A GUIDE TO GIFT-WRAPPING THE PENHALIGON'S WAY
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Published 500 days ago
20 min read
What could be better than bestowing perfume upon your beloved? Bestowing it wrapped in the most delightfully old-fashioned fashion, of course!
‘Sticky tape’ was simply not an option back in Mr Penhaligon’s day, and we see no need for it today. (What’s more, it’s kinder to the planet to use ribbon.)
Here follows your step-by-step guide to wrapping gifts the Penhaligon’s way.
THE WRAPPING
The trick here is not to have too much wrapping paper. The more paper you have, the clumsier your present will look – and that will never do. Follow the techniques below to wrap to perfection.
STEP 1
Select a sheet of wrapping paper a little more than twice the size of your perfume box.
STEP 2
Lie your box flat upon your paper – front side down.
STEP 3
Loosely fold your paper around your box, fully covering it. Pull the paper back a little to realign it. The paper should meet itself around the box with no excess – literally just touching.
STEP 4
Measure 1 to 2 cm from the side of the box where the paper meets, and make a mark. Cut a clean line where you have made the mark. You now have a piece of paper of the right width to work with. Tickety-boo.
STEP 5
Fold an inch of the paper in on itself to create a neat edge on the side.
STEP 6
Leaving two inches above and below the box, trim the gift wrap once more.
STEP 7
Fold the trimmed paper around the box, centering the seam.
STEP 8
Fold your open edges inwards, making clean creases around the box.
STEP 9
Repeat on both sides, folding the edges down and making creases as you go.
STEP 10
Fold the points down until they make a neat triangle on both sides.
THE COACHMAN'S KNOT
A coachman's knot is a knot at the end of a length of ribbon that can be used as a handle. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, all packages would be wrapped this way and carried off to well-heeled clients by their coachmen. At Penhaligon’s, it’s a tradition that lives on today. Here’s how it’s done.
STEP 1
Pull enough ribbon so that the middle meets the folds at the top of the box and spills over the sides onto the table.
STEP 2
Wrap the ribbon fully around the box once.
STEP 3
Holding the ribbon together, make a quarter turn and wrap the ends around the box on the other sides.
STEP 4
Pull together at the top.
STEP 5
Measure out a length of ribbon one-and-a-half times the length of your box.
STEP 6
Tie this piece of ribbon to the ribbon on your box to secure it in place.
STEP 7
Tie a second knot in the ribbon, approximately six inches above the box.
STEP 8
Tighten the knot to make a handle.
STEP 9
Snip the ribbon at a diagonal angle above the second knot.
STEP 10
Voila! You have a traditional coachman’s knot.
PS.
Don’t forget – for the most impeccable gift presentation of all, Penhaligon’s offers a complimentary in store gift wrapping service.
