This invention relates to a flexible and reusable gift wrapping enclosure or container, and more particularly to a new and improved reusable gift wrapping enclosure that is adjustable in length and size to contain different sizes of gifts in an aesthetically appealing manner.
A traditional aspect of gift-giving or gift-exchanging in many cultures involves concealing the gift within a decorative wrapping, which is usually decorative paper. Wrapping a gift in decorative paper adds to the recipient's pleasure and anticipation by creating an aura of beauty and mystery about the gift. Choosing decorative wrapping paper that matches the occasion further contributes to the generosity and pleasure of giving and receiving the gift.
Although wrapping the gift in decorative paper is a desirable enhancement to giving, receiving and exchanging gifts, the decorative wrapping paper is usually used only once and is then discarded as trash. This wasteful practice creates a variety of different environmental issues. The decorative wrapping paper is usually manufactured from wood pulp obtained from trees. More extensive use of decorative wrapping paper requires that more trees be cut and processed for paper production. Used wrapping paper which has become trash often ends up in landfills and contributes to the problem of waste disposal in general.
Another environmental issue related to traditional gift wrapping using decorative wrapping paper involves the common practice of wrapping the gift in a cardboard or other semi-rigid paper-product gift box. The gift box establishes a geometric shape which is more easily covered with the decorative wrapping paper. Many gifts have irregular shapes or are flexible in nature, which makes them difficult to cover with the wrapping paper in an aesthetic manner. Attempts to wrap odd-shaped or flexible gifts without first putting them into a box usually results in unsightly wrinkles, gaps in coverage, and possibly even tears in the decorative wrapping paper. On the other hand, placing the gift in a rectangular or other regular geometrically-shaped box allows the box to be covered with the decorative wrapping paper in a pleasantly appearing manner. Using a box when wrapping a gift becomes another requirement for giving and exchanging decoratively wrapped gifts in their most aesthetically pleasing form.
The boxes used to contain gifts also contribute to environmental issues. Boxes are typically made from paper, and the paper is derived from wood pulp. Wrapping a box which holds the gift also uses more decorative wrapping paper than would be used from wrapping the gift itself, because the box has a greater surface area which must be covered by the decorative wrapping paper. After the wrapping paper is removed and the gift is taken from the box, both the wrapping paper and the box are frequently discarded as trash. Using the box and the wrapping paper contributes to excessive consumption and waste disposal problems.
Wrapping a gift with decorative wrapping paper usually requires, in addition to the gift box, adhesive tape and a ribbon. The adhesive tape is required to hold the decorative paper in place over the gift box, and the ribbon is traditionally included to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the wrapped gift box. The adhesive tape and the ribbon also frequently become trash which must be discarded. The act of wrapping the box or gift with decorative wrapping paper also requires physical dexterity that young persons and those persons with physical disabilities or ineptitude may lack. Wrapping the gift is also time consumptive. In some circumstances, the decorative wrapping paper may not be sufficiently durable to resist tearing or pulling away. Under such circumstances, the aesthetic appearance of the decoration may be diminished and viewing the gift through a separation in the wrapping paper may provide a clue to the recipient concerning the nature of the gift. There are many other disadvantages associated with using decorative wrapping paper and boxes to give and exchange gifts.
One solution to some of the disadvantages of using decorative wrapping paper is to use a gift sack. A gift sack is a bag or container, typically made of flexible material such as cloth or paper, which is used to contain and conceal the gift. Use of the gift sack does not require wrapping the gift in decorative paper, since the gift is placed directly into the gift sack itself which is typically decorative. One disadvantage associated with using a paper gift sack is that it frequently becomes trash after the gift has been given. Another disadvantage of a gift sack is that it is typically sized and shaped to accept gifts of a certain size, or a limited range of sizes. If the gift sack is unduly large compared to the size of the gift, the gift sack appears out of proportion from an aesthetic standpoint and can even be mistaken as empty. Sometimes the gift sacks have a non-closable opening which requires additional decorative papers to be placed into the gift sack to conceal the gift within it. Other types of gift sacks which have a closable opening are still sized and shaped to accept gifts of a limited range of sizes.
Many gift sacks, particularly those made from fabric, lack a convenient location to affix a gift card which identifies the intended recipient and the person giving the gift. Cards are often affixed to decorative wrapping paper with adhesive tape. Gift sacks which are made from fabric usually do not permit the tape to adhere sufficiently to the fabric to prevent the card from becoming disconnected from the gift sack. Cards can also be attached by using a ribbon or string, but there must be a place for the card to be attached to the gift sack, and there must be some method of attaching the card to the gift sack. Although the ribbon or string can be attached to the card by extending it through a hole punched in the card or in an envelope for the card, the gift sack generally does not have a convenient way to attach the ribbon or string. Consequently, the ribbon or string may be permanently sewed or attached to the gift sack, which can create a relatively unaesthetic appearance if the ribbon or string is not used.
