How crazy do you get wrapping Christmas presents?

[Cephus]

I was over at a friend's house over the weekend and his wife was wrapping Christmas presents for the kids. I have never seen anyone be so precise and absurdly exacting in my life. She was cutting the paper with a straight edge and a razor blade, she was making every fold perfect, creasing it over a ruler, and if she messed up, she'd throw the sheet away and start over. All of the corners had to be perfectly square, all of the lines had to be perfectly straight, it had to look like a showroom piece or it wasn't good enough. I found it funny because she's not like this any other time of the year, just when she wraps presents. She probably spent more time wrapping the presents than she did picking them out.

So how crazy do you get?

 

[MaggieD]

I was over at a friend's house over the weekend and his wife was wrapping Christmas presents for the kids. I have never seen anyone be so precise and absurdly exacting in my life. She was cutting the paper with a straight edge and a razor blade, she was making every fold perfect, creasing it over a ruler, and if she messed up, she'd throw the sheet away and start over. All of the corners had to be perfectly square, all of the lines had to be perfectly straight, it had to look like a showroom piece or it wasn't good enough. I found it funny because she's not like this any other time of the year, just when she wraps presents. She probably spent more time wrapping the presents than she did picking them out.

So how crazy do you get?

Well, I'm not that person, but I completely and totally understand it. We all have our "things" -- things that are important to us that others can't, for the life of them, understand. When she looks are her perfectly wrapped (with love) presents, it's like eye candy to her. It's part of her Christmas celebration. God love 'er.

 

[Lutherf]

I don't understand how some people do it. Stuff simply doesn't always come in nice, square packages. Sometimes the tape sticks in the wrong place. Sometimes you spill your Manhattan on the wrapping paper. Stuff happens.

 

[Declan]

We usually just do the bag thing except for kids, pranks, or items that seem dopey to put in a bag like jewelry, gift cards, cash, large african tundra animals, etc.

 

[Superfly]

I used to be that way. It was nuts. Took me hours upon hours to wrap. Every present, you could almost bounce a quarter off of them, and the ribbons were perfectly placed, and even, and they had these nice big bows.

I still wrap nicely, but I'm not anal like I used to be. Also, I don't use bagged bows anymore. I got tired of them falling off. I just buy bunches of ribbon, and make my own bows (like in the shape of the awareness ribbons?). They don't get crushed, they don't fall off and you can cover the tape with the nametag.

I agree with Maggie, though, that beautifully wrapped presents are a part of your decoration, and a direct reflection on you, so they have to look nice. My husband laughs when I do this, and said he's glad I do it. Otherwise, he said all the gifts would be in the Walmart bags they came in. :lol:

 

[Declan]

I used to be that way. It was nuts. Took me hours upon hours to wrap. Every present, you could almost bounce a quarter off of them, and the ribbons were perfectly placed, and even, and they had these nice big bows.

I still wrap nicely, but I'm not anal like I used to be. Also, I don't use bagged bows anymore. I got tired of them falling off. I just buy bunches of ribbon, and make my own bows (like in the shape of the awareness ribbons?). They don't get crushed, they don't fall off and you can cover the tape with the nametag.

I agree with Maggie, though, that beautifully wrapped presents are a part of your decoration, and a direct reflection on you, so they have to look nice. My husband laughs when I do this, and said he's glad I do it. Otherwise, he said all the gifts would be in the Walmart bags they came in. :lol:

We are lucky to have the tree decorated by Christmas eve, so part of my decoration isn't really a consideration LOL

 

[spud_meister]

, large african tundra animals, etc.

If you can find tundra in Africa, I'll be very impressed.

 

[MaggieD]

I used to be that way. It was nuts. Took me hours upon hours to wrap. Every present, you could almost bounce a quarter off of them, and the ribbons were perfectly placed, and even, and they had these nice big bows.

I still wrap nicely, but I'm not anal like I used to be. Also, I don't use bagged bows anymore. I got tired of them falling off. I just buy bunches of ribbon, and make my own bows (like in the shape of the awareness ribbons?). They don't get crushed, they don't fall off and you can cover the tape with the nametag.

I agree with Maggie, though, that beautifully wrapped presents are a part of your decoration, and a direct reflection on you, so they have to look nice. My husband laughs when I do this, and said he's glad I do it. Otherwise, he said all the gifts would be in the Walmart bags they came in. :lol:

You just reminded me that I used to Christmas-wrap all the pictures on the walls complete with fancy bows. Maybe I'll have to think about that this year!

 

[Superfly]

We are lucky to have the tree decorated by Christmas eve, so part of my decoration isn't really a consideration LOL

Oh man. We have our whole house decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving.

 

[Superfly]

You just reminded me that I used to Christmas-wrap all the pictures on the walls complete with fancy bows. Maybe I'll have to think about that this year!

Oh, I don't go that far, but I have poinsettia garland, and regular lighted garland all over the place. I have a pretty big framed picture of Santa on the wall, and a cool framed picture of Frosty that is lighted up. Drives my husband crazy, but he knew when he married me that I go "decorating crazy" from September 1 to December 26.

