HowYou Can Incorporate These Techniques Into Your Holiday Wrapping (NAPSA)—In Japaneseculture, the wrapping and presentation of a gift is often more important than the purchase. Christine Fritsch, gift-wrapping expert and previous winner of a national gift-wrapping contest, experienced this firsthand while living in Japan. “Through the many symbolisms used when wrapping—from how many folds are in the paper, to the color of the paper—I learned that wrapping the gift and the spirit in which it is done are just as important as the gift itself.” What makes Japanese giftwrapping so unique? Here’s some basic information about the art of Japanese gift-wrapping, along with some tips from Fritsch on how you can incorporate these ideas into your holiday wrapping. The Japanese word for “wrapping” is TSUTSUMI, which means “to refrain” or “to be discreet or moderate.” In essence, the Japanese style of gift-wrapping can be summarized as“less is more.” Following are some ways you ean achieve the “less is more” approach in your gift-wrapping: * Instead of wrapping paper with a festive design, consider using kraft paper or solid-colored wrapping paper. Sometimes the simplest-wrapped packageis the most visually appealing. * In lieu of bows andlots of ribbon, accentuate the wrapped package with nature elements, such as pine conesor holly sprigs. In Japanese gift-wrapping, pleats are made in the wrapping paper to symbolize the significance of the occasion. An odd number of pleats represents a happy occasion, while an even number of pleats signifies mourning or sadness. Try this technique to add an odd numberof pleats to your presents: Pleats are used in Japanesegiftwrapping to symbolize the significance of the occasion. Dress up your holiday gifts by putting an odd number of pleats on your wrapped presents. * Wrap the box as you would normally. * From the sameroll of wrapping paper, cut a piece of paper that’s roughly twice the size of what you needed to wrap thegift. * Fold the sheet of paper in half lengthwise. * Pleat the paper by folding the sheet “back and forth” along the longest edge, making each creased section approximately %-inch wider than the crease before. (Pleating paperis just like making a paper fan when you were a child.) * Wrap the strip of pleated paper around the box, and affix the two endsto the bottom with Scotch pop-up tape. To learn more about Japanese gift-wrapping, visit www.scotch tape.com. And if you want help wrapping your odd-shaped items this year, call the first-ever giftwrapping tips hotline at 1-866HOW-2-WRAP. Staffed by previous winners and contestants from the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest, the hotline will be open on December 23, 2003 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and on December 24, 2003 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
