At some point in my early twenties, my sisters and I decided that it didn't make sense for grown siblings to exchange holiday gifts due to a variety of reasons (separated by 6k miles, no real needs/wants, etc.).  When my sisters starting having kids, though, gift giving was re-establised.  Buying kid gifts was easy, grown women not so much.  But whatever, I find something good every year and that's that.  Well, almost.  Unfortunately, each gift needs to be wrapped...

I've wrapped tons of gifts in my life, and somehow I seem to get progressively worse.  Meanwhile, my sisters have somehow developed the same artistic eye of Van Gogh and the craftiness of Martha Stewart that my mother posseses.  Behold the work of one sister:



Notice the matching bow-paper combo, the use of two separate ribbon styles that add variety, the mixing of textures and patterns.  Hell, even the to/from sticker is thoughtfully placed.

Now to my handiwork.  The one on the right is my first attempt.  The one on the left is my 12th-or-whatever attempt.  At this point I had given up trying to tie a bow or even hide the edges of the paper.   I replaced the chain, installed clip-ons, and bled the brakes on my duc three weeks ago.  How can I not wrap a hardcover book?!?!



I'm going to get a drink.  Hope your efforts are better.  Happy holidays to all you out there!

my wife wraps just about everything as anything I wrap might be better off wrapped in a garbage bag

some of the best wrapping jobs I ever recall seeing were back in the 1960's and 1970's

Those Mexicans could wrap kilo bricks of pressed Oaxaca buds better than a squad of ladies at Macy's during Christmas

always in cheerful grade-schoolish construction paper of reds and greens

 

My wrapping skills are best described as "childlike".

http://youtu.be/V9ktV85lA9E

http://youtu.be/fOX82zcROL8

Thicker paper makes it much easier.  I can tell the difference between your sister's wrapping paper and yours just from the picture.  It's hard to get a good wrapping job with the thin cheap stuff that is most commonly available.  With thick paper and good ribbon I could even do a decent wrap job without tape (although tape helps a lot).

Also hardcover books are really not that easy because the sides are not flush.  You could use an inside layer of tissue paper that would help even it out.

Or just stick it in a gift bag and call it good!

Quote from: somegirl on December 24, 2012, 03:33:46 PM
Or just stick it in a gift bag and call it good!

I kinda like that option going forward.

Quote from: kopfjäger on December 24, 2012, 02:59:08 PM
http://youtu.be/V9ktV85lA9E

And that has got to be the calmest cat in the universe.  How much eggnog did they need to feed him to get him to be okay with that?

Quote from: 1.21GW on December 24, 2012, 04:24:29 PM
And that has got to be the calmest cat in the universe.  How much eggnog did they need to feed him to get him to be okay with that?

taking a break from wrapping now

gifts - good
wrapping - suck

merry christmas everybody 

Stop.......collaborate and listen.......

Dats how i wrap.

Word to your mother.

Wrapping is a big part of Christmas for me - here's this years
i always do the brown craft - with fancy ribbon