The Art of Wrapping | Video

Alan Miller | 12/24/2012

Last minute Christmas shoppers, and you know who you are, also face another last minute challenge: wrapping all those presents. It`s not likely that you can do it right out in the open on the kitchen table, so you have to do it out of view, such as the bedroom floor. If you only wrap once a year, you may not be very good at it. Here`s some advice for either getting the job done before you go to bed, or a simple suggestion to eliminate the hassle next year.

The Optimist Club is aptly named. Members spread a lot of cheer at the gift wrapping booth in the Kirkwood Mall. For a few bucks per package, you can get the job done for you, and the club can donate funds to certain school projects.

"You`re doing something for somebody and you`re helping the kids," said gift wrapper Al Ehrmentraut.

But sorry, guys. Time is up, and you have to finish by yourself. Tip number one, if you don`t have a box, you`re in big trouble. And don`t be too stingy with the paper. Better to have a bit too much than not enough and have to add another piece. I asked the experts for more advice and was simply told there are no tricks and no training. It`s simply a matter of experience.

The Gellers clearly knew their shortcomings and knew it would be worth their while to stop.

"Usually just ball it up and tape it, and I`m good," said Tina Geller.

"Newspaper works well," said Rich Geller.

When it comes to the ends, tuck them in tightly. And once you finish one side, the opposite side is much easier. Obviously, you can`t put everything in a box. These people have seen it all.

"A girl`s cast, leg cast. It was dumb, I know. They asked me to do it. I said, `You gotta be kidding.` And they went, `No, we`re not.` So I did. She went down the hall on crutches and her leg cast was wrapped in Christmas paper," Miller said.

If all else fails and you`re tired and frustrated, you probably have some plastic shopping bags lying around that you can put a present in and then tie the ends together.

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