A 23-year-old woman from Bristol has stunned the internet with a remarkably simple yet effective hack for wrapping Christmas presents, all from the comfort of her sofa.
The sofa-based solution to festive frustration
Saskia Manning-Bewley, an auditor, found the traditional method of wrapping gifts on the floor both tiresome and problematic. She explained that hunching over caused back strain, and her puppy had a habit of tearing any wrapping paper within reach. Seeking a better solution, she turned a common household item into a makeshift workstation: her ironing board.
"I randomly saw it somewhere and just tried it out one night when my partner was out," Saskia said. "As I have a puppy who loves to tear up paper and I wanted to watch films, the floor wasn't an option." She described how she would normally spread everything on the floor and lose items, but the ironing board changed everything. "The ironing board saved my back and it was easy to know where things were," she added.
Social media declares it a 'game changer'
Saskia demonstrated her method in a video posted on social media earlier this week, ahead of the Christmas period. The clip quickly captured the public's imagination, amassing over 558,000 views and more than 23,000 likes.
The reaction from viewers was overwhelmingly positive, with many hailing the idea as revolutionary for the festive season. One impressed commenter wrote, "I am glad I've seen this hack before I started wrapping! Game changer!" Another declared, "Omg you're a literal genius," while a third stated, "I might buy an ironing board just for this."
Some, however, were frustrated to discover the tip too late. One person joked, "I've just spent all day sat on my wooden floor wrapping and TikTok shows me this NOW!!!!" Another lamented, "Why am I only just seeing this as I'm lying on the floor after wrapping my presents for 5 HOURS."
Not a new idea for everyone
While the hack was new to thousands, a few viewers pointed out that the ironing board trick has been a family secret for years. One comment read, "My mum has done this for years, so funny seeing this on here," while another simply said, "I've been doing this a while, it's really handy."
Reflecting on the viral success of her video, Saskia said, "It blew up out of nowhere and blew my mind. But I loved it." Her advice to others is straightforward: "Tell people to get the ironing board out and save their back."
The Bristol woman's innovation comes as another savvy individual, named Claire, also shared a clever wrapping station idea this week. Her method, which also went viral, involved an ironing board, a broom, and two clothing hangers to create an organised gift-wrapping hub.
