are fighting over who gets to wrap this year. I've done a couple, but that's it. As far as the OP, my MIL has done the big box several times. MIL hates Christmas, and the whole big box thing is something I associate with her desire to do less. It came across as really lame, but that might be because her gifts tend to be things she found at realty conventions and saved in her closet until she found a use for them (which was giving them to small children and pretending they were fun presents). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I feel your pain, and fondly recall the years when Santa brought all the gifts, which were left unwrapped under the tree. :001_wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Growing up, our gifts from Santa were never wrapped. I think the tradition started because Mom got tired of wrapping and declared the rest "from Santa." You could always resort to using pillow cases :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I WIN this one. I'm married to an engineer. Engineers are perfectionists. He's NEVER been happy with the way I wrap things, so long, long ago in our marriage HE volunteered and took over ALL wrapping of any present from our family even if it's something only I am going to and taking a gift for. He also decorates our tree (with our boys as he has to teach them how to do it correctly). What a shame, huh? :D Middle son was just commenting on this last night. Apparently there is a video out there (supposedly humorous) switching roles at Christmas between men and women. Men are doing the wrapping and the tree. MY son is sitting there saying to himself, "yeah, what's the big deal?" :lol: There are times when it is really nice being married to a perfectionist. ps I've been telling people for years that this son will be a great husband someday. He's been adopting many of his father's traits. My other two took after me more (sorry!). Oh my word! I am married to an engineer, too and you should see the way he wraps presents. It puts those mall girls to shame! Before we were married, he'd wrap his gifts, then he'd make tags out of the scraps. He'd cut out carefully a bell or a Santa, write the name and then find that same picture on the package and tape the name tag over it so it was camouflaged. He loved it. Now, we wrap presents together on Christmas Eve and my "slap 'em together" ways have... not really rubbed off on him, because he still likes doing it his way... but forced him to change, or we would never get the task done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Oh my word! I am married to an engineer, too and you should see the way he wraps presents. It puts those mall girls to shame! Before we were married, he'd wrap his gifts, then he'd make tags out of the scraps. He'd cut out carefully a bell or a Santa, write the name and then find that same picture on the package and tape the name tag over it so it was camouflaged. He loved it. Now, we wrap presents together on Christmas Eve and my "slap 'em together" ways have... not really rubbed off on him, because he still likes doing it his way... but forced him to change, or we would never get the task done. Your beginning description is exactly the way things still are done by my guy. My trying to do anything my way around him drove him nuts. I sure wasn't changing... so I got fired. It might be one of the better times I've held my ground in life. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Ugh. I have wrapped nothing for our family. Not one gift yet. We are going to be gone all day today, so it's going to happen on Christmas Eve, and I dread it. Everything is still in shipping boxes, piled in our basement. Looks like Shipping and Receiving down there. Going to need a big bottle of wine to get through that stack of gifts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrn Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My girls have been asking if there are any more presents to wrap. They have been big on helping out this year. Yesterday morning I put on some Christmas music and wrapped all the rest. This year was a good year. It makes up for some of the mad dash to wrap at the last minute years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I've never wrapped "all" the gifts, but this year I plan on wrapping less than usual, I think. For one thing, I have too much else to do. For another thing, I really don't know how to decide whose name to put on what. They will both play with all of it. I'm not sure who wants which toy more than the other one. So I am still figuring out what to do. Tonight I will probably tell my kids that most of their gifts will be for sharing, not for one kid or the other. So they are prepared to not have a lot of individual gifts to open. And then I guess I will wrap maybe half of them. The easy-to-wrap ones, of course. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 It seems like every Christmas Eve, I'm hiding in my room after the kids go to sleep, wrapping presents with the door locked. This year, I decided: enough! I had all our presents bought by early-November, and wrapped by Thanksgiving. (Now, it certainly helped that my kids have stayed with my parents a lot lately and I had long, empty nights in which to wrap presents. ;)) But it feels good to be DONE!!! (Well, except for that one last gift that Amazon says will arrive Christmas Eve.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My childhood gifts from Santa never came wrapped, either. They were arranged under each child's stocking. Then we had wrapped gifts from our family under the tree. My husband's grandmother gave each grandchild a large red bag filled with presents. The kids loved it. If you want to procure some giant bags, I did see some in the Christmas section at Target yesterday. Whatever you do, I'm sure everyone will be happy with their gifts, so pick an option and just go with it! It will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Oh my word! I am married to an engineer, too and you should see the way he wraps presents. It puts those mall girls to shame! Before we were married, he'd wrap his gifts, then he'd make tags out of the scraps. He'd cut out carefully a bell or a Santa, write the name and then find that same picture on the package and tape the name tag over it so it was camouflaged. He loved it. My husband wraps this way [and, yes, his bachelors and one of his graduate degrees are in engineering even though he is really an attorney now] but my mom also wraps this way and she teaches 3rd