Wrapsody: beautiful bespoke gift wrapping
Personalised presentations from sheet music to Japanese cloths
’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, wrapping paper was scarce and there was no ribbon about. If that situation sounds all too familiar, new London-based wrapping service Wrapsody will be a blessing. Not only that, but the company also specialises in beautiful bespoke wrapping (from £3 to £40).
“The process begins with clients describing their recipient’s interests,” says founder Kirsten Westlake. “For a customer’s opera-loving husband, for example, I wrapped his presents in the sheet music of his favourite arias. And for a keen gardener, I tied fresh herbs and flowers into the ribbons.”
Similarly rustic requests have seen Westlake reach for brown paper, red ribbon and embellishments such as nuts, pinecones, twigs and green foliage for a seasonal touch. Designs with maps (first picture, centre), feathers, silk scarves, clothes pegs and lace have also been created. A recent example was for a winter wonderland-themed event, where Westlake worked in an icy palette of silver, blue and white and layered lace with ribbon and finished it off with a sparkling vintage-style brooch (second picture).
Wrapsody also uses a 400-year-old Japanese technique called Furoshiki to cloth-wrap presents in material such as a Liberty peacock print secured with a vintage brooch (third picture). “I recently wrapped embroidery kits as a present for someone who was ill, and used a fabric with a swimming-carp motif to symbolise strength, with knitting needles as decoration to tie in the craft theme,” says Westlake.
As for gift-wrapping logistics, the company collects clients’ bulging bags of presents to transport to its gift-wrap HQ in Hampstead (by Wrapsody or courier, price on request). Beautifully wrapped presents can be returned in as little as a day, and to make life easier customers are encouraged to arrange for online orders to be delivered direct to the Wrapsody elves. And should the Grinch try to cause problems, Wrapsody is fully insured.
Christmas Eve will never have been so calm – or stylish.