 

[polgara]

I don't understand how some people do it. Stuff simply doesn't always come in nice, square packages. Sometimes the tape sticks in the wrong place. Sometimes you spill your Manhattan on the wrapping paper. Stuff happens.

Greetings, Lutherf. :2wave:

:lamo: .. :thumbs: If it's a mink coat, have the store wrap it. If it's a new car, put a big bow on the steering wheel. If it's a diamond bracelet, the jeweler will gladly wrap it for you. Anything else, buy some Christmas bags and a package of tissue paper and some glittery bows. Good luck, Santa Baby! *hug*

 

[Lutherf]

Greetings, Lutherf. :2wave:

:lamo: .. :thumbs: If it's a mink coat, have the store wrap it. If it's a new car, put a big bow on the steering wheel. If it's a diamond bracelet, the jeweler will gladly wrap it for you. Anything else, buy some Christmas bags and a package of tissue paper and some glittery bows. Good luck, Santa Baby! *hug*

Mink?

Cars?

Diamonds?

I think I want you to adopt me!!!!:lamo

 

[polgara]

Mink?

Cars?

Diamonds?

I think I want you to adopt me!!!!:lamo

I always have this problem at this time of year. I'm a member of the Mythology Group here at DP, and it kind of spills over .... :lamo:

 

[jet57]

I was over at a friend's house over the weekend and his wife was wrapping Christmas presents for the kids. I have never seen anyone be so precise and absurdly exacting in my life. She was cutting the paper with a straight edge and a razor blade, she was making every fold perfect, creasing it over a ruler, and if she messed up, she'd throw the sheet away and start over. All of the corners had to be perfectly square, all of the lines had to be perfectly straight, it had to look like a showroom piece or it wasn't good enough. I found it funny because she's not like this any other time of the year, just when she wraps presents. She probably spent more time wrapping the presents than she did picking them out.

So how crazy do you get?

Appearance is everything in a woman's world. The women in my life do the very same thing. Myself on the other hand; I measure by eye very carefully, fold and crease, double over the top long edge on the bottom and fold the ends with as much a crease and as tightly as I can.

I use minimal tape.

 

[Declan]

Oh man. We have our whole house decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving.

We usually do it 22-24th ish unless we are having a party before then. 23rd is probably the most common date, but we take it down always on New Years without exception.

 

[Declan]

Appearance is everything in a woman's world. The women in my life do the very same thing. Myself on the other hand; I measure by eye very carefully, fold and crease, double over the top long edge on the bottom and fold the ends with as much a crease and as tightly as I can.

I use minimal tape.

When I was a tyke my mom wrapped, but at some point it became "just write their name on the package", to "here is the stuff, fight over whose is whose"

 

[Declan]

If you can find tundra in Africa, I'll be very impressed.

 

[Superfly]

We usually do it 22-24th ish unless we are having a party before then. 23rd is probably the most common date, but we take it down always on New Years without exception.

See, we start early, but we finish early, too. Our tree, and all decorations, come down on December 26th. Without fail.

 

[lizzie]

I'm a bit anal about wrapping. Not a complete perfectionist, but I like them to be done well. I wait (usually until Christmas eve), and wrap them all in one sitting.

 

[jet57]

See, we start early, but we finish early, too. Our tree, and all decorations, come down on December 26th. Without fail.

We wait until Jan 2nd.

 

[Superfly]

I'm a bit anal about wrapping. Not a complete perfectionist, but I like them to be done well. I wait (usually until Christmas eve), and wrap them all in one sitting.

Sounds like me on Thanksgiving weekend. I have a foldable table, and I set it up in my bedroom, and I have it placed where I can sit on my bed, and watch TV while I wrap. I took down the table today, because with the exception of 2 or 3 presents, everything is finished and wrapped.

 

[Declan]

See, we start early, but we finish early, too. Our tree, and all decorations, come down on December 26th. Without fail.

Very very bad luck. everything bad that has ever happened to you since you started doing that is because you started doing that. You better eat an extra helping of collards, black-eyed peas, and hog jowls on New Years to try to keep a man with red hair from being the first person to show up at your doorstep.

 

[Lutherf]

I think that this year I'm just going to take all the presents down to my buddy and have him hose everything down with LineX bedliner.

 

[Cephus]

Oh man. We have our whole house decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Ours is done, except for the outside which I'm not going to bother with this year. We re-landscaped the front yard and lots of things we usually do, just don't work anymore and nobody had any good ideas for what to do instead so we're not doing anything.

 

[Cephus]

Sounds like me on Thanksgiving weekend. I have a foldable table, and I set it up in my bedroom, and I have it placed where I can sit on my bed, and watch TV while I wrap. I took down the table today, because with the exception of 2 or 3 presents, everything is finished and wrapped.

Same here. The last of the stuff from Amazon that we were waiting for has just been shipped, should be here by Wednesday at the latest, then I'll be 100% finished.