Gift wrapping is part of the Christmas holidays experience

Historians tell us the tradition of gift wrapping began in ancient China when handmade paper was used to wrap gifts “symbolizing respect and reverence for the recipient.” Around the same time, in Japan and Korea, fabric was widely used for wrapping.

But the birth of commercial, decorative wrapping paper occurred in the United States, beginning in 1917. Hall Brothers was the name of a small printing and engraving business in Kansas City, Mo., that also sold greeting cards.

For the Christmas season, the Halls used red, green and white tissue paper to wrap gifts, as a service to their customers. But business was brisk. They ran out. J.C. Hall (shown below) asked his older brother, Rollie Hall, to see what he could find in the back of the shop.

 

Rollie brought up stacks of sheets of colorful French envelope linings, which they readily substituted as wrapping paper, and the idea was an instant success. People liked the geometric shapes, patterns, floral designs and Christmas motifs. The American market had not yet seen something like that.

Here is an assortment of modern envelope liner papers.

 

Hall Brothers was all in, introducing its first line of commercial wrapping paper by 1919. The little company transformed gift wrapping into a decorative art form. This innovation marked a turning point, making gift wrapping accessible, affordable and widely embraced in Western culture.

We know the business today as Hallmark, the industry leader in the manufacture and sale of greeting cards and gift-wrapping products.

 

Hallmark’s claim as being the first to market with gift wrappings was questioned by Eli Hyman and Morris Silverman, founders of Hy-Sil Manufacturing Inc. in the Boston area, which opened in 1903.

Once source said that “by the early 1920s, Hy-Sil was importing the latest in printed envelopes from France, metallic tinsel from Germany and silk ribbons from England. With these new gift-wrapping products, they began launching sales of small spools of the imported products in fine department stores.”

 

Richard Gurley Drew invented transparent cellophane tape in 1930, while working as a laboratory technician for 3M, based in Maplewood, Minn. 

The invention was a major asset during the Great Depression. Drew’s tape became a popular tool for repairing ripped, torn or broken items rather than buying new ones. Books, window shades, toys, clothing and even paper currency were mended with cellophane tape.

And it revolutionized gift wrapping.

A 1958 Hallmark film called “The Art of Gift Wrapping” featured a gift-wrap stylist called “Kaye King.” 

About 20 women traveled the country, posing as Kaye King in the 1950s and ‘60s, appearing at conventions and women’s groups, offering instruction about how to wrap beautiful presents with big bows.

The surprise factor is important, but gift wrapping is not just about “protecting and concealing a gift,” it’s a way of “creatively honoring” the person receiving it.

 

One of the biggest benefits in putting more time and care into the wrapping process is how much more special it makes the gift.

“Taking the time to carefully craft something with the particular person in mind can make all the difference,” said Tienlyn Jacobson, a fashion consultant based in Palm Springs, Calif. “In fact, this is how people interpret gifts.”

 

“Gift wrapping can actually be a craft – and there is truly no right or wrong way because it allows you to get as creative as you want. Some people even use wrapping to their advantage by sprucing up the item or making a good first impression.”

“There are even comical expressions made through gift-wrapping,” Jacobson said. “Take, for instance, the ‘box trick,’ where one gift is hidden in many different-sized boxes. This will thrill and excite most people, as they will have no idea of what you’ve given them.” The opening process can drag on, building suspense with each additional box-inside-a-box.

Then, of course, there’s the old “trick box trick,” when an article of clothing or a piece of jewelry, let’s say, shows up in a box that originally housed a power tool or home appliance.

Collectively, Americans are said to spend more than $12.7 billion annually on gift wrap products, though there are no precise, publicly available figures for just Christmas spending. This includes expenditures for gift wrapping paper, tape, gift bags, tags and other supplies that are largely discarded after use, with a significant portion ending up in landfills.

How to reduce the environmental impact is a challenge. Sustainable gift-wrapping suggestions are plentiful on the internet.