Nikki Pursani has made it her mission to wrap gifts with flair and also with the environment in mind.
Pursani recently moved to Surrey and launched Wrapped by Nikki, a gift-wrapping service she created to “bring happiness and excitement” to the recipient by invoking the senses of sound, sight, smell, taste and touch.
“It’s all very new,” said Pursani, a newlywed who lives in the Clayton area.
“I never really gave gift wrapping much thought over the years – although I do enjoy wrapping gifts – until I came across a professional gift wrapper back home in the U.K., and that’s where it all started for me,” she added. “I decided to polish up my skills and take some courses in order to aid setting up my own professional gift-wrapping side business in beautiful British Columbia.”
Where possible, she uses eco-friendly/recycled wrapping papers and even upcycled old clothing.
• RELATED STORY, from 2015: Weird Christmas gift hunt in Surrey turns up some dillies.
Pursani has a message for retailers.
“Please make it easier for people to source eco-friendly/recycled papers by stocking them,” Pursani said. “As a gift-wrapping stylist, it’s not easy to source these products with ease.”
In time for Christmas, Pursani offers the following five gift-wrapping tips. For more, visit facebook.com/giftwrappingstylist or email wrappedbynikki@gmail.com.
• “Try to source eco-friendly/recycled paper wherever possible to help and do your bit for the environment. Did you know that when you purchase wrapping papers with designs, glitter, prints etc., it cannot be recycled and ends up in landfill? This is due to manufacturers not using environmentally friendly products and use toxic chemicals instead.”
• “Measure out your paper before wrapping your gift. Less is more! Place the gift on the wrapping paper and ensure there is enough paper to go around the gift ensuring that the sides can be tucked in before you cut the paper. Nothing is worse than having a gift wrapped with excess paper! Bonus tip: Use the left-over paper and create your own gift tags that match the wrapped gift.”
• “To ensure your gifts look neat and tidy, use double sided Sellotape instead of regular tape. Nothing can be more annoying than tearing through layers of sticky tape/Sellotape when opening a gift.”
• “When wrapping circular or cylinder-shaped gifts, try to use wrapping paper with a design on it. Using the pleating technique, you are then able to create a beautiful design to make your gift look wrapped neatly and professionally.”
• “Have fun wrapping gifts! Why not upcycle old clothes and create a different wrapping style. For example, the sleeve of an old shirt would make a perfect gift wrap for any bottle shape. Use old, clean tea towels to wrap smaller gifts.”
• RELATED STORY: Annual Surrey toy drive remembers boy who wanted every sick kid to have a Christmas gift.
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