'Handy' way to wrap Christmas presents without using any tape, says expert

Which? has unveiled its nifty present wrapping trick (Image: Getty)

If you've been overwhelmed by a heap of festive gifts to wrap, chances are, you've hit the dreaded moment of running out of tape at one point. However, the gurus over at Which? have let us in on a little secret – you actually don't need tape to make your presents look pretty as a picture.

The UK consumer champion took to Instagram to share its clever method, explaining: "First, measure all four sides of the gift using the paper. Cut the paper to size, leaving just a little bit extra.

"Pull one corner of the paper over the edge of the gift. Score the excess of the paper on both sides of the gift. Then, bring the corners up, which will become the corners of the box.

"At the top of the gift, push the paper up and fold it over. Then tuck the excess paper into the pocket that's left." Social media users were all abuzz with comments about this crafty trick, but complained about the hours previously wasted taping presents.

One person wrote: "*Sees this after spending the ENTIRE day wrapping presents*," as someone else joked: "I seriously don’t have the patience… probably why the wife won’t let me wrap."

Another later added: "Not seen this before, good idea to save tape." This timely suggestion from Which? surfaces amid the final countdown to December 25, with various other experts sharing an array of festive hacks.

For instance, GardeningExpress.co.uk experts recently divulged their top tips for extending the life of Christmas trees, a move that could save households cash over the festive period.

Founder Chris Bonnett explained: "Make sure to choose a healthy tree to begin with by carrying out checks, or buy your tree from a trustworthy retailer to guarantee it will be in good condition upon arrival.

"Once you’ve brought the tree home, give the bottom of the tree a cut before placing it in water and choose a spot for it that’s away from any heat sources such as the fireplace or radiators."

In a completely separate tip, Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert (MSE) has also encouraged Brits to swap out their traditional Christmas lights for LED bulbs. In a recent MSE newsletter, its gurus wrote: "If you've got LED lights, it costs (a lot) less than 1p every hour (in fact it's about 1p every 12 hours) per 100 bulbs you have.

"If you've got incandescent lights, it costs 1p every hour (so 12p every 12 hours) per 100 bulbs you have. So if you run a 100-bulb string of LED lights (which uses three watts of energy) for six hours a day for a month it'll cost roughly 15p."