You’ve done it! You’ve hit December, survived the constant carols and your two-week break from work is just about to begin. Thank goodness. Except, ah – there’s a pile of presents hidden in your wardrobe that you’ve still not got around to wrapping, and of course, they’re all awkward and unwieldy. Well, stress no more! We’ve got all the tips and tricks to make that present wrapping a total breeze; you can even do them with a glass of wine in the other hand. Check out our 6 top wrapping hacks and make Christmas a little bit less stressful.

#1: Tape tricks

Simple, yet effective. Take your presents from blah to BAM, with double sided tape keeping everything tucked away and hidden. You’ll be able to seal those pesky corners without unsightly Sellotape sticking out on your otherwise beautifully decorated paper, meaning everything looks sleek and chic. Plus, there’s no more trying to juggle holding paper in place while breaking Sellotape off with your teeth, only to end up with some stuck in your hair, your jumper and all over your floor – and yet somehow, not on the gift.

#2: Pillow box phenomena

Stick with me on this one. Looking for a use for your old toilet roll tubes? Take one of your smaller gifts (a jewellery box, perhaps?) and pop the box inside of the tube. Then, fold the ends of the tube together, creating a cute little parcel that cleverly disguises your gift while still looking somewhat presentable. Admittedly, you might need to add some cute ribbons and a gift tag first, or your pals might wonder why they’re being given your old recycling! I love this one too, because it’s super environmentally friendly.

#3: No gift bag? No problem

Everyone knows that gift bags can be expensive, and if you’ve already reused all the ones you got last year, you might be running short. Well, that’s no problem with our handy wrapping paper hack. Get yourself some good quality wrapping paper and you can craft a gift bag from it – either go for the DIY approach with some clever folding to create the bottom of the bag, or if you’re not too keen on getting creative, just wrap any box, and leave one end open. Slide the box back out, fold down the open edges so they’re straight and neat, and voila! You’ve got a handy gift bag for those presents just too awkward to conceal. Remember to pop some handles on there, too.

#4: Ribbons, gift tags and bows, oh my!

Even the worst wrapping can be made beautiful if you use the right embellishments. That’s where ribbons, tags, decoration and present bows come in handy. Try using old photographs of your recipient to make a fun, personalised gift tag, or grab a glittery marker pen to write some fancy script on the paper. If you’re looking to hide unsightly corners or crinkled paper, smooth out some ribbons with your hair straightener (on a very low heat, and keep it safe!) and tie them around the gift for a fancy flourish. And who doesn’t love a bow? Shop bought or homemade, they make gifts look way more impressive.

#5: Pleats aren’t just for skirts

Personally, I’ve got a fear of buying anyone anything spherical, because it’s so hard to wrap a curved shape. That’s until I discovered the pleating trick! When wrapping the cylindrical ends of your chosen gift (think packaged bottles or gorgeous candles), pleat the paper neatly to avoid getting creased edges and empty paper air lumps. All you need to do is pull the paper into the centre in small sections, creating a cute pleating effect. Just be careful with any of the cheaper wrapping papers, because they’re thinner and therefore rip much more easily.

#6: Diagonals are dreamy

If you’re a bit of a wrapping novice, or you’re looking to up your game, the best shape to practice on is anything square or rectangular. From DVDs to games consoles, chances are you’ve got a lot of items to practice on, too. Well, the hot gossip is that if you make sure you wrap these gifts diagonally, they’ll look even better. Instead of bringing the long edges of the paper together to meet in the middle, pull the corners up to the centre of the box and secure them, then fold the short edges in and let those meet there too. Then, hide the seal with a chunky bow or cute accessory. Simple!

Now, there’s no excuse to put off that wrapping any longer. Amaze your friends, wow your family and feel smug this year, knowing your gifts are the greatest under the tree.