How to Create a Gift Wrapping Center in 1 Day
An Easy DIY Project that Takes Little Money and Lots of Imagination
Sep 21, 2009
With the holidays approaching, gift wrapping becomes a big, messy chore. A room quickly becomes unorganized and cluttered; the floor is littered with rolls of wrapping paper, bows, tape, cards and gift tags, scissors, spools of ribbon and all the cut paper remnants. Not to mention that each wrapping session usually ends with cramped legs, unwanted tape stuck to freshly wrapped gifts and a big mess to clean up.
For those with a spare room, seldom used guestroom, or an empty section in the basement – turn that under utilized space into a gift wrapper center. It is such an easy home renovation task and definitely a quick, low cost DIY project.
DIY Project Shopping List
- Long table (second hand or hand me down is perfect)
- Comfortable chair (preferably on wheels like a steno or computer chair)
- Large plastic rolling drawer unit (available from Wal-Mart for less than $20)
- Several 4’ curtain rods (the quantity needed depends on how many rolls of wrapping paper will be hung)
- Shelves or bookcases (re-purposed from another room is easy on the budget and works great)
- Storage solutions (use imagination here – anything goes!)
- Trash container (choose one that is fun and funky to liven up the space)
Choosing the Right Gift Wrapping Table
The long table should be installed in the room first. Since this is the surface where the wrapping will be done, it is the most important element in a functional wrapping room. Choose a table that fits well in the room, leaves a lot of movement space but doesn’t take over the whole room. For example, in a small spare bedroom that is 10’ by 9’, the wrapping table should be no longer than 6’ long and 3’ wide.
Choosing a sturdy table that can handle abuse will be essential. Add a wheeled office style chair so that standing is not always a necessity when wrapping Christmas or birthday gifts. Besides, the room can also double as a scrapbooking or general crafts room when there are no gifts to wrap!
Installing the Roll Holders
Either above the table or on the wall right next to it (if the table is positioned in a corner), hang the curtain rods that will hold the wrapping paper rolls. Be certain to buy the inexpensive curtain rods (café style) that come off the bracket holder easily for replacing rolls when the wrap is all gone. Depending on how often the room will be used, you can stack the rods from floor to ceiling and stock a wide variety of papers. Keep in mind to allow eight inches between rods.
Once fully installed, it takes just one hand and a pair of scissors to quickly, efficiently and neatly cut off a piece of paper for a present. In a rental unit or room where it is not allowed or desirable to put holes in the walls to hang the rods – there is a temporary solution. Use a heavy duty free standing wooden clothes dryer rack (see the photo).
Whichever method is used, wall mounted curtain rods or a freestanding unit, save one length for holding ribbon spools. For reference, one 4’ length of curtain rod will hold many spools of ribbon, string or twine. Be sure to use the rod or rung that is close to the desk for ease of use when wrapping gifts.
As the finishing touches, add lots of colorful boxes and storage baskets to hold bows, buttons, tags, cards, glue, glitter, and anything else needed to create stunning wrapped presents. It is a good idea (and it looks cute) to label each container for quick access. If the table has no drawers, use a rolling drawer unit or old filing cabinet to house scissors, pens, markers, etc. Last but certainly not least, place a large garbage bin in the new gift wrapping center to make clean up a breeze!
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