Christmas is coming

[Steve1960]

Anyone seen Christmas wrapping paper in the shops yet? Due to the imminent arrival of our second daughter we already did the Christmas shopping for the 4 year old and I was hoping to get the gifts all wrapped early but can't find anyone selling paper yet.

[nakatago]

I personally am partial to solid colors or non-glossy paper when wrapping gifts. If I can't find the latter (because for some reason, most wrapping paper is glossy), I just buy colored paper from arts and crafts stores. Wrapping paper comes out cheaper and my wrapped gifts have more character.

Sometimes, I'd use brown paper bags (or a similar material) and put a paper bow out of colored paper.

Moreover, if the little one likes unwrapping gifts, you could wrap the gift first in several layers of newspaper and then the wrapping paper, just to see how long she takes to unwrap the gift, to build the suspense.

Just an idea.

[x9200]

Spotlight is always first one to try and if I am not mistaken I saw recently such paper in Mothercare. Other than this, I would check Cold Storage.

[Steve1960]

I personally am partial to solid colors or non-glossy paper when wrapping gifts. If I can't find the latter (because for some reason, most wrapping paper is glossy), I just buy colored paper from arts and crafts stores. Wrapping paper comes out cheaper and my wrapped gifts have more character.

Sometimes, I'd use brown paper bags (or a similar material) and put a paper bow out of colored paper.

Moreover, if the little one likes unwrapping gifts, you could wrap the gift first in several layers of newspaper and then the wrapping paper, just to see how long she takes to unwrap the gift, to build the suspense.

Just an idea.

Thank you I like the idea of plain glossy paper that would work. Will be off to get some at lunch time.

Not so sure I like the idea of a 4 year old with black newspaper print all over her hands for Christmas Day

[Steve1960]

Spotlight is always first one to try and if I am not mistaken I saw recently such paper in Mothercare. Other than this, I would check Cold Storage.

Another good idea thank you I forgot about Cold Storage. Their 'foreigner focus' might mean they have stock early.

[nakatago]

Not so sure I like the idea of a 4 year old with black newspaper print all over her hands for Christmas Day

Junk mail works as well

[Steve1960]

Not so sure I like the idea of a 4 year old with black newspaper print all over her hands for Christmas Day

Junk mail works as well

haha like it when my wife receives her Xmas gifts I will be sure to tell her it was your idea to wrap them in junk mail

[nakatago]

Not so sure I like the idea of a 4 year old with black newspaper print all over her hands for Christmas Day

Junk mail works as well

haha like it when my wife receives her Xmas gifts I will be sure to tell her it was your idea to wrap them in junk mail

Of course, the last layer would be wrapping paper.

[the lynx]

Art Friend in Bras Basah Complex and Clementi may have them this early. The Takashimaya outlet has moved.

[Primrose Hill]

Art Friend in Bras Basah Complex and Clementi may have them this early. The Takashimaya outlet has moved.

I miss Art Friend Takashimaya, do you know where they have moved to?

I saw Christmas stuff at I wanna go home and Lim's

[The Ref]

There are many local focussed stores that have wrapping paper very cheap. The range is "interesting" and there are only a few of the designs I would go near, but looking at around 80c a sheet.

There are 2 outside the food court at Clementi but I have seen them in many other places. I cant think of the name.

[JR8]

Not so sure I like the idea of a 4 year old with black newspaper print all over her hands for Christmas Day

Use a UK newspaper, no ink residue on the fingers.

In fact your post made me realise that it's years since I got inky fingers from reading a newspaper!

p.s. Over-wrapping stuff can be fun with young children. Take a small gift, wrap in newspaper (a few sheets, round and around), then clingfilm, then newspaper, then a wrap in tin-foil, then newspaper....etc*5-6 ... and finally in gift-wrapping. So they unwrap down and down, and their imagined gift gets smaller and smaller, until the end when they find (hopefully) that it's something small but really nice

[QRM]

lol if i was a kid and a huge box arrived only to find a single moshi monster in it I would be upset!

Bit like cereal packets these days half of it is empty and the small print says its because of " settlement"

Now if you do it the other way round get a small box and its a key or a map to something bigger around the corner....

[Steve1960]

Having read the risque posts on lesbian friends and annoying room mates, now some of the suggestions for mentally torturing my daughter at Christmas I am really starting to worry about some of you guys..........................

Just joking

[JR8]

Now if you do it the other way round get a small box and its a key or a map to something bigger around the corner....

I've done that too. Bought gifts but then hidden them in say the garden, roof, shed, etc. Then simply given an Xmas card and glued inside a cross-word, a blend of slightly cryptic/lateral and concise clues, (that's simple to put together in Excel) that via the answers to c12 clues would lead the recipient step by step to the gift. Obviously you pitch it at the audience, so it's intended to be pretty easy and fun, but maybe requires just a little thought.

No idea where that idea came from, it was maybe 20-30 years ago now...