I know it sounds strange, but I really do love wrapping Christmas presents. And while I'm no Martha Stewart, I think my packages turn out quite nicely.

After a holiday season working in a jewelry store while in college, I learned to wrap fast and accurately. I rarely cut the paper too small and only have to do a tiny bit of trimming of excess paper.

But the time I save on cutting is usually nothing compared to the time I spend decorating the gift.

I have a strict philosophy about wrapping gifts: There is no such thing as too much curling ribbon. No matter how rounded the corners on a package are, no matter how much tape is sticking to itself on the bottom or how crooked the pattern it, a package with yards and yards of brightly-colored ribbon tangling over the sides always looks festive.

There are some other things that anyone can do to make a package look better.

First, don't wrap presents on a soft surface such as a bed. A table is best -- you're less likely to strain your back sitting in a chair -- but the floor will work if there's nothing else.

Many brands of wrapping paper have a grid on the reverse side that helps measure where to cut and helps with cutting straight lines. Measure carefully to avoid wasting paper, especially on large gifts. Don't "eyeball" it.

When working on gifts by yourself, get set up ahead of time. Gather the tape, scissors, wrap, ribbon, card and pen before doing anything. For the super organized, Rubbermaid makes a wrap organizer that holds everything anyone could use to wrap presents.

I always tear off 10 to 15 pieces of clear tape before starting on a package and stick them to the edge of the table. The paper is less likely to shift or move if I don't have to take my hands off it.

To make the seams look neater, make a quarter-inch fold on the edges of the paper. This gives a blunt edge no matter how ragged the cut on the paper was.

There are ways to distract from a less-than-perfectly wrapped package. Multiple colors of ribbon -- curling or otherwise -- dress up a package.

For a gift from Santa for the kids, a small stuffed animal attached to the outside makes the gift more exciting. A bag of chocolate coins, a mini stocking full of kisses or a few candy canes tied in the center or on one corner of a gift will definitely impress.

Tucking a beautiful ornament or tangling some tinsel into some ribbon can add interest. A little spray glitter can also dress up the top of any gift. Make sure kids are supervised if they are using it and only use spray glitter in a well-ventilated area away from anything expensive that wouldn't look good sparkly.

For people with talented hands, try making big beautiful bow with wire-edged ribbon. Craft stores carry all kinds of winter and Christmas patterns.

The important thing is to wrap gifts in the spirit they are being given. The rest is just decoration.

Happy holidays!

Amy Pappadis is the Home & Garden editor. She can be reached at amy.pappadis@

lee.net or 812-6095.