With Christmas coming up in a matter of days, I've made a promise to myself to not leave gift wrapping until the literal last minute.
It turns out I'm not the only one. Research conducted by Amazon Fresh has shown that a quarter - some 24 percent - of Brits avoid wrapping until the last minute.
Now I can't speak for everyone, but the irritation of fiddling with a piece of paper just for it to look lumpy and unpresentable really isn't something that I look forward to.
Now keep in mind that I'm about as clumsy as clumsy can be, so my wrapped gifts sometimes look monstrous - Lovecraftian even.
So this year I'm getting it done and I'm getting it done quickly. I have about 20 gifts to wrap and I want it over within an hour.
To give this lofty goal my best shot this Christmas, I've taken to TikTok where I picked up and tried out some of the top wrapping hacks.
Testing out gift wrapping hacks
1. The fold and roll
Time taken: One minute nine seconds
Verdict: Not for me
This TikTok makes this hack look so straightforward, but it simply was not happening for me.
While just over a minute is a reasonable time, this technique is tricky to get right and, to make things more complicated, I found that you either get it right or you have to start over.
So, I think I'll leave this one to the more experienced gift wrappers and try something more suited to my (complete total and utter lack of) coordination.
2. The handbag
Time taken: Two minutes 22 seconds
Verdict: Slow, but hear me out
This one went awry. I spent 40 seconds struggling to find the end of the sellotape, but even if you take that off, this technique still took the longest, clocking in at 1.42.
However, I actually really liked this technique. I suppose that I struggle most with the folding of the end, so being able to just roll it up was a nice change of pace.
It was a change for the slower, that's for sure, but there's less fidgeting and I think I could do this quite reliably and without having to waste paper and start again.
I also like the handbag finish - hopefully it'll make my presents stick out a little bit.
3. Inside out
Time taken: 47 seconds
Verdict: Really fast, possibly damaging
This is the first fast tip that took me under a minute and I was surprised by how easy it was.
I do have one gripe though, for this technique you have to put a bit of tape on the gift itself, which could end up damaging the item and possibly voiding return policies.
I'm hoping that my gift selection was good enough to avoid any returns, although I'm not confident enough in my abilities to use this method on any expensive gifts.
Final thoughts
This year I'll be opting mostly for the handbag technique. Yes, it takes a little longer, but the final product looks nice and there's less chance that I'll mess up and have to start again.
Technically the first method could be quicker than the second, but that would require me to get it right every time and my dyspraxic hands are not up to that challenge.
As for the third hack, it's clearly quick, but imagine someone getting a double-up present and not being able to return it due to a big sellotape rip adorning the box.
Do you have any methods you swear by? Let us know in the comments section below and we might give them a try.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
