Best Christmas wrapping hacks – including trick when you don't have enough paper

Christmas shopping done? Check. Got gifts for everyone? Check. Can't wait to see your friends and family's reactions when they open them? Check? Worrying about wrapping them all up? Major check. For many, the gift giving process is a highlight of Christmas, and a perfect opportunity to treat your loved ones with something special. But often, wrapping them can be the thing of nightmares, especially if the present isn't square shaped and presented neatly in a box.

However, it doesn't have to be stress central - there are actually plenty of hacks that can make wrapping up your prezzies pretty enjoyable. Not to mention incredibly easy. Here, we've listed five of the best Christmas wrapping hacks so you'll not only win the jackpot at present giving, but people will also think you've had your gifts professionally wrapped. You're welcome...

1. Wrap diagonally

Think you've cut your wrapping paper too small and now it's gone to waste? No problem.

READ MORE: Amazon's last-minute Christmas gifts that will arrive tomorrow - toys, books, cocktails and more

READ MORE: Call the Midwife's Helen George's life from famous ex husband to real-life health battle

For prezzies of a square/rectangular nature in particular, all you need to do is turn the gift to a diagonal angle. Then, pull the four corners of the paper into the centre and tape as you normally would.

2. Use aluminium foil

We've all definitely caught the scene in Gavin & Stacey where Smithy turns up to Pam and Mick's house on Christmas day with a bin bag full of presents wrapped up in tin foil. While his method of "scrunch and done" will do the trick - albeit not very neatly - there is a way to use aluminium foil to wrap up presents in a more formal manner.

For example, grab the foil in your kitchen drawer that's gathering dust and carefully break off the amount you'll need. Then, place your present in the centre and wrap as you normally would, making sure to gently cover the present so as not to rip the foil.

Plus, because the foil is shiny and silver, it's a perfect Christmas colour scheme. Just add a stick on bow to the front, or wrap a ribbon around the gift and voilà, it's that simple!

3. Make your own gift bag

If you've run out of gift bags and run out of time, did you know you can quickly whip up one up out of wrapping paper? This hack is great for oddly shaped items, too, so it's worth keeping note if you've purchased presents of this kind.

As normal, cut out enough wrapping paper so that it covers the whole of the present (length and width). Lay the gift in the middle and bring the left and right side of the paper into the middle and tape.

Then, at about the quarter of the way down the paper, fold it up and take the ends and fold them towards the middle. Take the top and bottom and fold them towards the middle so they meet and tape it all down. This creates the bottom of the bag.

Now put your gift in through the top and fold the top of the wrapping paper over and secure with some double sided sticky tape so you can't see it on the outside. For extra effect, you can hole punch the top and thread some ribbon or a gift tag through to make it more personal.

4. Make a pocket for your Christmas card

If you're giving your loved one a card and a present at the same time, there's a great hack that will allow you to gift them together.

First, cut your wrapping paper so that it fits your prezzie perfectly. Then, grab the top half of the paper and fold it over into the middle. Take the right side of the paper and bend the middle so the fold gives you two triangles. Do the same on the other side.

Next, fold the triangle nearest to the gift (right on the left side, left on the right side) so that they lie on top of the paper in the middle.

Now, grab the outer triangles and pull them towards the centre as well and secure. This should bring the rest of the wrapping paper with it so that the bottom half of the gift is now covered. You'll want to make sure you wrap the bottom of the gift up as normal.

Once done, the top half of the present should have a pocket area where you can slip in your Christmas card.

5. Wrap up a candle

There's always that one family member or friend who is obsessed with scented candles. While their love of summer fruits or cinnamon sticks makes gift giving easy, wrapping up a huge candle is another thing entirely. But lucky for you, we've got a great hack!

First, lay the candle in the middle of some wrapping paper and cut around so you've got enough to wrap it with. Then, grab some tissue paper (in whatever colour you want) and lay it flat on the surface. Stand the candle upright and pull the tissue paper up over the candle and scrunch at the top, making sure there's a good amount of excess paper for decorative effect.

Place the wrapping paper on the surface horizontally, and then put the candle on its side on top. Use some scissors to cut small splits in the paper at the bottom, making sure each split is the same height and distance from the next.

Now, roll the candle in the wrapping paper and secure with tape, making sure the top of the paper is at the top of the candle, and the tissue is flowing out at the top. The slits need to be longer than the candle so you can fold them upwards and secure with more tape.

Take some ribbon and tie it around the top of the candle for effect and spread the tissue outwards. For visual reference, if you've used green tissue paper, the end product should resemble a potted plant.

There we have it - five of the best wrapping hacks that will hopefully provide some creative inspiration!