Julie's Awesome Gift Wrapping Advice

I love Christmas and wrapping presents.  For some, however the task of wrapping is daunting...and with only about 10 days left 'til Christmas read on for some excellent advice:

1.  It's not the gift that creates the moment of excitement...it's the fun, anticipation and excitement of unwrapping that creates the lasting impression...so yes...wrapping is important...it's the effort that counts.

2.  Now that you've decided to wrap...read on...because it can be easy as pie or frustrating as hell.  If you're a newbie to the wrapping world and have decided to go cheap...you'll soon find out that what started out with good intentions has ended with a bunch of ripped corners, jagged edges and irritation at what is supposed to be fun and easy.

3.  The key to success is easy.  First, make sure you have a clear workspace...dining room table is great (clear crumbs first).  Second, make sure you have at least 2 pairs of scissors handy so that when you lose the first pair you don't get hung up and waste time...keep on wrapping.  Three, use good quality paper...it makes all the difference and Costco has the best wrapping paper...worth the drive to Barrie (if the paper was available locally, I would buy it locally.).  Four...cut only the amount of paper you need to wrap each gift...plan it out...flip each box along the paper on all 4 sides and add in a couple of inches for folding in nice edges and then make your cut.  If you have too much paper things start to get bunched up and yucky.  Time spent now will be rewarded by a great looking finished product.

4.  If you can't get to Costco or don't have budget for wrapping paper, use newspaper and stick on a few twigs of pine or maybe a pinecone...you'll be amazed at how the rustic look of newspaper tied with twine or string with a sprig or two of evergreen and a hand written gift tag will just look spectacular.

5.  Wrap a few presents each day leading up 'til Christmas so that the task is not so daunting and overwhelming...creating undue pressure.

6.  Remember that the UPS Store offers gift wrapping service.  The UPS Store is located at 115 First Street in Collingwood (Maplelane Plaza).  First come, first served.

Happy Wrapping.

JC