Friday 14 December 2018

December 14th and the Brown Paper Packages.................

.......................tied up with...................ribbon.

I have actually got some Christmas wrapping paper - some saved from presents, a few folded new sheets and  a roll from a car boot sale last year - but also had a roll of brown paper from several years ago - it's moved house twice - and loads of ribbon.
It was about time it was used


 I've been dipping in and out of this library book

which is an interesting book about the history of all the customs we take for granted. Including the wrapping of presents.

Many of the first gifts were hung on a Christmas tree and were edible and these were often displayed in paper cornucopias, which was just a cone of paper or card and filled with sweets or dried fruit.(Mentioned in 1832 when a German professor, teaching at Harvard took the idea to the USA) Paper cornucopia could be made at home but soon shops were selling specially printed paper for making the cones.

In the well known engraving of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their family dating from 1848, the presents under the tree were not wrapped and there is no mention of wrapping presents until much later.


The Outkast Group – Monday Musing: The Brief History of ...


By 1882, the wealthy were importing "Dresdons" these were boxes made from card that had been pressed, shaped  and lacquered to look like tin  and were in the shape of animals, ships, sun, moon etc. and were often more expensive than the gift inside, and made the unseen gift more mysterious.

Wrapping of presents followed the Victorian approach to decorating their homes, with boxes to put things in and tables, chairs sideboard etc all being covered. It was the Victorians who first had cases for gloves, handkerchiefs, spectacles and folders to hold writing paper, covers for matchboxes and bags for nightgowns and their  early wrapping paper was just the brown or white paper that all shops used to protect their customers purchases on the way home. As late as the 1880's a British children's book describing a German Christmas explained, as though it would otherwise not be understood that "Every present is wrapped up in paper and labelled from Mary to Jane, or Jane to Mary, as the case may be"

After the industrial revolution and mass production, shop bought gifts often replaced home made and wrapping became more popular showing a bit of care and love had been taken with the gift. Just like nowadays the manufacturers responded to the new trend by producing more colourful wrapping and then printed labels.
I'm hopeless at wrapping Christmas presents, just like card writing I start with good intentions but then finish in a hurry so  one of the good things about giving hampers is that no wrapping is necessary. For a couple of years I found hamper baskets at boot sales, I've also used boxes and covered them in cellophane. This year I had an excellent find............. a man was selling these new bags for £1 each or bargain of 2 for £1.50. Much more useful for using after Christmas.....................


......................as long as  no one minds shopping with bags with random advertising - but they'll have to like it or lump it as my Mum used to say!

 I much prefer prefer jute bags for shopping as they are so much easier to pack compared to cloth bags where I usually get the handles tangled with the shopping, hopefully the family will agree.
 Everything should fit in nicely.

Back Tomorrow
Sue

33 comments:

  1. I love to see parcels wrapped in brown paper and tied with a brightly coloured ribbon. The jute bags are a great idea. I once gifted a hamper in one of those plastic trugs just so it would get as much use as the contents and it was very well received. X

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    1. It seemed silly to keep buying hamper type baskets from car boot sales that were not really useful after Christmas. I'd like to find cheap proper baskets but they are never cheap enough

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  2. That sounds an interesting book - I never knew that in Victorian times the presents were completely unwrapped (not good if you coveted the little horse on wheels and got the windmill instead!) I remember doing brown paper wrapping which the children stamped with boughten Christmas stamps and a stamp pad. That was fun. Until the grandchildren arrive (hopefully there WILL be some) a little of the Christmas magic has dissipated.

    I've just bought some (cheap!) woven baskets for the foody part of Christmas gifts for my 3, who are all grand cooks.

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    1. It is a good book but I wouldn't want to read it straight through.

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  3. I love seeing brown paper packages, so simple but really nice, I love that lump it or like it saying, and I am sure they will like it.

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    1. I started off stamping the paper with a gold "Happy Christmas stamp" but like all my good intentions gave up after one present!

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  4. Very interesting. As for the bags the Hogsback is the road between Farnham and Guildford which we travel on occasionally. Surrey rather than your Suffolk. We like using the jute bags for shopping. Well done with some present wrapping. I've started but must press on with it. Happy Christmas.

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    1. Yes I've travelled the Hogsback as it's near eldest daughter who lives in Ash

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  5. You win the prize for eco friendliness as brown paper is recyclable and Christmas wrapping paper is not so well done.

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    1. It's the foiled wrapping thats not recyclable, all the rest I can use for fire-lighting

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  6. The cotton bags to pack the presents are a good idea. I am resuing some pretty bags I have had for ages. I think you book is interesting I have been looking for a similar book for my daughter.
    Hazel c uk

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  7. A lovely idea Sue, as long as they are not advertising blooming Tesco!

