How to wrap a plant for Christmas

Christmas plants have one extra problem: they sit under a tree for a week before anyone opens them. Poinsettias sulk in the cold, amaryllis bulbs topple, and cellophane turns a fir into a damp mess by the 27th.

The answer is an open-topped wrap, a late trip to the boot of the car, and somewhere warm to sit indoors until it's handed over.

We don't sell plants - we make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK. So this is a straight guide to the wrapping, and the card to send with it.

The rule that applies every time

• Wrap the pot, never the plant. Paper comes up to the rim and stops there.
• Tie at the rim with ribbon or twine so the foliage stays completely free.
• Tape a circle of card over the soil with a slit for the stem, so nothing spills in the car.
• Water lightly a day or two before, never on the day.
• Tuck the card into the ribbon rather than taping it to the pot.

Christmas wrapping that suits a plant

• Kraft paper and red tartan ribbon - warmer looking than shiny foil and it hides a nursery pot.
• Hessian with a sprig of real fir and a cinnamon stick tucked under the twine.
• A plain gift bag in one colour with tissue packed around the pot and the leaves left out of the top.
• White paper with green twine if it's going somewhere with a modern, quiet interior.
• Skip glitter entirely. It ends up in the soil and on every leaf.

Keeping it alive until Christmas Day

• Poinsettias hate the cold - a ten-minute walk from a cold car is enough to drop the leaves.
• Don't store a wrapped plant in an unheated porch, garage or conservatory overnight.
• Keep it away from radiators and away from the tree lights, which are warmer than they look. Shop this card
• Wrap it on Christmas Eve, not the week before, so it isn't sat in paper for days.
• If it has to travel, take it in the footwell with the heater on low, not in the boot.

What to write on the label

• Happy Christmas - keep me somewhere bright and let me dry out between drinks.
• Merry Christmas. This one is harder to kill than it looks. Shop this card
• Happy Christmas - a bit of green for January, when the tree's gone. Shop this card
• Water me on Sundays and I'll still be here next Christmas.

Shop Christmas cards

How to write it so it lands

• Wrap on Christmas Eve, not the weekend before.
• Carry it in the footwell with the heater on, never the boot.
• No glitter - it gets into the soil and never comes out.
• Write the watering instructions on the back of the card.

Where to shop next

• How to wrap a plant for Mother's Day
• How to wrap a plant for Valentine's Day
• How to wrap a plant for Easter and spring
• How to wrap a plant for a birthday
• How to wrap a plant as a gift
• Plant gifts UK
• What plant to give for each occasion
• How to keep a gifted plant alive
• Gift wrapping ideas
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges

Frequently asked questions

How do you wrap a poinsettia as a gift?

Wrap the pot only, in kraft paper tied at the rim, and leave the top open. Poinsettias drop leaves in the cold, so wrap late and keep it indoors until you hand it over.

Can you put a wrapped plant under the Christmas tree?

For a day or two at most, and only if the room is warm and it gets some daylight. Anything longer and it's better sat on a windowsill with the card next to it.

Should you use cellophane on a Christmas plant?

No. It traps heat and moisture, and a plant sealed in cellophane for a few days in a warm room starts to rot.