The truth is out in the open; men do not have the "wrapping" gene. I have tried for over two hours to wrap, I can't tell you because my sisters lurk here; I just got back from u-haul where I bought moving boxes, at least I can make a box look presentable. Why is this forum so slow today? I am not being entertained in my usual fashion!!

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), December 20, 2001

Answers

Actually my wrapping is not all that great. I do try hard but I can never get it to look professional. So it is not just men. I think the reason everything is so slow is that it's Christmas and everyone is out and about or on vacation.

-- melinda (speciallady104@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

Melinda, didn't you use to wrap at the mall as a job? I'm good at it especially making bow if I'm in the mood to.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

My wrapping look like a preschool project. In our family a present is likely to be given in a bag with a squished bow on it.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

Laura, you sound like my mother. She uses gift bags, and often grabs them back right quick when you aren't looking (or even when you are) to reuse again next year!

I used to spend hours wrapping my presents, all in matching paper with matching bows, not store-bought ones, but the ones you make yourself with ribbon or tulle. That was BEFORE I had CHILDREN! Now, they are lucky to get wrapped at all!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@aol.com), December 20, 2001.

Mitch, you aren't telling me anything I didn't already know. 37 years ago this month, one of the first dates DH and I went on was a Christmas shopping trip for our families. When we got back to my house, he begged and pleaded until I wrapped all the gifts he bought for his family. I've been doing it ever since. And along with the "wrapping gene", they also lack a Christmas card signing, addressing and stamping gene!!

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

My DH has his mother wrap any present he gets for me! I don't think even the thought of doing it himself has ever occurred to him! :-)

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), December 20, 2001.

Christine, Gift bags? I was talking about WalMart and Thriftway bags! My kids do artwork on paper bags to use as gift bags.

Now MY mother, she unwraps, and insists that others do the same, one piece of tape at a time with no paper ripping. You may not move on to another gift until your gift wrap is smoothed and folded neatly. We receive gifts in antique recycled paper that has been pressed and appears to have been wrapped by the #1 magic elf. Our family has gift boxes older than I am.

The gifts we give to my mother are wrapped as best we can but with so much tape she is forced to actually rip the paper to open it.

This year, I may just stick the unwrapped boxes under the tree with post-it notes on them, if I put up a tree. BAH HUMBUG!

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

My sisters, neither of whom have children, give the most gorgously wrapped gifts, beautifully co-ordinated with little whimsical gift tags. I use the re-used gift bag with a mashed bow method. My father doesn't even bother, he used to just put gifts in any plastic bag (wal-mart bag, Hefty bag, whatever) he could find and tie the handles together. My husband uses a roll of tape on each of his.

-- Kelly (Ksaderholm@yahoo.com), December 20, 2001.

I am pretty partial to the smash the ends in and tape it down quick before it unrolls, methid of wrapping!!! If only they made red duct tape, how festive my gifts could look...

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 20, 2001.

I love artsy type things, i admit to being ok at them, but wrapping things (however decorative people can get) is not my thing. I usually just buy or find that tissue paper stuff, shove things inside. Make a big smiley face, and pretend i did the world a favour. its the thought that counts!

-- jillian (daffodil_skunk83@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

My hands are not connected to my brain..I do NOT know how I ever managed to suture up folks all those years because I cannot wrap a decent package...my husband wraps things as if his very life depended upon the straightness of the invisible lines..you'd think a wrapping- machine did the job...I sympathize with you Mitch, but do not agree that man cannot warp things...LOL

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), December 20, 2001.

Lesley, was that a Freudian slip? Warp things or wrap things? Had to grin at that!

I use the brown paper bag and staple method throughout the year. At Christmas I try to do better. My efforts are noble, but the finished product is crumply at best.

-- Jo (mamamia2kids@msn.com), December 20, 2001.

Yes, duct tape comes in many colors now, including red, yellow, green, blue, white, and even grey!!

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), December 20, 2001.

LOL LOL LOL....I had no idea I typed in "warp" VS wrap...good pick up Jo.......

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), December 20, 2001.

Folks,

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, its off to wrap I go!

Merry Christmas

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

Wrap (rap) really isn't my thing, i prefer classical or broadway type stuff. Sorry ya'll.

-- jillian (daffodil_skunk83@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

A few Christmases ago I had my right hand and forearm casted as the result of a torn ligament in my thumb. Needless to say, wrapping Christmas gifts was not an option. A lady friend of mine gave me an excellent suggestion I used that year (and have been tempted to use most years since). She suggested using small garbage bags with cinch ties around the top. The bags were white and the twist ties were red so when I cinched the top closed I only needed to make a bow of the red ties much like tying one's shoelaces and I was done. It worked out wonderfully. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), December 20, 2001.

That is my Dad's favorite wrapping method, Gary!! He used big black trash bags with a bow. He always went shopping on Christmas Eve and picked us each out a gift, just from him. Even though my Mom bought us lots of stuff from both of them. He would stick it in a big trash bag, with a red bow!! We always opened his gifts last. We opened ours on Christmas EVE!!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 21, 2001.

I was just talking to a friend of mine who grew up in a large family. Their family tradition is NOT to wrap at all! Think of her mom raising all those kids and not much time, certainly not much privacy.

They would find their presents on a chair next to the christmas tree. She said it was kind of fun because you weren't sure which chair was yours until you opened the special book you got that year and it said, Merry Christmas "Child's name" love Mom and Dad.

Hmmmmmm. I think I like that method. Sure would relieve alot of my time and effort.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), December 21, 2001.

Mellisa! Your lament of no red duct tape gave me an idea. With white trash bags and red Tyvec tape from the lumber yard I could at least make my lousy gift wrapping "Distintive and Personalized" this year! You guys are all great!

-- John in S. IN (jdoofus@hotmail.com), December 21, 2001.

My dad's method was to wrap the paper around the gift so as to have all lines were straight. The cut edge was folded under before taping so as to give a "nice finished edge". The ends were perfect triangle folds with neither too little nor too much paper. The cut ends were, again, folded under before taping.

My mom could care less about folding edges under. Just get the thing wrapped, already!

My brother would appear at the time for opening presents long enough to open one. He then would sneak away with the paper that came off his package and wrap his gifts with it. He was frugal in a geek-y extreme way. My cousin said he was "cheap".

My sister took delight in lining up the paper just right so that the designs on the paper matched exactly where the edge was folded under. She made gift tags from the same paper, also lining them up to match the designs.

I adopted my dad's method of folding under the edge, but was not so neat. A lot of times, I pieced together small scraps, taping them on here and there until the package was covered.

We all meet again this Tuesday; first Christmas together in over a decade. It will be interesting to see how everybody wraps now.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), December 22, 2001.

What's wrong with just leavin the presents in the store bags? Cheep and handy. If ya'll really wanna impress'm --save bags from expensive stores to put your cheep stuff in or have other folks to save their bags for ya'll. Really makes an impression on folks. old hoot. Matt.24;44

-- old hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), December 22, 2001.