‘Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house, every creature is wrapping a tie or a blouse. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but when it comes to the gift wrap, there’s little hope there.

The presents are nestled all snug in a bag, waiting for paper, a ribbon, a tag. And Mom in her sweater and Dad in his cap, have just settled down for a short winter’s wrap.

When out in the kitchen there arises such a clatter – Dad’s wrapped in tape and the paper’s all scattered. Away from her presents Mom flies in a flash, to throw the crumpled mess into the trash.

Sound familiar?

Every Christmas Eve, people turn their kitchen table into a production line, taking perfectly nice gifts, slapping nondescript paper on them and turning them into, well, boxes wrapped in nondescript paper. Inevitably, someone gets a finger caught trying to tie a bow. Tape ends up sticking to gifts, the table, the floor, socks, the wrapping paper, even the dog. It’s a mess, and your gifts deserve better than that.

This year, give them your wrapped attention.

It doesn’t cost any more to make the outside look as good as what’s inside – it could cost less – and a pretty package doesn’t have to take all day to wrap. A little planning is all you need. It took planning to pair up that red ribbon with the green paper, after all. This isn’t much harder, and you don’t have to be crafty to do it. However, you do have to think outside the box, or in this case, the roll.

It all starts with the paper. It doesn’t have to be red and green, either. If you prefer a busier print, pick something striking – big, old-fashioned Santa faces; bright candy canes; bold, vibrant stripes; wild Pucci-inspired prints – and set it off with a complementary bow. If you have a small gift, use a sheet of beautiful stationery paired with a gauzy chiffon bow or a piece of raffia. Feel like a dancing queen? Re-create that disco-ball effect with Mylar wrap.

Sometimes, the simplest, least-expensive wrap looks the best. Brown kraft paper is attractive, costs next to nothing, and can be dressed up easily. Even paper bags can work. Ditto for newspaper. A sheet of newsprint paired with a big, red bow looks festive, not cheap. Plus, it’s a great way to recycle.

Plain, solid-color wrapping paper looks great with a boldly printed bow, of course. But, as it worked for Regis Philbin’s wardrobe, monochromatic works for gifts too. Think Reege – blue box, shiny blue bow, lighter blue tag. You can also dress up plain paper by

painting stripes on it, attaching paper snowflakes with rubber cement (it’s flexible, so folding won’t ruin the snowflakes). Feeling sparkly? Once the package is wrapped, use a cotton swab dipped in glue to make a heart or star or polka dots and then sprinkle with glitter.

If you have a strangely shaped gift, it may be easier to use fabric to wrap it. If it’s a cooking item, try wrapping it in a kitchen towel tied with a ribbon and an accessory such as a small wire whisk, peeler or bottle opener. Lengths of regular fabric cut with pinking shears are attractive and much easier to wrap around that tall bottle of balsamic vinegar.

For a long time, tissue paper has been the underwear of gift wrap – it stays on the inside and people don’t see it until they unwrap their presents. This year, be scandalous. Wrap your gift in tissue and nothing else. Sure, people may blush, but tissue is pretty, inexpensive and available in every color imaginable. Try a base of white tissue and wrap a strip of colored or metallic tissue around it. Tie it all up with raffia or ribbon and add a sprig of juniper, pine or dried flowers.

Natural accents, either tied in with a bow or attached directly to a package, add a little extra flash without being tacky or time-consuming. Try bittersweet, evergreen clippings or dried hydrangea, all ubiquitous in Maine. If you want a gift that smells as good as it looks, tie on a sprig of rosemary, a cinnamon stick or a few bay leaves.

If the natural look isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Just stick to the basics – wrap, bow, tag. You can use anything to tie up a package. A cascade of curling ribbon can take the place of a bow. Raffia, either real or fake, is simple and attractive. Fabric ribbon makes a full, beautiful bow, but tends to be more expensive than the ubiquitous florists’ ribbon. Wire ribbon holds its shape well, but again costs more. Twine or jute in brown or green is a simple, unexpected foil for lavish wrap or plain kraft paper. For an alternative to the bow, try weaving ribbon into a plaid pattern over your gift.

Don’t forget the tag, either. It’s the who’s who of gift wrap, literally. This is a good way to recycle last year’s Christmas cards or use up scraps of paper. Does your paper have stars on it? Make star-shaped silver tags. Or, you could forgo the tag altogether and write the recipient’s name on the package with a metallic marker, a gel pen or glitter.

It is what’s on the inside that counts, but everyone wants to unwrap the prettiest gift first. Remember, waiting till the last minute is not a good idea – even Wal-Mart has nothing to choose from on Dec. 24. Besides, who wants to wait in line for an hour to buy a roll of ugly wrapping paper and some ribbon?

This year, plan ahead. Use your imagination. Be a wrap star.