Wrapping Paper

Wrapping a holiday gift can be as much fun as purchasing and giving it. Gifts have been wrapped since 105 AD, the time of paper invention. In China the entire paper making process was considered sacred and kept a secret. Giving the secret of making paper to someone could be punishable by death. The history of wrapping presents for Christmas did not flourish until the Victorian period. Since that time, it seems like the gift wrapping business has soared and soared in popularity! During the Victorian period giving Christmas gifts was considered a privilege for the wealthy. The lower class did not participate in the holiday ritual. The wrapping paper of that time was elaborately printed and topped with ribbons and laces. It was also too expensive for the lower class to purchase. Some of the paper had pictures of houses in the snow, fireplaces, robins, angels, holly boughs, churches, and St. Nicholas. The printing press had developed to the point that mass quantities of durable paper could be produced in a short period of time. Because the paper was so sturdy it was difficult to bend and wrap boxes with; but the end result was worth the pain. In the United States gift wrapping began to be popular in the early 1920’s. Plain tissue paper in red, green, and white had been used prior to this time. The tissue paper was flimsy and sometimes the colors would bleed. Wrapping paper often fell off of the gift or tore before the gift giving process actually occurred. The industry leader in gift wrap is the Hallmark Company. Yes, Joyce C. Hall, the founder of the company invented the greeting card and the wrapping paper we use today. Today’s paper is still durable but easily folded. The actual invention of Hallmark’s wrapping paper was an accident and not an invention.The Hall Brother’s store sold out of the tissue paper during the holiday season of 1917. Decorative envelope liners, made of elaborately adorned paper, began to sell for wrapping use. The liners had been purchased from a French factory. At ten cents a sheet they were snapped up quickly. The next year the Halls displayed the same style of envelope liner wrapping paper at three sheets for twenty-five cents. The marketing plan was a success and followed for many years to come. Today consumers garnish packages with self-adhesive ribbons, matching gift cards, and bows of metallic. The pattern options and color selections are endless. The wrapping paper business pulls in millions of dollars with most of their sales occurring in late November or the entire month of December. Hallmark remains the industry sales leader in wrapping paper. Nothing is prettier that a pile of beautifully wrapped boxes underneath a Christmas tree. Wrapping paper has been around a long time and there are many different papers you got your color wrapping paper, your festive wrapping paper and many other styles of paper. All wrapping paper really is is just speacialy made paper with designs on it.