grade. DH usually wraps at least half of the gifts we give. Some years he wraps more if his lead up to the holiday is less busy than mine. This year I have only wrapped presents for DH, all of the pajamas/nightgowns I made for the entire family, and a few other random gifts (most of the kids' epiphany gifts which go under a different tree and get wrapped in gold foil actually). Wrapping [except for stocking gifts which will be wrapped (in tissue paper) and stuffed after our younger daughters go to bed] is completed for another year! DH is an awesome husband but to be fair I've done some extra ED shifts this month and I'm once again working Christmas Eve Day and then trying to make it to church in time to play handbells for the Christmas Eve service. Plan B includes DH and DD19 dividing up my bells amongst themselves which will be fine but I'm trying to make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetIrony Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My parents always set up a "wrapping station" on a folding table in the living room, with all the wrapping supplies on it. My mom would box gifts and put sticky notes on them saying who they were for. Then anyone who had some time could put on a Christmas movie and wrap some gifts while they watched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Until now I had never heard of unwrapped gifts. Always learning something here! I wrap gifts Christmas Eve. I'm a night owl and it works for me. It's sort of an accidental personal tradition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted December 23, 2014 Author Share Posted December 23, 2014 We're a bag family. I am not wrapping presents for 8(or more) people. Not happening. I LOVE :001_wub: bags! Even if we were 2 I'd use mostly bags.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted December 23, 2014 Author Share Posted December 23, 2014 I WIN this one. I'm married to an engineer. Engineers are perfectionists. He's NEVER been happy with the way I wrap things, so long, long ago in our marriage HE volunteered and took over ALL wrapping of any present from our family even if it's something only I am going to and taking a gift for. He also decorates our tree (with our boys as he has to teach them how to do it correctly). What a shame, huh? :D Middle son was just commenting on this last night. Apparently there is a video out there (supposedly humorous) switching roles at Christmas between men and women. Men are doing the wrapping and the tree. MY son is sitting there saying to himself, "yeah, what's the big deal?" :lol: There are times when it is really nice being married to a perfectionist. ps I've been telling people for years that this son will be a great husband someday. He's been adopting many of his father's traits. My other two took after me more (sorry!). Send him over! Only tell him to avert his eyes so he doesn't see our tree. The kids decorated it this year with very little supervision - with the 4yo dictating where the ornaments go, the 9yo stringing the lights, and the 15yo grouping the ornaments. And oh, yeah, the dogs helped rearrange some of the garland. :lol: Luckily the cats are kinda scared of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I enjoy wrapping presents, but for the first time this year, I bought gift bags and gift boxes that were already decorated. Wrapping gifts was so easy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Growing up our gifts came from Santa so they were never wrapped. They were all just placed under the tree the night before :) I wrap my kids gifts. At first they are wrapped so pretty! As the night progresses, the wrapping gets more and more sloppy, ...cuz I am sooo done! Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Bags and boxes are the way to go for me, too. We reuse them over and over, and some always hold the same things (like Christmas Eve jammies, which I didn't realize until DS told me this morning). Among my favorites are a couple quilted bags that my mom sewed in the 60's and were used every year during my childhood, and an ancient metal train box that always holds socks for DS. We reuse gift tags too; for some reason I just hate making them. DH is the primary wrapper--he still likes gift wrap and boxes and does an incredible job. We leave a big gift for DS out unwrapped, without a tag. It's sort of implied that it's from Santa, but only if he wants it to be. I was never comfortable signing a gift card fom Santa when he was younger and this is just simpler. Plus it got hard to keep track of "Santa wrapping paper", since he would remember it forever and we'd never be able to use it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted December 23, 2014 Author Share Posted December 23, 2014 Growing up, our gifts from Santa were never wrapped. I think the tradition started because Mom got tired of wrapping and declared the rest "from Santa." You could always resort to using pillow cases :-) Don't you TEMPT me!! Although....most of my pillowcases are tied up right now, being used for packing up my good china from our move...and for the next move in 3 months. I could use our unwashed ones..... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I wrap all the gifts, then put each person's gifts in a big box, then wrap the big boxes! So it looks like each person gets one big box, but there are multiple (wrapped) gifts inside. And I'm an engineer, so everything must fit perfectly and efficiently into the big boxes and the wrapping of everything is neat and tidy. I start wrapping in November. Santa is a terrible wrapper though and Ds comments on how he could learn some things about wrapping from Mum. