Making My Case for Wrapping Paper
Here at Playgroups are No Place for Children, I like to tackle important issues. We have discussed many important issues as Ovaltine consumption, surviving the mob aka Children's Book of the Month Club, and S-E-X. Today's topic is wrapping paper versus gift bags.
With Carson's birthday coming up THIS SUNDAY (holy shit where the hell did TWO YEARS go?), I've been in the midst of party planning, baking, and shopping. I've been imagining the joy on my son's face as he opens his presents. This little daydream of mine includes him ripping the paper of lovingly wrapped gifts and gleaming from ear to ear as he revels in the fantasticness of it all. This fantasy most definitely DOES NOT include gift bags.
Sadly, gift bags seems to be taking over the world. I've tried and tried to find Thomas the Train wrapping paper only to be mocked at every turn by Thomas the Train gift bags. When my parents visited this past weekend, they brought Carson's birthday gifts. They brought birthday gifts in gift bags. I died a little on the inside, watching him opening these bagged gifts. Something is just lost when you don't get to tear paper to reveal the prize inside.
I'm guilty of caving in to the lure of the gift bag. For one, it's easy, quick, and they can be reused which is good in our disposable society. (See how I can make a lame topic ever so relevant!) But I can't help but feel sad that children in the future are going to miss out on the joy that is unwrapping a gift. It's like a sacred right of childhood (and adulthood, for that matter) is being replaced by the gift bag.
To quickly summarize,
Ripping open a wrapped gift...good!!
Saving the planet with reusable gift bags...good, but takes away joy from our children!
Taking away joy from a child...BAD! Very, very bad!!
Please consider this the next time you have to choose between wrapping a gift or simply shoving it in a gift bag. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
PS. To those of you who may be attending Carson's party, it's totally fine if his present is in a gift bag. Totally. Fine. Really. Not that we expect a gift! No! But in the event that you bring a gift I'll we'll survive if it's in a bag.
59 People are even more brilliant:
Tehehe!
The day will come when you'll revise your fantasy and realize the joy is still there, even with gift bags.
I *may* have a little Thomas gift wrap leftover. I will check just for you!
I'm a gift bag whore. I LOVE gift bags, especially that pack you can get cheap at Costco. Love their nesting gift boxes too. I can't wrap presents for shite, so I resort to telling people that my kids helped me, bless their hearts.
However, I DO remember the joys of ripping open the presents at Christmas. My solution? Tissue paper. Lots and lots of tissue paper. AND, you can color coordinate. How crafty!
I go for newspaper... it's messy with all the ink AND it's like recycling- right? And the children love the society page. As for my step-daughter (21)-- I usually wrap her stuff in the classifieds!
oh the joy of xmas, w/ the unwrapping and throwing of said paper.
LOVED IT.
also, do the gift bag thing. but it depends. i wouldn't give a gift bag to a child! i know from my 28 nieces and nephews, they like to play w/ the box. (i'm still tempted to give someone just a box)
but giving a gift bag to a teacher is soooooo much easier. b/c more than likely, it's expected you open it when it's handed to you, and it's convenient to just peek in and get it out.
so, i'm not offended either way i get a gift (but, i still have a kid in me that at xmas w/ my fam love to unwrap)
oh, and i LOVE your guest list. i just may have to come crash your party!
have FUN
Oh I agree. There's nothing like the sounds of ripping paper to hype up the festivities. Have a lovely party!
-HH
I just bought some TTTE paper at ToysRUs about a month ago?
Oh and I'm with All Things BD. I too am a gift bag whore because when I wrap, it looks like a pack of wild monkeys used the gift in a game of Hide The Banana.
I also love the gift wrap. And not only that, it's significantly cheaper. I used to buy gift bags for gifts I took to children's parties, but now I'm a strict wrapper. Unless it's something completely weird shaped.
I hate gift bags too. I love wrapping and decorating gifts especially for kids.
