Seasonal Gifting

Awkward shaped gifts come down to picking the right material rather than fighting a stiff sheet of paper. Tissue paper, crepe paper, cellophane or even a scrap of fabric will mould around something irregular far more easily. Cutting a bit extra, rather than just enough, leaves room to fold and tuck without running short, and a ribbon or bow at the end hides whatever folds didn't quite go to plan.

Battery powered LED fairy lights are usually fine overnight, since LEDs stay cool and don't carry the heat risk older bulbs did. Still worth keeping them clear of anything flammable and giving them a quick check for damage now and then, and a timer or smart plug takes the thinking out of switching them off.

There's no official date for this one, so it really comes down to habit. Most people land somewhere between late November and early December, often starting around the first Sunday of Advent, though plenty hold off until closer to mid-December.

Wrapping baubles individually in tissue paper, rather than newspaper, stops ink transferring and scratches building up, and a box with dividers or an old egg carton keeps the fragile pieces apart. String lights hold up better wound around cardboard or a tube instead of being tossed in loose, which is usually how next year's tangle gets started.