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted December 23, 2014 Author Share Posted December 23, 2014 My first 3 presents are wrapped beautifully. The ends are folded crisp and clean. But the 4th, the ends start getting a little shaggy. By the 8th, it's just a wrinkled ball of paper taped around the present any which way I can manage it. The ends are big, puffy blobs of paper without a crease to be seen. And by the 15th, it's all gift bags with some tissue paper mashed into the top. Me! This is me! Only I'm usually done after 2..... You have more endurance than me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 ...he'd make tags out of the scraps. He'd cut out carefully a bell or a Santa, write the name and then find that same picture on the package and tape the name tag over it so it was camouflaged. I do this! Also, Santa uses his own specific paper (this year tissue) because I never believed my Mum when she said Santa wrapped the gifts at our house and therefore used our paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted December 23, 2014 Author Share Posted December 23, 2014 Bags. If *I'm* wrapping anything, it's going in a bag with tissue paper. There's just no way.... even *thinking* about wrapping all the presents makes me want to just lay down and forget about it with a nice long nap. Kids. Yes my kids will wrap. Or bag. Their choice. The 9yo has been begging me for the last week to let him wrap. The 15yo avoids the subject. Dh said he'd wrap when he got home tonight - but after a 14 hour day and a 4 hour drive, I'm not planning on him helping with anything but a beer and a shower. I'd waggle my eyebrows, but this is a family thread. Over our brunch (late risers this week and we made cookies last night at 10pm) of cookies and milk, (I'm one of THOSE moms) we - me and the kids - had a confab about the gifts. They like the big box idea. :hurray: (I'm so relieved) :hurray: BUT their gifts to each other they are going to wrap individually on their own. And I also love the idea of not wrapping anything but my inner Martha Stewart that I keep locked up might escape over that idea. And for those of you who wrap as you go and finished shopping in August or who love wrapping .... maybe next year... maybe.... probably not... but maybe. I'll aspire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted December 23, 2014 Author Share Posted December 23, 2014 By the way... the board hates me today... I'm having the worst time liking and quoting.... So... just know... I like everyone's post. Some of them were downright funny. And I wish we were all sitting around a big table discussing this and everything else on the board .... I'd make a bundt cake and some sort of cheese ball.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted December 23, 2014 Author Share Posted December 23, 2014 We did one box for each kid with however many or few presents they ended up with. Works great and helps cut down on the need to be 'equitable' with gift giving, as well as time spent wrapping. See, overworked, bedridden mamas think alike. BUT I really don't want to hear anything out of you other than how that squishy little man is eating and pooping.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendy not in HI Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I loved wrapping gifts for my mom. I had forgotten about that... I will have to remember to have my kids to that this year. I started wrapping gifts yesterday. I wrapped my way through a netflix Christmas movie and nearly finished. I did a little more wrapping today, and I'm done. When I pulled things out yesterday, I thought I was never going to get it done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Over a couple of years, I built up a significant collection of fabric bags that I made. Now I only use wrapping paper for those people that I don't think will appreciate my bags enough to either reuse them or give them back. This year I did have to wrap more for my lil sister because her presents were too heavy to risk blowing out the bottom. My kids know better then to attempt to get into the bags (I don't even think DD could figure out how I tie them) and there is no reason to start shaking things because they are tagged in a code that changes every year and only I know it. I strongly suggest hitting up the Christmas fabric when it goes on sale this weekend and just buying yards and yards of the stuff. One yard can make 2 bigger bags or 3 littler bags, or 1 gigantic bag (which I have 4 of for those big presents). All you need is a sewing machine, ribbon, and the ability to sew in a somewhat straight line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I just put wrapping paper and tape on until you can't see the thing in question. All you need is a sewing machine, ribbon, and the ability to sew in a somewhat straight line. OH IS THAT ALL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I'm not wrapping, we do stocking stuffers and one large family gift; the large gift this year is a gymnastics mini var, it's too big to reasonably wrap. I was going to put it together after the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve but have decided to just put a couple of ribbons on the boxes and put them by the tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I just put wrapping paper and tape on until you can't see the thing in question. OH IS THAT ALL Trust me, don't turn my bags inside out and look at the stitching. You would think a drunk person was in control of the sewing machine. Turns out the kids really don't care about the bags, but rather what is inside them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I loved wrapping gifts the last few years because I'd do it at a wrapping party with my MOMS Club friends. We'd chat and listen to Christmas music, swap paper for those who do Santa gifts in different paper, and gorge ourselves on tasty snacks and desserts. This year I've moved and I'm wrapping alone :( I did it last night between the toddler's bedtime and her inevitable midnight summons. I'm baffled by this trend of engineer husbands who wrap. Mine must be defective. He is all about function, streamlining, and efficiency so why bother wrapping? Amazon boxes are sealed! Walmart bags are kind of opaque, especially if you use two or three :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 When I was a teen I loved wrapping. My sister and I would spend hours making works of art with a glue gun and my mom's dried flower and craft supplies stash. Really I think a lot of the fun was doing it with her. I'm a social wrapper :) A couple years I headed up the youth group parents' night out. Not only did we babysit kids and provide them with a memorable night of crafts and games--we set up a wrapping room with 2-3 talented, eager teens who would wrap your kids' gifts while you went out. We made a lot of money for camp with this venture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I LOVE wrapping. I save it all for Christmas Eve. I like wrapping all of our kids' presents after they go to bed. When I was a kid, I'd go to my grandmother's house the week before Christmas and wrap all of her presents. My aunt and uncle would bring theirs over for me to wrap, too. I never realized this was a strange quality! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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