The present invention relates to a gift wrapping enclosure which is made of materials which allow it to be repeatedly reused to avoid the undesirable effects of consuming important environmental resources, which is adjustable in size to accommodate different sized gifts while creating an aesthetic appearance regardless of the size of the gift, which does not does not create an empty appearance if the size of the gift is relatively small, which conveniently holds and retains a gift card, which does not aesthetically detract from its appearance if a gift card is not used, which does not require a box to contain the gift to establish an aesthetic appearance, which completely surrounds and encloses the gift without gaps or openings that detract from the aesthetic appearance and provide an opportunity for an early discovery of the nature of the gift, which provides different aesthetic appearances depending upon its condition of use, which can be cleaned to prolong its useful longevity, which is easier and less time consuming to use, and which improves a reusable gift wrapping enclosure in general while overcoming many of the disadvantages in the prior art.
In accordance with these and other features, one aspect of the present invention involves a gift wrapping enclosure in which to give and exchange a gift. The gift wrapping enclosure includes a main body formed of flexible material and having an interior and at least one open end providing access into the interior. The interior receives the gift. The main body also includes an interior surface adjacent to the interior and an exterior surface opposite from the interior. A channel is formed in the main body adjacent to and circumscribing the open end. A constriction element is located within the channel for constricting the main body at the channel to close the open end. The constriction element also expands the open end to provide access to the interior and to the gift within the interior. A cuff surrounds the open end and is formed by folding an end portion of the main body back over the exterior surface. The cuff exposes a portion of the interior surface at the location where the end portion of the main body segment is folded back over the exterior surface. The folded back end portion of the main body which forms the cuff includes the channel and the constriction element.
Other and additional subsidiary aspects of the gift wrapping enclosure may include some or all of the following. The length of the end portion of the main body which is folded back to form the cuff is selectable in length, to constrict the main body adjacent to gifts having different lengths. The constriction element may comprise a drawstring having free ends which extend from opposite ends of the channel and which can be connected together to maintain the constriction of the main body and to close the open end. The interior surface has one of a color, texture or material which is different from the respective color, texture or material of the exterior surface adjacent to the cuff. A pocket is attached to the exterior surface for receiving a gift card, and the pocket has one of a color, texture or material which is different from the respective color, texture or material of the exterior surface. The main body is formed by a first sheet of flexible material forming the exterior surface and a second sheet of flexible material forming the interior surface, and the first and second sheets of flexible materials are respectively different in at least one of color, texture or a material characteristic. The pocket is formed of essentially the same material as the second sheet. The first and second sheets of material are durable fabric which permits multiple continued reuses of the gift wrapping enclosure.
Another aspect of the invention involves a method of delivering a gift using a gift wrapping enclosure. The method involves inserting the gift within an interior of a main body formed of flexible material and having at least one open end providing access into the interior and also including an interior surface adjacent to the interior and an exterior surface opposite from the interior. An end portion of the main body is folded back over the exterior surface to form a cuff. A portion of the interior surface is exposed at the location where the end portion of the main body segment is folded back over the exterior surface to form the cuff. The main body is constricted at the cuff to close the open end and confine the gift within the interior, and the main body is expanded at the cuff to provide access to the interior for removing the gift.
Other and additional subsidiary aspects of the method of enclosing the gift may include the following. The opposite free ends of a drawstring located within a channel adjacent to the end portion of the main body are pulled to constrict the main body at the cuff. The amount of the end portion of the main body selected to fold back over the exterior surface form a cuff which is selectable in length. The length of the cuff is adjusted to constrict the main body adjacent to gifts of different lengths and to reduce space within the interior not consumed by the gift.
Another aspect of the invention involves a method of changing the appearance of a gift wrapping enclosure. The method involves inserting the gift within an interior of a main body formed of flexible material and having at least one open end providing access into the interior and also including an interior surface adjacent to the interior and an exterior surface opposite from the interior. One of a color, texture or material characteristic of the inside surface is different from the respective color, texture or material characteristic of the exterior surface of the main body. An end portion of the main body is unfolded which has previously been folded back over the exterior surface to form a first cuff. The exterior surface is placed adjacent to the interior of the main body while the interior surface is simultaneously placed at the outside of the gift wrapping enclosure. Thereafter, an end portion of the main body is folded back over the interior surface which is at the outside of the gift wrapping enclosure to form a second cuff of the exterior surface adjacent to the interior surface at the outside of the gift wrapping enclosure. A portion of the exterior surface at the location where the end portion of the main body segment is folded back over the interior surface at the outside of the gift wrapping enclosure forms the second cuff. The main body is constricted at the second cuff to close the open end and confine the gift within the interior. The main body is expanded at the second cuff to provide access to the interior to remove the gift.
