Wrapping gifts

Balls send us round the bend when wrapping

Balls seem to top the league of gifts we dread wrapping the most, presenting an own goal to those who give them at Christmas

The spherical item was selected by over a sixth (15.6%) as the gift they find the trickiest to wrap.

It was followed closely by a bottle (11.5%), teddy bear (10.3%) and lamp (4.6%) as items most likely to leave us crying into ripped wrapping paper.

18 to 34 year-olds admitted that they find a bottle the biggest challenge, while over 35 year-olds felt a ball was the worst item to tackle

According to the Royal Mail’s research the top ten most difficult presents to wrap are:

Ball (15.6%)

Bottle (11.5%)

Teddy bear (10.3%)

Lamp (4.6%)

Ornament (4.5%)

Round tin of sweets (4.4%)

Racket (4%)

Golf club (3.5%)

Handbag (2.8%)

Large bowl such as a fruit bowl (2.8%)

No wonder wrapping presents can be daunting when faced with an array of different shaped and sized gifts.

Experts recommend keeping it simple and stick to three simple techniques - gather, pleat and pillow - which can help you tackle any present from a lamp to a large bowl.

Christmas can be a pain