by Currie Jean

Created on: November 29, 2010

So you've just finished your Holiday gift wrapping. Your body's a mess of aches after reaching, bending and stretching for hours, and your workspace is an absolute disaster. It's no wonder you're tempted to banish the whole mess to a trash bin and curl up with a mug hot chocolate in front of the television to watch Miracle on 34th Street. Wait! It's easier than it looks to clean up this mess, saving all the useful bits, and your future self will thank you next year. Just follow these simple steps to be responsibly tidied up in a few minutes.

1) Pick out all the rolls of paper and large scraps (larger than one square foot). Roll the scraps around the rolls of paper. Put the rolls of paper into a garbage bag.

2) Grab all the bows and ribbon, and toss them into a plastic shopping bag. Tie the top of the plastic bag just once, and place it inside the garbage bag.

3) Write "Christmas Wrapping" on a smaller scrap of paper, many of which should still be, well, everywhere. Tape this label to the garbage bag.

4) Twist the top of the garbage bag closed, and tape it shut. Place it aside for now.

5) Gather your other tools - scissors, tape and the like, and place them aside, or put them away in their usual spots.

6) Sweep up everything else: scraps, bits of tape, bits of plastic, and throw it all away.

Tadaa! Now all you need to do is store the bag of wrapping materials wherever you usually store your Christmas decorations. A cool, dry place is best, to prevent mold and water damage. Store it on top of other items so it doesn't get crushed, and so that if you buy discounted Christmas wrapping paper on Boxing Day, you'll be able to put it away easily.

Next year, use the smaller pieces of paper first, and use all the rolls of paper that you've already started on before using brand new rolls. This will keep the amount of paper in storage to a reasonable minimum.

Admittedly, garbage bags run the risk of being accidentally thrown away. If you're worried about this happening to your wrapping paper, choose a box instead. If using cardboard, label it with its contents in bold black marker on all sides. If using a storage bin, tape a label on it or use a bin with festive winter colors. To store the wrapping paper extra-neatly, remove it all from the rolls and fold it into squares as you would fold linen. This will take more time but will also save a lot of space.

Some of us have gorgeous gilded wrapping paper left over from the sixties, just waiting for the perfect gift worthy of antique wrapping (you say "hoarder," I say "tomahto"). Saving wrapping paper from year to year isn't only good for the environment and your wallet, it's good for aesthetics: the more variety you have in wrapping paper, the more beautifully diverse your pile of wrapped presents is guaranteed to be every Holiday season.

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