Christmas Gift Wrapping Essentials {For a Joyful Holiday}

This post is brought to you by my gift wrapping nemesis: the LABEL. 

Last year, I bought plenty of wrapping paper, tape, and ribbon. I thought we had labels, I really did. 

We didn’t.

Did we run out and buy labels like normal humans? 

Of course not. Who has time for another trip to Wal-Mart. 

Nope, we just wrote all of our Tos and Froms right on the wrapping paper in Sharpie. Yep, we are classy. 

But this year will be different. This year, I vow to forget something other than labels. 

Christmas gift wrap supply list

Some things are hard to buy online – like gift wrap. It’s one of the few things that I will go to the store to buy. But big box stores at Christmastime are…overwhelming, to say the least. 

I don’t know about you, but my eyes glaze over and I immediately forget my shopping list whenever I enter WalMart, Target, or a grocery store. (Don’t even think about Costco, mmmkay?)

SO make a list (and check it twice, heh) and then do a quick shopping trip (preferable on your lunch hour, because no kids). You’ll have all of your wrapping supplies and be ready to go.

Wrapping Paper

Of course, you need wrapping paper. Spring for the high quality stuff (it’s easier to work with and tears less). Aim for 60 to 100 feet of wrapping paper. (The length of the paper should appear on the wrapping paper roll’s label). It’s important to look at the length instead of the number of rolls since rolls can have different lengths. 

If you really want to geek out on a math problem, keep reading. If you just want to make your shopping list, skip this paragraph. I arrived at my estimate by using a calculation of the number of feet needed to wrap 375 boxes of dimension 16”x14”x6”. I estimate that these are approximately average size (possibly a bit smaller than the average Christmas present). The mathematician estimated 1100 square feet of paper to wrap 375 boxes. I assumed similar dimensions, on average, for your Christmas presents. I also assumed that you would wrap between 20 and 40 boxes for Christmas. By dividing 1100 by 375, then multiplying by 20 and 40, I arrived at a very very imprecise estimate. Start there and if you have to go back for more wrapping paper, I will send you a Starbucks gift card (really). 

Tape

Do yourself a favor and buy plain old green Scotch tape. Generic tape tears and is weird. The purple “gift wrapping” tape is more expensive and no better as far as I can tell. A package of 4 standard-sized rolls of Scotch tape will work well. Add a few extra rolls if your kids are going to help you with the wrapping.

Labels

Don’t forget the labels! I like the sticker kind that you can stick on the package. Easy peasy. Usually they come in packages of 100+, which should be plenty.

Scissors

Make sure you have at least two good pairs of scissors. Wrapping is way more fun with a buddy! 

Ribbon

Not required, but definitely fun. We like the curling ribbon at our house. Stick on bows are fun, but sometimes fall off and make it hard to stack presents. Go with whatever you prefer! You probably need 2-3 rolls of curling ribbon. Buy different colors so people can get creative! 

Bags

Some items are really difficult to wrap, so it’s nice to have a few bags on hand. Think about the gifts you have to wrap beforehand so you can buy a bag that’s the right size. 

Tissue Paper

If you’re using bags to wrap presents, buy a package of tissue paper per 10 bags. Buy more if you’re wrapping gifts in tissue paper – you’ll need at least two layers of paper. 

Pens

You probably have pens, but buy some if you don’t. You’ll need pens to label the gifts. Don’t want people to be confused about which gift if for whom. (Last year I actually had to open a gift I’d already wrapped because I wasn’t sure what it was or who it was for. Oops.)

Making Christmas gift wrapping fun!

No chores are allowed during the Christmas season! (OK, not true…I still haven’t gotten my Christmas wish for a magical self-unloading dishwasher.) But wrapping gifts can be super fun and festive! Here are a few ideas to put yourself in the mood for a serious gift-wrapping session. 

Decide when to wrap and where

You’ll be stressed if you’re constantly worried about someone walking in while you’re wrapping. Designate a “wrapping area” that’s off limits if the door is closed, if you trust your family. If you don’t trust them, send the kids off to an activity and wrap everything while they’re gone. 

Decide when you’ll put presents under the tree

Does your family like to put wrapped presents under the tree before Christmas? Or do you like everything to magically appear on Christmas morning? If your kids get presents from Santa, where will you keep those until Christmas? Decide where you’re going to store wrapped presents so you know exactly where to put them. 

Get some music on

Now it’s to get into that Christmas spirit. Play your favorite Christmas tunes on Spotify and get ready to sing along while you wrap.

Start a fire – or put a fire on your TV

If the weather is cold outside, start the fire so you’re extra cozy. If you live in Florida, a fireplace video on your computer creates the mood without making you melt. 

Make yourself a festive drink!

Get in the holiday mood with a festive drink. Eggnog is fun around the holidays (with whisky at my house). Make some hot chocolate with marshmallows and irish cream (yum). If you want something non-alcoholic, just leave the liquor out of eggnog or hot chocolate. 

Invite a friend over

I heard this tip somewhere and I think it’s brilliant. Invite a friend to come over and wrap with you. You can your friend can spend some quality time together while also wrapping. Make it fun with some appetizers too!

Watch your favorite holiday movie

You can usually multi-task while wrapping gifts, so entertain yourself by putting on your favorite Christmas movie. Whether that’s Home Alone or It’s a Wonderful Life, a holiday movie is guaranteed to get you into the spirit. 

Gift wrapping hacks

Over the years, I’ve learned  a few tricks to make gift wrapping easier. Although it can be fun, you don’t want to be overhwelmed. That’s why I’m willing to take shortcuts whenever I can! 

Pay for gift wrapping and ship directly when possible

If you’re shipping gifts and the site you’re buying from has a gift wrapping option, use it. Sure, you could ship the gift to yourself, wrap it, and then mail it to the recipient. Honestly, by the time you ship the present twice, you’ve probably spent more than the gift wrapping. So do yourself a favor and buy the gift wrap whenever you can. 

Keep bags from last year and re-use

I re-use gift bags all the time. As long as a bag is in good shape, you can store it for next year. Amazon gift bags are usually festive but generic, and you can easily re-use a non-holiday Amazon gift bag for Christmas. 

Leave Santa presents unwrapped

This is my absolute favorite Christmas hack. It comes from my husband’s family and I love them for it. In my house, Santa used special wrapping paper and that was awesome. It really added to the magic. When my husband was growing up, his family’s tradition was that Santa presents were not wrapped. 

I think this idea is pretty genius. No need to buy a whole separate set of wrapping paper (and hide it). Fewer presents to wrap. The whole thing is great!

Buy festive-but-generic paper (glittery!) that you can use for other occasions

Nothing says you have to buy wrapping paper festooned with snowmen and reindeer. If you want to shop for gift wrap once a year, buy festive but generic gift wrap. I like the plain glitter gift wrap in gold or silver. It looks festive when you put on a Christmas label and red or green ribbon, but it can also be used for birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I’ll do just about anything to avoid going to the store.

Preparing to Wrap Christmas Gifts

Before you sit down to wrap the first gift of the season, prepare yourself! Make a list, go to the store, and buy your supplies. When you’re ready to wrap, it will be easy to gather all of your gift wrapping essentials and get to it. Don’t forget to make it fun with special music, drink, and company. Wrapping Christmas gifts shouldn’t be just another chore. With a little planning, it can be a fun and memorable part of the season.