At two of Denver’s longstanding blue-ribbon stature shops, experts extoll the virtues of presenting a well-wrapped present.

With the winter holidays, gift giving heats up. Whether giving a gift card or something significantly more difficult to wrap, the presentation of a present counts.

“The gift wrapping is the exclamation point on the gift,” said Rosie Wiedenmayer, owner of The Paper Lady, a shop on the quaint block Old South Gaylord Street in Denver.

Wiedenmayer is not the original paper lady, but she worked for her and eventually bought the store about 18 years ago.

“I’ve always loved paper, the art of corresponding and entertaining,” Wiedenmayer said. “In our fast-paced, crazy world, there is a space for gift wrapping. When you receive a nicely wrapped gift — and it doesn’t have to be super elaborate — you feel special, wanted, that people see and appreciate you.”

Giftwrap by nature is ephemeral. A carefully wrapped gift typically is torn apart in an instant. Except, granted, by the fastidious few who carefully remove giftwrap, smooth it out and save it to repurpose.

The practice of wrapping gifts is ancient and evolved from the Far East. In the U.S., the Hallmark Company launched the giftwrapping industry.

“There are the big paper companies, but there are tons of small paper companies, and every one of them offers wrapping paper,” Wiedenmayer said.

GIFTWRAP PRODUCTS A MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR INDUSTRY

A Grand View Research market analysis report estimated the global wrapping products market value at $18.02 billion in 2023 with a projected value of $31.31 billion by 2030.

“Gift wrapping seems here to stay,” Wiedenmayer said. “There are wrapping papers and ribbons for all the seasons, all the holidays — right now Christmas and Hanukkah — all the occasions: weddings, baby showers, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries. And people use these gift-wrapping materials for scrapbooking and decoupaging and other crafts, too.”

HOME GIFTWRAPPING ROOMS ON TREND

While some people are absolutely giftwrap averse, others embrace the task wholeheartedly with home wrapping stations or even gift-wrapping rooms.

“This is especially big when people do a remodel, and these gift-wrapping rooms or stations are often close to an office or a laundry room,” Wiedenmayer said. “They’re often on a lower level, stocked with rolls of wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, the whole gamut. I’d definitely love to have a gift-wrapping room!”

She relishes the slowing down required by wrapping a gift, and she’s prone to adding panache to even the smallest present.

“Our world is so fast-paced we barely sit down to drink our coffee or slow down enough to tell people how they impact us. Giving a gift should be fun. It doesn’t need to be a bar of gold,” she said. “I once wrapped a ribbon around a Diet Coke for a friend who loves Diet Coke, and she was beside herself. It’s the little things.

“GIFT WRAPPING SHOULD BE FUN”

This warm fuzzies from giftwrapping works both ways. Psychologists have suggested that wrapping gifts can elevate one’s mood.

Despite the temporary nature of the beauty, Wiedenmayer emphasized the value and the demand.

“You’d be surprised how many people call and ask about gift-wrapping service,” she said. “It seems to be prevalent. People want to bring in their gifts to be wrapped, and I don’t offer that service, but I probably should.”

FARMING OUT GIFT WRAPPING

The Artisan Center in Cherry Creek North recently added gift-wrapping service for items purchased within the store or not. A three-tier fee depends on the item’s size.

Easter Illingworth, a multimedia artist, is one of the shop’s most talented gift wrappers.

“I’m passionate about gift wrapping,” said Illingworth, employed at The Artisan Center in Cherry Creek North for the past seven years. “Ever since I was little, I really liked to wrap gifts. I used to wrap gifts for my parents, things that already belonged to them, like, ‘Here, Dad!’ and it would be his screwdriver giftwrapped.”

At the Artisan Center, Illingworth creates fanciful packages using a plethora of supplies.

“We have all the materials. Ribbons are my best friend,” Illingworth said. “It’s a pleasure to work with florist’s ribbon because it’s very durable and has a nice spring to it so it will stand up like a blossom. I like to use scissors to curl ribbons. I like using twine for a rustic look. And I definitely mix different ribbons and use a bunch on one piece.”

One of the most challenging items Illingworth has wrapped was a windchime: “It didn’t fit in a box, so I used bubble wrap and then wrapped it in tissue and then in wrapping paper, wrapping it like a burrito and then added ribbons.”

GIFT-GIVING IS A LOVE LANGUAGE

Customers enjoy watching the gift-wrapping process, Illingworth said.

“It’s like they’re hypnotized,” she said. “And so many people say, ‘I’m the world’s worst gift wrapper.’ And I say, ‘Well, you have a lot of competition, because a lot of people say that’.”

Illingworth emphasized that gift-giving is a love language: “It’s fun making things look pretty and presentable and to have the recipient excited to open them. I wouldn’t say gift wrapping is a dying art, but you don’t find many places anymore that offer the service.”

And while many opt out of giftwrapping in favor of a gift bag, Illingworth isn’t a fan.

“I have a disdain for gift bags. To me, it says I didn’t know how to wrap or I didn’t have time so I plopped it in a bag,” said Illingworth. “If you do use a gift bag embellish it somehow to make it more personalized.”