Newport
But if you’re someone who puts off gift wrapping until the last minute, only to find yourself wrestling with odd-shaped scraps of paper and uncooperative tape, muttering in a decidedly non-festive manner, help is available.
Moriah Churchill-Calkins, youth services librarian at Richards Free Library in Newport, will lead a free drop-in gift wrapping workshop for teens and adults at the library from 5-6 p.m. on Wednesday. Supplies will be available, but participants should feel free to bring their own, as well as something to be wrapped and/or a roll of paper to share or swap.
Music, cheerfulness and table space will be provided. For more informaion, call 603-863-3430.
In an email Q&A, Churchill-Calkins shared a few gift-wrapping secrets and offered advice to help make the project less of a chore. The exchange has been lightly edited.
Question: What skills do you teach in the workshop?
Answer: We go over a few basic wrapping techniques (the “three-pieces-of-tape basic rectangle,” the “Yule log” and the classic “Throw it in a gift bag, but nicely”). We’ll also make a special gift tag.
Q: What’s the most common gift-wrapping mistake?
A: People often use too much tape, without knowing the most strategic places to put it. Three pieces should do for most rectangular packages, although it’s possible to wrap gifts without any tape at all.
Q: What are some of the most challenging items to wrap, in your experience?
A: It’s always a challenge to wrap things that are round, like those big popcorn tins.
Q: Can you share a few tips and tricks to make wrapping easier?
A: Turn on some cheerful seasonal tunes to keep yourself from getting frustrated or stressed. Giving gifts is about having fun! Find a friend or a helper and wrap together. Everything is better with company.
Q: What type of paper, tape or other materials do you recommend? Anything to stay away from?
A: My crafty family likes to make cloth bags to wrap gifts in that can be reused year after year. These can be a beautiful way to present gifts without using so much paper, and they also simplify your wrapping for years to come. There’s a big initial time investment, though. Other than that, I’m not fussy about my materials. Thicker, more expensive wrapping paper can be easier to use, since it isn’t see-through, doesn’t tear as easily and sometimes lets you try again on your tape placement. But cheap paper will get the job done, too.
Q: Where did you learn your gift-wrapping technique?
A: I learned to wrap gifts through the gift-wrapping station my high school band and chorus ran every December as a fundraiser. So much fun!
Q: Do you ever open gifts carefully, so as to re-use the wrapping paper?
A: Oh, always. Unless the paper is very thin, something can usually be salvaged.