All wrapped up

One of the tasks that most people don't seem to look forward to at Christmas is wrapping the presents. I get it. The idea of buying pretty paper, bows and ribbon is quite an exciting one if you're a stationary lover like me but when faced with that huge pile of presents, not to mention those awkwardly shaped toys and tins, it can seem like a complicated, never ending task. And then there's the Sellotape - no matter how hard you try, you ALWAYS lose the end!

I enjoy wrapping presents but only really for the first hour or two. I really like to make presents look pretty but it can be so time consuming and with a baby in tow this year, it'll be harder than ever to get the time to get everything wrapped up.

So, having looked on Pinterest and given some thought to the best ways of tackling our vast store of presents, if thought I'd share some of my top tips for making your gifts look gorgeous and getting through everything in time for the big day:

• Organise all your presents into piles for each person - this way, you can clearly see everything you have bought and if there's anything else you'd like to get. Knowing how much you have to do will help you work out how much time you need.

• Plan your wrapping in shifts - this will help keep your interest in the task at hand whilst allowing you to fit it in to your already packed daily routine.

• Choose a theme - I like to pick a theme for my wrapping paper and accessories, so it's clear which presents are from me. It's also a good way to economise, so you don't buy too much or you have lots of things left over because they didn't match anything else. I'm a big fan of brown paper combined with twine or ribbon - you can add your own stamp to it by using ink stamps with festive messages or patterns. Luggage tags are great for as gift tags, just stamp out a festive shape, such as a snowflake, or stamp a Christmas message. Last year, I made personalised tags for each person using my mini alphabet stamps. It was time consuming but the end result was worth it.

• Create your own embellishments - I love the idea of adding crafty or natural touches to gifts and have seen lots of ideas involving pine cones and sprigs of holly. Put any scraps of pretty paper or other craft materials to good use. Last year, I bought some Scandinavian style wooden tree decorations and tied these to the gift bags of gingerbread I had made. They looked super cute and they could be used again by the recipient.

• Opt for a hand worn Sellotape dispenser - ok, they cost a bit more than just a standard role of sticky tape, but my god do they make things a lot easier!

• Google 'how to' wrapping videos - Kirstie Allsopp shared some fab ideas for wrapping awkward shaped items, such as round biscuit tins, and YouTube has many helpful hints if you're struggling to wrap something. If all else fails, I find the Christmas present cracker works well for anything round!

What are your top tips for perfectly packaged presents?

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