It’s one of the big debates of Christmas preparation in houses up and down the land - do Christmas stocking presents need to be wrapped?
Posters on parenting forum Mumsnet have weighed in on the argument and opinions are firmly divided, although one simple suggestion has seen some readers declaring they will make a change this year.
While some posters say life is too short to individually wrap small gifts, others have been pointing out that you want to encourage the recipient to get a few minutes’ anticipation out of it rather than emptying everything out in one go - especially as some posters have admitted to spending up to £150 on the contents of a stocking .
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Several came up with a simple solution to save time on the task while preserving the mystery of the stocking’s contents. Poster OhThatChicken said: "I wrap everything as otherwise it's all dumped out on the bed in three seconds.
"I started out 'rough wrapping' in tissue paper, one colour per person, paper mostly scrunched round and a tiny bit of Sellotape. Then last year someone on here recommended paper bags. Got coloured ones off Ebay in two sizes. Things went in one or the other with a little tape to seal. Game-changing time saver.
"Four stockings done in half an hour, bags all recyclable and family happiness restored as [while my husband] pulls his weight at Christmas his family didn't wrap stocking gifts, he hates wrapping and us sitting for hours sorting them was the saddest and grumpiest he got at Christmas prep."
Poster 99problems said the tip was 'a total life saver,’ adding: “It’s so easy.” Retailers such as Amazon , Ebay and Wilko sell the bags from as little as £3.95 for 100 with several sites saying bags ordered now will arrive in time for Christmas.
You can even get festive themed ones that come with stickers to seal them, removing the need for sticky tape. The stocking wrapping debate, in Mumsnet’s popular Christmas forum , has been raging for several weeks with a relatively even split between those happy to individually package up the gifts and those who think it’s a waste of time.
RedToothBrush weighed in on the side of wrapping, explaining: "One of the points of the stocking is to buy you as much time on Christmas Day as possible. Slow them down!"
A second poster agreed, adding: "Kids love unwrapping don't they and it buys me an extra few minutes in bed to wake up while they open it all."
SicParvisMagna said stocking presents always had to be wrapped, adding: "Squeezing the stocking and hearing and feeling that rustle of paper is one of the most magical Christmas memories I have. It just brings it all back for me. Also it means I get an extra 10 minutes to wake up."
Not everyone agrees though, with MadeInChorley responding: "The stocking is the wrapping. I'd never heard of this until Mumsnet. Life is too short to wrap a bouncy ball and a pack of pencils."
Where do you stand on the great stocking debate? And do you have any Christmas hacks of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
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