It’s a Wrap

from December 2020 Issue Painting World Magazine

Passing the Paintbrush

By Diane Marie Kellogg

Who doesn’t love

a brightly wrapped present, all glittery and dripping in ribbon, topped with a multitude of bows?! Have you ever wondered who first thought of wrapping gifts?

In researching, I have found that fabric was used to wrap presents as far back as 57 BC, Korean folk religions, who began the practice. In ancient China gifts of money were wrapped in paper, forming an envelope called chih pao. These were made from bamboo fiber and rice straws. It was common during the Victorian era for wellto-due folks to wrap their gifts. Perhaps credit should be given to the founders of Hallmark® for the popular wrapping paper we use now. The Hall brother’s ingenuity brought forth the wonderful swathes of colorful paper by coming up with their own designs and marketing them to a willing society. They introduced the modern printed paper in 1917. Paper wrap is often made from wood pulp, bleached, and then printed. Kraft paper, similar to grocery bags, is not bleached, hence the color.

Today, Western culture often includes ribbons, bows, and tags. In Chinese culture, packages wrapped in red often symbolize luck, health, and happiness. In Japan, the use of wrap and bows is quite common however a traditional cloth wrapping called furoshiki, from the 1600s, offers an ecological alternative. Gift wrap has become a big business worldwide. Sales of gift wrap and related accessories topped 15.1 billion in 2018. Wrapping gifts is a year-long event, with birthdays and Christmas some of the most popular events for giving gifts. Decorated gift bags have joined the gift-wrapping world, making it easier for those who just can’t wrap a package. Tags and ribbons are just as popular. The well-decorated package is often considered part of the gift. Studies have shown that gift wrap has a positive effect on the receiver. One of the drawbacks to all this wonderful paper is the fact that 4 million pounds of paper end up in landfills each year. Reuse and recycling can be an answer. Alternative methods of wrapping gifts have become popular with the ecologically minded. Fabric used both in pieces and sewn into bags, has become popular. The opportunity for the creative mind allows for a fun foray into the world of gift wrap. We have so many options available to us to create our own personalized wrap. Homemade paper can be made using recycled paper and You-Tube tutorials. Ready-made craft papers such as drawing paper, vellum, and others can be

stamped, stenciled, colored even hand painted. Tags are also fun to create, you can find them in paper, wood, and tin versions, to name a few, ready to decorate. The samples below were made using cling stamps, stamp pads, acrylic paint, stencils, and various papers.