I couldn't agree more, although I have to admit that I have, on occasion, been guilty of using said gift bags. They're just so damn easy!
i like the bags, but have taken to wrapping stuff in tissue paper (or even newspaper, as above) before putting it IN the bag. hides the identity of the present, allows for the fun of unwrapping...possibly a wee bit less wasteful?
I HATE the bags. I gave up on them over two years ago.
I realized how much I love unwrapping things. I will even buy special boxes for things, just so I can wrap the gift. There's just something special about a wrapped gift.
I've become a wrapping paper snob though. I will only buy the really thick kind that the kids sell for their schools.
So true... something is totally lost with the gift bag presents. For kids, we wrap... in whatever is available (comics are always a favorite, but also wrapping paper and catalogs... have you gotten the Thomas catalog yet... my boy sits with it for hours)! Gift bags for adults though... unless they are kids hiding out in adult bodies! :)
I like the gift bags mostly because I'm a horrendous wrapper and putting something oddly shaped in a bag with a lot of tissue paper appeals to my lazy, wrapping-challenged self. That said, I won't give one to a kid. I too enjoy watching the ripping of the wrapping paper.
I'm with you on this- kids need to know the sweet sound of ripping of mounds of paper from a gift that has too much tape holding it all together. I console myself (and my thoughts for the environment) by giving gift bags to anyone old enough to drive. Once you drive, you get a gift bag, before that- it's all wrapping paper baby!
My philosophy has been gift bags for adults and wrapping for children. Although my decision was actually made because I reasoned that children wouldn't care than I am uncoordinated and therefore a bad wrapper, but adults would and gift bags are too expensive to give to everyone. But now I can feel good about my decision and say that I wrap for children to give them JOY and reuse gift bags on adults because I want to save the planet, not because I am lazy. Thanks, Playgroupie!
I agree. Wrapping paper is much better.
And, when I go Christmas shopping, I donate generously to that charity group at the mall that wraps.
Because I can't do it. If I tried, I might as well wad the paper up and just wrap a big piece of tape around it. I'm terrible.
So, outside of Christmas, I'm guilty of gift bags.
Thomas the Train gift wrap- saw it yesterday at Toys R Us! Of course, it's the one in Chesterfield. It may be a little hard to get there and back by Sunday.
Happy Birthday, Carson! (When you pass that along, insert ***** for Carson)
oooh, I never even thought of this! I LOVE gift bags because they are easy. (yes, I'm lazy.)
PLUS, the kids always seem to have a hard time ripping the paper and they can fling that tissue paper out of the bag with no problem.
HOWEVER, I almost always wrap Christmas gifts in paper, and not bags, while for bdays, I almost always use bags. Weird huh?
I've thought this same thing! And I use wrap unless the thing is just too weirdly shaped.
I totally agree with you!
Miss E had great fun ripping the paper off all her presents that arrived in the mail from Ireland, and via Amazon.com :)
Speaking of ovaltine, (as you weren't) I bought some today and Miss E loves it as do I as a slightly better version of chocolate milk, her current obsession. In Ireland Ovaltine is not chocolate flavoured, only malt flavoured and it's what geriatrics drink! Thanks for introducing me to the USA version :)
I'm sorry... I'm a gift bagger. I hate wrapping. The only time gifts that I buy get wrapped are if I can bribe my friend S to come wrap them for me.
Wrapping paper all the way!
Just wanted to let you know about a free giveaway I'm hosting this week. Come check it out! Thanks!
I have NEVER considered this - but now I'm totally on board with the no gift bag for kids thing. I get it. I actually love wrapping presents (especially Christmas presents - I LOVE it, really I do!!), but am usually in such a rush I just throw it in a gift bag. Now I will reconsider this...
I agree, wrapping paper all the way!
Plus the wrapping paper is great fun for crunching and crinkling when they are little.
