The other morning found my oldest children sitting beneath the Christmas tree, pencil and paper in hand, quickly jotting down random notes and "clues" to the big Christmas mystery--Which presents are mine? Which presents are yours? They were desperately hoping to crack the code.
I've made it a habit of not putting name tags on any of our presents. Instead, I choose separate wrapping papers for everyone in the family. All non-immediate family member gifts have one distinct paper pattern, as well, so that when we need to pack them up to bring to extended family Christmas gatherings, they are easy to spot under the tree.
After wrapping the family gifts, I cut a small square of each paper and place the snippet at the bottom of the appropriate stocking. Eventually, the stockings are filled and the paper scrap is buried.
UNTIL...
On Christmas morning, the stocking gifts are opened first and the paper assignments are revealed!
So far this year, the kids' sleuthing efforts are completely off track. Well, all except for my daughter. She somehow Sherlock Holmes-ed herself a perfect guess, but don't tell her I said so...
Love this idea! I wrap our presents with a different paper per person as well...but usually just announce it over Christmas breakfast :D Adorable!
ReplyDeleteI like this idea, but then how do you know what came from who?
ReplyDeleteThe presents under our Christmas tree are all from the Hubs and I. Occasionally my daughter will buy little gifts for her brothers, but she always labels them.
DeleteThis is so fun! We don't "do Santa," so I'm always looking for ways to keep the mystery and surprise.
ReplyDeleteWe don't do Santa either.
DeleteThat is adorable! I will have to find 6different wrapping papers to match my tree for next year because the paper has to match my tree! :)
ReplyDeleteI like to match my papers to the tree too!
DeleteSounds like our house. I've done that for I think the last 10 years. It's so much fun, although they figure it out Christmas Eve with their one present which is always some kind of game.
ReplyDeleteSo far, my daughter's been the only one to even get close to figuring it out. But as they get older, it gets a lot more difficult.
DeleteI too do this with a different wrap for each child! I might have to steal the slip at the bottom of the stocking reveal idea though!
ReplyDeleteSteal away!
DeleteI never put any presents under the tree until the kids are asleep on the night of the 24th. When they wake up, there are two piles of presents (two kids). I always leave one present unwrapped, and so they automatically knows whose pile is whose - because the unwraped gift gives it away (always something they have asked for). The unwrapped one is often the "big" gift. There's always one "wow" present; one year it was bicycles. Too hard to wrap bicycles anyway.
ReplyDeleteOne of my very best friends does something similar on Christmas Eve.
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