Wrap in Style
Some moms seem to always have their holiday gift-wrapping finished and looking perfect before you can even say “December.” For the rest of us, though, getting things under the tree feels like a hectic stream of never-ending items, not a laid-back holiday activity to relish. Want an easier time readying those gifts this year? Preparation is key and a wrapping station can help the whole present process run much more smoothly.
Set It Up
“Set up your wrapping station in a room or empty space,” says mom and organization guru Jennifer Ford Berry, author of Organize Now! Your Money Business & Career: A Week-by-Week Guide to Reach Your Goals. “Shut the door and lock it to keep it off-limits, and try to leave everything out until all your gift wrapping is done.” Packing and unpacking takes time! If possible, organized chaos for a few days is the way to go.
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Move It
If you’re on the move, keep everything in one convenient place. “If you can’t leave everything out in one space, put supplies inside a plastic container with handles so you can move from space to space,” Berry says. “Put a bunch of small gift bags in a larger gift bag. Something on wheels will move it all around easily.”
Think Small
It doesn’t have to be elaborate. You can mold your wrapping station into small, hideaway spaces. “Use pocket organizers that hang over the door, and hide everything behind it—tape, scissors, and so on,” Berry says. “You can also stick spools of ribbon on towel rods so it’s easy to decorate packages.”
Use What You Have
Get creative. What isn’t being occupied that might make a great organizational tool for the season? “Try making a station out of an old entertainment center that you’re not using anymore, or an armoire,” says Berry. “Check Pinterest for cool ideas. It doesn’t have to be new, or even big, but just a place to organize everything.”
MORE: Tips for Keeping Yourself Sane When Having People for the Holidays
Temp Jobs
If all else fails, anyone can make a bare-bones wrapping station with one simple item: “A temporary idea is to just use a card table,” says Berry. “You can set it up for one time of year, and then take it down. Make it simple. The key is to have everything at your fingertips.”
Prep first
Time is precious, especially during the holiday season. Don’t waste it! “Get everything you need together beforehand: scissors, tape, bows, ribbon, wrapping paper, tags and boxes,” says Berry. “Then, you’re just ready to go.”
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Dive In
Pull out the wrapping, grab the bows and get the tape. Once you’re set up, it’s go-time. “To keep everything organized, use the one wrapping paper for each child. That way, you know whose gifts are whose,” says Berry. “Or, I like to separate based on day. Spend one day wrapping each of your kids' gifts, another for family gifts like nieces and nephews, another for friends. Do all of one category at the same time.”
Stock Up
Once you’re done with your wrapping, think ahead to next Christmas. You want every year to be this simple, right? “The worst is starting on a whim, and then having to stop to run to Target because you don’t have tape or something,” Berry says. “Stock up for next year at the after-holiday sales when prices are low. That way, if you have an hour any given year, you can just go for it.”