TRU and our Walmart have Thomas paper. I do bags for everyone but Liv and my sister. Liv because I agree.. its the joy of opening the paper that makes it great. My sister because she PEEKS! :(
I'm afraid you wouldn't like my house. I've gone a step BEYOND paper gift bags:
http://www.pediascribe.com/20070921/saturday-photo-hunt-paper/
I love to wrap gifts, but then again, I work for Hallmark. :)
In fact, I spent all evening yesterday wrapping gifts for my husband's birthday and some Christmas gifts, too.
I wrapped gifts for my nieces' joint birthday party and one of the moms at the party snidely remarked, "Why don't you just wrap the gift in duct tape?" Since she was one of my SIL's friends, I let it pass, but now I can declare out loud, "What a bi*ch!" I'm glad there are like-minded people out there! ;)
I do gift bags almost exclusively for adults, especially since I seem to get them a few small things.
For kids that CAN unwrap, paper is the way to go. Plus, I think gifts can be done up a lot cooler with paper and ribbons and all that good stuff.
I use wrapping paper for the kids, especially at Christmas but I am guilty of using gift bags too - for relatives and for teachers.
I'll tell you, I love wrapping paper. But most people do things for birthdays last minute. ALso, wrapping paper has gotten so cheap that it tears on the way to the party. So a lot of times, I do the bag thing. Plus, they tend to be so cute.
I promise that I only use wrapping paper at Christmas though.
For kids I use wrapping paper. If the wrapping is in good shape after a gift, then I'll reuse it. It has to look good though. However, if the kids are really little I use gift bags.
Holy crap, Mike Rowe is coming? He's all kinds of hotness, even covered in pooh!
;)
I try to stick to wrapping paper for kids' gifts because I know how much SB has always enjoyed the unwrapping part. Although as a toddler, he also loved gift bags large enough for him to climb inside. I'd peek in to see the "gift" and exclaim, "OH, an SB, just what I ALWAYS wanted!" He loved it!
I agree that the wrapping paper the kids sell for school is hands down the best quality. I recently bought paper at Target and it was terrible quality.
Have you checked a party supply store for the Thomas paper?
I agree. Wrapping paper is great for the kids. I stored away some Christmas paper last year. I bought it dirt cheap in January. All my Christmas gifts will be wrapped this year, thank you very much. :D
Are you in my head or what? I so agree. Wholeheartedly! Little kids deserve that rippping. Adults I do bags. We don't count. Kids must have paper.
I can't believe I am admitting this but I wrap presents in brown paper bags! I know- the horror! It all started when I realized we didn't have any wrapping paper just before a party. The only thing I had in the house was the 406 brown paper bags from the commissary so a little personalized artwork from my 5 year old and Volia! Now, we do it all the time b/c Austin likes drawing pictures for his friends! Cheesy- I know, but at least it's not a gift bag- right? (Not that I have anything gift bags!)
That was supposed to say "Not that I have anything against gift bags" dar, dar, dar!
Totally with you. I had the same dilemma with Addy's birthday two weeks ago, and within seconds chose paper over bags. I mean, bags, people? No piles of shiny boxes with garlands of curling ribbon? BO-RING.
It is always debatable if we will open presents at the party or not....so it could go either way here!
Don't let me kids know something they are missing out on!
I'm so with you on this!! There is NOTHING like the sound of tearing apart wrapping paper...and tons of it littering the floor on birthdays and holidays!! Gift bags are great for adults...but bring back the paper for the kids!!!
Funny and so true. Ripping open the gift is almost as great as the gift itself.
I wrap everything but Christmas presents in the sunday comics lol Cheap and I recycle!!1
I'm a sucker for those bags, but only when attending kids' parties. We don't use bags at home for any occasion. Yes, I'm such a hypocrite!
I love gift bags...They are too expensive though.
Good luck with whatever wrapping you get....tee hee
I just realized that you linked to Mystery.
