We received some great tips from lifestyle expert Shoana Jensen on creating the perfect holiday wrapping station.  I’m still dreaming of a dedicated wrapping room instead of banishing my kids from entering the downstairs bathroom for the entire month of December.  Baby steps.

The basics:

1)    Select a theme for the gift and pick your favourite wrapping paper.

2)    Have a good selection of accessories nearby, including ribbons, bows, gift tags and a pair of quality scissors.

3)    Tape is key! Scotch GiftWrap Tape features a satin finish that disappears on most shiny gift wrap papers. Using matte paper? Use Scotch Magic Tape which has a matte-finish. For a completely seamless look, Scotch Brand Double-Sided Tape. This will ensure your pretty parcel is as polished looking as possible!

Wrapping paper alternatives:

4)    We’ve all used regular wrapping paper. Look for newspapers, road maps or comics as wrapping paper to cater the gift to the recipient’s personality, hobbies or interests.

5)    For those sometimes awkward gifts, find ways to preserve the element of surprise. For example, put perfume or socks in an empty paper towel roll or use an empty coffee can or cereal box for small to medium sized gifts.

Ribbons and gift tags:

6)    Embellish a package with small, useful items that relate to the gift. For example, attach a whisk to a set of mixing bowls.

7)   Instead of a gift tag, find an old baby picture and tape it to the top of the gift. The image will identify who the gift is for and gives you time to reminisce on the good ole’ days!