Engaging the senses - the art of gift-wrapping

By involving all five senses during the unwrapping of a gift, you can create a fun occasion and magnify the feeling of anticipation. Here are some easy ways to ensure your loved one enjoys their gift before they even find out what it is by engaging their senses with the gift wrap.

The first impression of a present is of its appearance. Wrapping with beautiful material is a timeless way to make something special. Capture the eye with dazzling patterns and bold colours using paper or fabric. Metallic elements and other shiny finishes will catch the light.

You can make your own wrapping paper with a collage of magazine cutouts or patchwork cloths. When kids are helping, use little gold hand-prints to cover the gift with love.

Engaging the sense of smell is a wonderful way to add another dimension to your gift exchange. Olfaction is strongly linked to memory, so you can invoke some positive feelings with the right scent.

• Perfume in the card is always nice, but there are many other ways to involve the nose. You could tie a cinnamon stick to the ribbon or throw in some coffee beans.
• A hidden tea bag or rose petal sachet adds a beautiful scent to your gift and is very stylish.
• Essential oils like lavender or rosemary can also be spritzed onto your tissue paper for a delicate finish.

Including taste to your gift wrap is easier than you might think, and it adds a special feeling of luxury to the occasion.

• No one objects to having Hershey's Kisses or Starburst candies affixed to their present.
• For the young at heart, wrap a gift with Fruit by the Foot candy. Small gifts like jewelry or crystals can be buried in a jar of jelly beans for a unique treasure hunt.

Adding plenty of tissue paper to a gift gives that distinct crinkling sound that everyone loves to hear. Cards with sound recordings have become very popular, and sleigh bells tied to a package always give a ring of joy.

Tearing open a present is the last part of the buildup before the gift is revealed. The feel of removing an outer layer is somewhat archetypal, reminiscent of peeling a fruit or unwrapping a chocolate bar.

Having to untie ribbon provides a playful challenge for the receiver and will have onlookers sitting on the edges of their seats. Concealing the true shape of the gift brings humour and keeps everyone guessing.