For those whose fingers tie in knots when it comes to wrapping presents - here is a basket of gift ideas you don't need to wrap

I don't know about you, but I am all thumbs when faced with rolls of wrapping paper and ribbon and sticky tape? I hate all that business with labels and cards and bows and ribbons and - fuss. Mainly because I am just so awful at doing it.

So I came up with a solution which won't make the wrapping paper people happy – but they don't have my schedule and commitments to deal with, either.

Most of the following fiddle-free Chrissie ideas (or birthday, or anniversary, for that matter) require no extra work at all. The very most I need do with a few of them (and only then if I feel I must) is to tie on some tinsel or a bright ribbon, stick on a bow or attach a gift-tag.

So here, in a spirit of large-hearted Christmas gift, is a basket of ideas for the very best presents you never wrapped:

• Dinner at a restaurant
• Flowers
• A potplant
• A food hamper
• Chocolates or candies
• Breakfast/brunch at a special place
• Gift-wrapped anything (that's cheating! It's already done by the store)
• Coupons for movie tickets
• Airline tickets/a flight in a hot-air balloon/abseiling voucher
• A bonsai tree
• Calendars (if they come with their own envelope)
• Posters (if they come with their own tube)
• A pet (but take care with this - make sure it will be really wanted and cared for!)
• Coupons to use at a department store or specialty shop
• A bottle of good wine or liquor
• A magazine subscription
• A night (or two)in a hotel
• Enrolment in a course - lessons to perfect a skill
• A booking for a glamour photographic session
• Balloon-o-gram, or any other '-o-gram'
• Theatre tickets (likewise ballet/opera/excursion/band)
• Lottery tickets, or a 'scratchie'
• A home delivered gift from a mail-order company
• Money - cash or cheque
• On-line coupons for anything - almost.

Then there are the wrap-free additions that cost you nothing, but mean so much:

• A kiss and a hug
• A visit - the gift of your time
• Lessons in your own special skill
• Promises  - to baby-sit, dog-walk, garden, houseclean, mow the lawn or mind the pets 

And of course there's the............BIG stuff, if you're in the cash ....... like a

new car/a house/a tennis court/a swimming pool/billiard table/jet ski/ bike!!!

Oops! Too late!! This is the one year that you're way ahead with your shopping, and you've already bought something and it definitely does need wrapping?

Consider the following options:

• Get the store to wrap it, or use a wrapping service
• Use a cheerful Xmas bag
• Put the gift in an attractive box, or tin with a lid
• Slip it in a Christmas stocking!

Just think - you can make everyone's day without staying up all Christmas Eve wrestling with torn gift-wrap, tangled gift-tie and snagging sticky tape.

The results are guaranteed. The gifts will be 'wrapped', you'll be rapt - and so will your friends and loved ones.