You are welcome.
I wonder if I can find Mystery wrapping paper? Maybe something that says, "Here, open this set."
Ha!
I hate gift bags too...you always end up with one that really had no use but for once a year. ;-) I HATE Valentine's and Christmas Gift bags...just get a plain color so it can be used any time of the year!
As far are reusing and recycling...my dad always uses the comics from the Sunday paper to wrap gifts and you can also buy recycled wrapping paper...it is expensive and so far as I have seen doesn't come in rolls but they would be perfect for small gifts.
as far as Thomas...get some white paper and some Thomas stickers.
;-)
Join me at Mothers Against Gift Bags.
Ha ha--I love the summary!
I like gift bags for weirdly-shaped, hard-to-wrap things, but I like wrapping paper for everything else.
OMG, I never thought about it that way...I am a total gift bagger! I think now I have to change!!!
My parents used to wrap our Christmas gifts in newspaper with red ribbon. Fun to tear and saving the planet. Good green times.
i absolutely whole-heartedly agree with you. gift bags are fine for adults...but kids MUST have wrapping paper!
my local stores have a very limited variety of wrapping paper for kids, and most of it seems to be aimed at girls. so you know what i've been doing? i make my own. i get these rolls of paper from Ikea (it's for putting in the kids' easel) and i stamp it. of course, i'm a stamper already. but i bought stamp sets with dump trucks and loaders and trains and tractors, and i just got nuts. the boys love the trucks and stuff, and i still get to see them go bezerk on the paper!
Right there with you, sister! My favorite, favorite part of any holiday is finding just the right paper (sometimes homemade, sometimes not) and ribbon to wrap it in. It just feels more like a present that way.
I have had the same thoughts many times!!! Admittedly, I must take my share of the guilt from going the gift bag route. In my defense though, for Christmas, I have remained ever faithful to wrapping paper. It's not something I ever thought of before I had Charity, but since she got big enough to open presents, it's become an issue to me. My compromise? I try to use gift bags for adults/older teenagers, and use wrapping paper for the kids. After all, every kid should know the joy of being able to rip into the paper!
I am totally with you - I'm all for wrapping paper, and not so much with the gift bags (although I have caved on rare occassions). I'm also big on ribbons or bows - because what's cuter than a bow slapped on some little kid's head?
preach on sista!
my FAVORITE wrapping paper for kids is the back (white) side of some left-over paper that Stinkerbell and I decorate with our own BEAUUUTIFUL magic marker art.
I have even taken ABC blocks and used them as stencils and stamped "TO KID". But that was WAY back in the day before I had my own kids and I actually had time to do things, you know, ahead of time and not 5 minutes before I left the house.
This summer, I even took Stinkerbell to 2 parties at the exact same time that were held at the local skating rink by 2 different kids that both "totally crush on" her, we bought the gifts at W-M on our way to the party. We were late. We didn't have wrapping paper. We didn't have gift bags. We were lucky to simply make it there. I don't know if she even sang "happy birthday" to either boy.
That is the sad reality of my life.
But I insist on wrapping paper on gifts for my kids from me and The Mighty Hunter.
I hate wrapping paper *AND* gift bags.
How about them apples?
Makes it hard to give presents at parties... but here around the house, we do scavenger hunts usually.
My problem with gift bags is that we get raped with the price. Bag, tissue, ribbons, card.
The older monkeys color paper and wrap it themselves. Looks terrible, but, hey- it's real!
Can I move to Lower Alabama and party with y'all?
:)
I can't believe no one has mentioned the multiple layer wrapping phenomenon. Perhaps this was only happening in Southern California in the 70s? Similar to the trick candles that don't blow out, but more fun, you wrap a gift several times in several different types of wrapping paper. Extra points for putting it in successively smaller wrapped boxes as well.
We had fewer cable channels back then, and only Atari to entertain us, so we had more time to devote to these sorts of things.
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