The Christmas hack that makes my tree look like it's full of presents

While some people have called the hack "superficial", others have pointed out it could actually be a life-saver during the cost-of-living crisis.

The festive season is scarily close, meaning it's time to start thinking about... yes, you guessed it, buying presents. 

But with budgets tighter than ever for most families (hello cost-of-living-crisis, my old frieeeend) it may be harder to create that *Christmas magic* for your little ones this year.

Enter - Macy Blackwell, a mum of two and home decor enthusiast who has cracked the code to ensure your kids have a smile on their faces come Christmas morning, no matter what your wallet permits. 

And it all comes down to a few hacks that create the illusion that you've bought more presents than you actually have! 

From using large boxes to strategically block off any sneak peeks from the side to the 'never stack, always lean' rule... lets get into her five genius tips. 

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Image: TikTok

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Five hacks to make it look like there's more under the tree

Taking to her TikTok, Macey shared the now-viral clip to her 1.9 million followers. 

"How to make it look like there's more under your tree," she said while standing next to her impressive present display. 

She then shows how she maneuvers the tallest presents to the sides of the tree to obstruct the view of the empty spaces behind them. "Use the biggest boxes to block off the sides and the back of the tree," she advises. 

Next up, she says to, "Keep the presents at the front of the tree." Then, "use different types of paper and mix them together to make it look like there's visually more."

She then instructed viewers to, "Never stack! Always lean presents up against each other to take up more surface area."

She adds, "Wrap absolutely everything, even stocking stuffers. And wrap things in as many boxes as you can." Macey also suggests keeping the boxes your deliveries come in, to avoid buying gift boxes. 

Lastly, "Fill stockings with whatever fits comfortably and anything leftover can sit out beside the stocking."

She concludes the clip by saying she's used these methods "for the last eight years to make the most out of what gifts we have."

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"WHY DOES IT MATTER??????"

Immediately, a lot of people asked things along the lines of 'Why does it matter?'

"Is this important?" one viewer questioned. "This is clearly for rich people that care what others think of them."

Another claimed, "This is why people shouldn’t compare what they have to a social media post. As they’re not real!"

"Sad to see that some people seem to forget what Christmas is truly about," a different person wrote. 

But lots of other commenters jumped to Macy's defence, pointing out the benefits of the nifty parenting hack. 

"'Why does it matter?' Have you ever seen your child’s face light up when the tree is FULL of gifts and they see real-life Christmas magic? That’s why," one user clapped back.

"Realistically, It’s every kid's dream to wake up to a bunch of presents so this is a great idea!" a different fan wrote.

Then this person said, "This woman is only trying to help mothers out there who probably feel guilty that they can't get their kids the gifts they wanted, so she’s just helping."

Originally published as The Christmas hack that makes my tree look like it's full of presents