Laurence shares the wrapping with his daughters

1. Take your time
Don’t rush it, and make sure you’ve got enough space to roll the paper out and a hard surface to help you achieve crisp folds.

2. Sticky pickle
Don’t get in a mess with sticky tape, instead cut a dozen or so squares of sticky tape for use as you go along.

3. Trimmings
Buying ribbon from a stationer can be more expensive than buying it from a haberdashery shop – for a designer flourish ask for wired ribbon with fine wire either side and dress your bows to impress.

4. Breakables
If you’re struggling with an irregular shaped or fragile present, put it in a box. You can make a glamorous fuss by filling the box with coloured tissue cut into different shapes or shredded. 

5. Resilient wrapping
I often use wallpaper to wrap my presents. It means I can coordinate my presents with the room and it’s a lot tougher than wrapping paper, useful when wrapping things like plates or trays. I’ve found using PVA glue works so much better, sticky tape sometimes just isn’t sticky enough.

6. Make your own
Making your own wrapping paper is easy and fun. Plain brightly coloured paper on a roll can be used as the background to some dazzling seasonal effects. One of my favourites is to use an ordinary paper doily as a lacy snowflake stencil for the top of a present. Spray gold spray paint through, and use glitter glue or gold relief paste to embellish the motif. Use little jewels and perhaps a monogram or initial of the recipient, meaning you don’t even have to think about a gift tag. 

7. Get creative
My daughter, Cecile decided to use doilies as part of her present wrapping look for 2008. She used matte scarlet wrapping paper to begin with and then attached the doily to the top of the present with a black and white ribbon on top. For a final flourish she used self-adhesive crystals.

8. Small packages
If you’re giving a small present, why not bring a bit of fun to Christmas morning by wrapping in a much larger box replete with bows and furbelows for real impact.

9. Hung up
In the 18th century the decorations hung on the Christmas trees were presents for the family. This is a lovely tradition and I love the idea of using jewel embellished coloured boxes containing presents, hanging from bright ribbon on the tree.

10. It’s a wrap
Finally if all else fails and wrapping Christmas presents leaves you feeling cold, make sure you buy everything from a glamorous, shiny-floored department store that offers a gift wrapping service.