That’s a Wrap

How was Christmas?  Did you get what you need?  We ’70s types know you can’t always get what you want.

Whatever you got, how was the wrapping?  Some folks make present wrapping a work of art.  Around our tree we are careful unwrappers and favourite papers get saved and used again next year and the year after.

If you follow this blog you will realize I have been known to save little pieces of paper that are well designed or feel typical of a moment in time. Over the years I’ve occasionally done this with swatches of Christmas wrapping paper, sometimes when a piece was being retired from active duty. Now there are enough examples to show you styles I find appealing.

There are 19th century textiles that are very similar to the holly leaf (and just as bright). The little Christmas tree feels Scandinavian.

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In the 80s small patterns were particularly desirable.  The stylized mistletoe and the plum pudding were papers that got reused year after year.

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Christmas trees rendered in several styles.

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Creatures in flight;  the golden geese was a Canadian design.

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Some sophisticated, grownup designs.

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And some sophisticated informal designs and cats.

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What do you think?  Wrapping paper is often carefully designed but intended to be discarded after use. What a loss.

 

About the author

Stephen Archibald

It’s Stephen Archibald doing the noticing. I’m a huge fan of Nova Scotia’s material culture and cultural landscapes. Twitter (@Cove17 ) made me realize I could share what attracted my attention (perfect for my very short attention) and I’m gratified when folks enjoy my content. Pleased to meet you on the internet.

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