You know who you are. You have gifts to wrap, and time is running out.
Omahan Kevin Vilmont typically asks his friend Mary Drueke, also of Omaha, to do his last-minute wrapping.
She's been known to help but “if I say no — and sometimes I do — he just wraps it,” Drueke said. “He comes over and uses my stuff, lots of tape and the corners aren't great. And if there's a bow, he might slap it on. If there's a bag handy, he'd rather do that.”
Drueke said her friend isn't unusual.
“He's just a typical guy.”
A survey commissioned by an adhesive tape company found that one in four people wrap their holiday gifts one or two days before giving them, and another 22 percent wrap three to six days before the gift-giving occasion.
Up to this point, you've gotten along quite well with a roll or two of transparent tape. But it may be time to think outside the box.
Keep the tape handy just in case. But consider other methods of securing your gift. Rubber bands, twine, raffia, ribbon, even shoe laces may have a place in your wrapping arsenal.
As for the wrapping, don't be shy. Use cloth, decorative boxes and tins, bubble wrap, totes and tissue paper. You can probably take on any gift's size or shape with something you find around the house — or something for the house, such as a zippered pillow cover or pillow cases.
Continuing in the fabric vein, anything soft and pliable could work: dish towels, scarves, baby blankets, table cloths and napkins. Or how about a tote from the supermarket that's likely decorated for the holidays?
Mariangela Petrone — a professional gift wrapper and a recent Scotch wrapping contest winner — suggested several eye-catching ideas on the web.
Grab attention with a bright, festive wrap, but look beyond the traditional holiday colors. Experiment with blues and purples, or whatever the recipient's favorite colors are.
Recycle old clothing, tapestries and curtains. Wrapping a box containing concert tickets in an old T-shirt from a concert you both attended will serve as a memorable reminder.
Boxes inside boxes can be a gotcha gimmick for the stymied wrapper. Place a little box inside a larger box to keep the recipient off the trail. Or use a few pieces of corrugated cardboard, the inner lining, as the textural face of the box. Use double-sided adhesive tape or glue to help cement the look.
Kraft paper is another option. This plain brown paper can be jazzed with crayons and markers and held together with ribbon, raffia, twine or string.
You probably won't need tape or twine if you opt for aluminum foil, shiny side up. You'll likely find it in your home and you can pull out as much as you need, mold it to your gift and call it good.
Gifts inside containers are the way to reuse and recycle. Odd-shaped glass jars and tins are easy to wrap or may not need wrapping at all. Just tie a raffia bow around the top.
Pack dog biscuits in an empty peanut butter jar. Or bundle them in tissue paper, secure them with a rubber band and place in a new or like-new holiday-themed mug.
If you want to dress up a package or perhaps hide some of its assembly flaws, use a variety of coverups — small toys, candy, ornaments or something to take it a step further, like a necktie instead of ribbon or a necklace, broach or other piece of jewelry.
View odd-shaped items as opportunities, not obstacles: Don't just run for a humongous gift bag. Instead, give the gift a new shape. For example, with a little imagination, a pair of inline skates can be disguised to look like a Christmas tree by simply creating a triangle out of the gift-wrapping paper. Add paper ornaments and a star to the top.
Don't let size intimidate you: If you can't wrap the gift in its entirety, dress it up. Wrapping large or bulky items such as a charcoal grill or suitcases can be easier than you think. Does the recipient of the grill love to cook? Create a paper apron out of plaid gift-wrapping paper, complete with pockets filled with tissue paper. Giving newlyweds a new set of luggage? Dress one as a bride and one as a groom using black and white gift-wrapping paper, along with tulle and buttons as embellishments.
If that all sounds a little too complicated, tie on a bow and a note that reads something on the order of “Merry Christmas.” And drag out an old cliché: It's the thought that counts.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1059, rhonda.stansberry@owh.com
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