Gift wrapping

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Wrapping and general presentation of gifts seems to be a subject that people have a range of different views on. My partner, for example, can’t see the point at all and would be happy to just hand over a gift unwrapped, or at best in a paper bag if an element of surprise is required. At the other end of the scale I have friends who go to a lot of trouble to wrap gifts beautifully with bespoke hand-made labels and extra ribbon and bows. Some people spend as much on the fancy wrapping as on the gift inside. I’m somewhere in between; I appreciate a gorgeously-presented present but I haven’t got the patience to go to so much trouble myself. I do use pretty paper though, and sometimes manage to add some ribbons and bows, especially for the girls. I still remember when I was a child, seeing the presents under the Christmas tree with the firelight twinkling off the baubles, and the shiny bows adorning some of the gifts made the whole scene extra special! One thing we do all agree on though is that ripping off the wrapping paper and throwing it all away is a shocking waste. We open our gifts carefully (testing the patience of the in-laws!) and save the paper to be used again, and when the pieces get too small to wrap anything they get used to decorate cards, book covers and the like. Using things over and over is the simplest and most energy-efficient form of recycling. Do the girls mind having their gifts wrapped in re-used paper? You might think they would complain, and want brand-new stuff like their friends. But no, on the contrary - using the same pieces of paper year after year actually has an added bonus. They can request their favourite designs! I hadn’t even realised this until last year when Little One specifically asked if one of her gifts could be wrapped in a particular piece of paper. Of course we still have it this year so when we were looking through the wrapping paper collection the other day, she saw it and asked if she could have it again for her birthday this year. What a simple way to add extra pleasure to a special day! All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2022.