There’s a special skill in gift wrapping, some people have it and some people don’t.
One person who does have it is TK Maxx Wrap Expert, Vivienne Anthon, and she is vehement that wrapping gifts isn’t as hard as you’d think.
“Use good paper cut to the right size,” Vivienne advises.
“But my biggest tip would be always wrap and tape the gift paper to a flat surface or plane. It is the voids, the cut-out elements of packaging, the nooks and crannies of a gift that make it challenging to wrap.”
“Cardboard is your best friend here and you don’t need a lot of strategically placed cardboard to place over or around an awkward part of the gift to smooth it out and make a big difference. Wrap on a flat plane and pull the paper as tight as you can.”
Vivienne has shared her best tips for disguising Christmas presents in the comments below – because what’s better than a surprise?
READ NEXT: When is the best time to take down the Christmas tree?
7 ways to disguise your gifts
Existing Shape: Keep the original shape of the gift and wrap
New Shape: Create a completely new shape to the original
Sound: Add in items like a bell, rice grains, pasta, small pebbles (for weight too!)
Feel: Make a solid item soft or soft item solid
Proportion: Make little things big and big things small
Hidden inside: Gifts hidden in gifts
Scent: Botanicals, vanilla melts, cinnamon, cologne, grass scent
Hiding presents for her
Hide a bikini inside a water bottle and wrap it to look like a jumbo Christmas cracker.
Slip a sleep mask inside a journal and pull the elastic strap around the front cover.
Fold a beach bag into a rectangle and slide it inside a large stamped envelope.
Hiding presents for him
Pop small Christmas bells into a men’s manicure set so it sings to a different tunes.
Wrap BBQ tongs in some boxers and slide them both inside a mailing tube.
Stash a mini speaker between two large Christmas stars.
Hiding presents for the Kids
Hide a toddler toy inside a pillowcase stuffed with bubble wrap.
Wrap a nail polish set in solid colored paper with dots on top to look like Lego.
Gifts for the home
Put a jar of truffle salt in an upside down takeaway bowl to look like the ultimate tastebud-tickling treat.
Cover a terrarium with a cardboard cone and you’ve got a tree.. for under the tree!