    LX

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  8. I like the jute bags with flat bottoms for giving food presents. It's a good idea as any jars of homemade chutney etc can stand upright.

    I never relish the 'delight' of wrapping presents whether it's for birthdays or Christmas, but it has always been my 'job' even now with my disability. It's done over a few days as I can only manage two or three before I get back ache with bending over and the Paracetamols are always on stand-by, lol. With tokens I make envelopes to fit from the decorated paper you get with card making, but that is a sit down job, so not too bad.

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  9. I must admit I no longer enjoy wrapping presents Sue. This year I am really behind with the task. As G is still in pain and we have to keep going out walking to ease it, I simply don't have any 'me' time to relax into wrapping presents. Your brown paper ones look lovely and the jute bags are a brilliant idea. Have a lovely Christmas, Angie x

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  10. PS I forgot to say I really love your Christmassy header photo x

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  11. I don't wrap pressies any more. Buy gift bags, put the gifts in, scrumple up tissue paper on top and that's it. Looks nice, and takes a few seconds for each one.

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  12. I bought my friend this book a couple of years ago as she loves christmas, The Country Diary Christmas book that i mentioned i had bought her when you mentioned it in a previous post she absolutely loves it she said it's such a relaxing read i received an email from her just as i was reading this pos and its just come at perfect time as she has just had her last most aggressive chemo treatment , I found that if i wrap a couple of presents at a time instead of doing then all in one go i tend to do a better job all wrapped with bargains bought throughout the year too xxx

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  13. I've done the opposite this year Sue.....used up as much as I can of any printed wrapping paper and saved the brown paper for next year when all gifts will be wrapped in it and tied with red and white string. I think it looks lovely.
    Hugs-x-

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  14. I am using wrapping paper left over from last year, we do have loads of brown paper if we run out, I can always jazz it up with a couple of festive stamps. Book looks interesting.

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  15. Thinking that the pre-Victorians might have given up on putting edibles on the tree for the same reason I did: my dog ate a hand-made Christmas ornament of a granddaughter's baby hand print. Didn't even think about the fact that it was made from dough, but evidently the dog was more perceptive. Sigh.

    On another note, be careful about burning coloured paper as the inks used in printing it (as well as those used in magazines and newspaper inserts) can put off toxic fumes. Our chimney sweep always reminds us about this.

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  16. Your presents look lovely in brown paper. I have a huge roll of lavender coloured paper left over from my gift shop that gets used when I have no inclination to buy specific occasion paper ... luckily the reverse side is brown so I can use it either way. I also used to sell the little square jute bags in my shop with either green or lavender handles and trim, with no advertising at all on them. At Christmas time I sold them with a gold bow and a Christmas tree decoration on the handle for people to use them as hampers.

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  17. Presents look great! I'm terrible at wrapping presents. I hate doing it too. I remember Christmases past where we would be wrapping on crazy on Christmas Eve. Thankfully I'm a little more organised and actually have some done before that lol. I like bags too. A lot easier.

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  18. That Christmas tree looks very carefully pruned to space out the branches so evenly I wonder if that was accurate, or whether it was artistic licence.

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  19. I actually found a few sheets of Christmas wrapping-paper on top of the recycling bins, a few days ago - better quality than I could afford - great, just enough for my presents! I also saw a box of Christmas decorations left in the street with a notice saying to take as not needed by owner; I didn't need anything but how lovely to do this for others!

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  20. You are beating me Sue as I’ve not wrapped a thing yet, though have don’t most of the cards still have a few to post. I’m just not very organised, what’s new I never am!

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  21. What a coincidence! Just this minute sat down after using up the last Xmas paper and experimenting with printing on the roll of brown paper for the rest! The printing did not go well so I may just go with the rolls of cheap red ribbon I got from The Works (£1 for 5 meters). I remember in the late 1950s early 1960s lots of cardboard boxes with a holly print of them being around? Our recycling collection left a leaflet this morning about not putting "glittery paper or ribbons" in the green bin.

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  22. I like your brown paper presents and think they look very nice. In our family when we get desperate for wrapping paper we use the comics from the Sunday paper a or brown paper bag usually drawn on to "personalize" it especially as we hardly ever can find ribbon in that situation.

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  23. Thank you so much for the history of wrapped gifts. Very interesting.

    God bless.

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  24. That was a nice story about the wrapping of presents. I enjoy wrapping gifts, but now are using more bags. It is so much easier and there is no waste. The bags get used over and over again. I hope you have a peaceful Christmas, Sue.

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  25. I love wrapping presents but I fear the more awkwardly shaped ones baffle me. I think it's the sight of them under the tree that makes my heart sing - it's a lovely sight.
    xx

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  26. I use lots of gift bags too, so much simpler. Thank you for the book recommendation--added to my list! I do a presentation every year on Christmas carols and traditions and am always seeking new information to add.

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