Other aspects of the invention, and a more complete appreciation of the present invention, as well as the manner in which the present invention achieves the above and other improvements, can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly summarized below, and by reference to the appended claims.
A gift wrapping enclosure 10 which embodies the present invention is shown in
Drawing more of the free ends 34 and 36 of each drawstring 30 and 32 from the openings 38 and 40 causes each cuff 26 and 28 to constrict in a ruffle-like configuration and thereby close off the open ends 16 and 18, as shown in
A pocket 46 is one important feature of the gift wrapping enclosure 10 and is attached to the exterior surface of the central portion 24 of the main body 12. The pocket 46 allows a gift card 48 to be inserted into the pocket 46, as shown in
To retrieve the gift item 42 from the interior 14 of the gift wrapping enclosure 10, the gift-recipient unties at least one bow 44, as shown in
One important feature of the gift wrapping enclosure 10 is that the amount of the end portions 20 and 22 of the main body 12 which form the cuffs 26 and 28, respectively, can be adjusted in accordance with the size of the gift item 42, thereby creating a neat and aesthetic appearance of the gift wrapping enclosure 10 with the gift item 42 confined within it. For example, as shown in
In a related manner, the cuffs 26 and 28 can be unfolded to cause the end portions 20 and 22 to become part of the central portion 24, as shown in
Although not shown, one of the cuffs could be unfolded into the configuration shown in
Thus, the cuffs 26 and 28 with the drawstrings 30 and 32 which extend from the cuffs 26 and 28 can be advantageously used to shorten the overall length of the gift wrapping enclosure 10 to accommodate a relatively short gift item, and to lengthen the overall length of the gift wrapping enclosure 10 to accommodate a relatively long gift item. Such adjustability in size of the gift wrapping enclosure 10 assures a desirable aesthetic appearance.
Another important feature of the gift wrapping enclosure 10 which creates a desirable aesthetic appearance is that the cuffs 26 and 28 are made of a contrasting color, material characteristic or texture compared to the exterior surface of the main body 12. The contrasting color, material characteristic or texture is represented in
The pocket 46 is also preferably made of a contrasting color, material characteristic or texture compared to the exterior surface of the main body 12. The contrasting color, material characteristic or texture of the pocket 46 also contributes to the aesthetic appearance of the gift wrapping enclosure 10.
The gift wrapping enclosure 10 is preferably made of flexible material which can be connected, such as fabric material which can be sewn or stitched, by following the sequence of manufacturing shown in
Preferably, the main body 12 is made up from two generally rectangularly-shaped sheets 52 and 54 of fabric material, as shown in
The patch 56 is attached to the first fabric sheet by sewing at a seam 58 (
The openings 38 and 40 are thereafter formed through the second fabric sheet 54, as shown in
The fabric sheets 52 and 54 are brought together in overlaying contact with one another, with the eventual desired exterior surface of both fabric sheets including the patch 56 to the inside, as shown in
Channels 76 and 78 for containing the drawstrings 30 and 32, respectively, are formed between the fabric sheets 52 and 54 adjacent to the finished ends 72 and 74, respectively. The channels 76 and 78 are completed by sewing the fabric sheets 52 and 54 together at channel seams 80 and 82, as shown in
Drawstrings 30 and 32 (
The longitudinal edges 84 of the fabric sheets 52 and 54 are brought together with fabric sheet 52 again facing the interior. The longitudinal edges 84 are sewn together at longitudinal seam 86 to create the general tubular shape of the main body as shown in
The cuffs 26 and 28 are formed by folding the end portions 20 and 22 over the exterior of the main body 12, as shown in
The main body 12 can also be turned completely inside-out. In this circumstance, the color, texture or material characteristic of the second fabric sheet 54 constitutes the main external appearance of the gift wrapping enclosure 10, while the color, texture or material characteristic of the first fabric sheet 52 is exposed at the cuffs 26 and 28. When the main body 12 is turned inside-out in this manner, the openings 38 and 40 in the cuffs 26 and 28 are not exposed, but face inward toward the central portion 24 of the main body 12 beneath each of the cuffs 26 and 28. Nevertheless, the cuffs 26 and 28 can still be constricted by pulling the free ends 34 and 36 of the drawstrings 30 and 32 to create the ruffle-like appearance. This circumstance is similar to that previously described in conjunction with
As an alternative to making the entire second fabric sheet 54 of the same type of material, a strip of contrasting fabric 88 is attached at the end portions 20 and 22 of the second fabric sheet 54, as shown in
Attaching the strips 88 of contrasting fabric at the end portions 20 and 22 of the second sheet 54, as shown in
As an alternative to attaching the fabric strips 88 to the center portion 90 of the second sheet 54, the fabric strips 88 could be attached to the first sheet 52 on the inside side of the first sheet 52 that would normally be adjacent to the second sheet 54 (as understood from
The appearance of the gift wrapping enclosure can also be changed by turning the gift wrapping enclosure 10 inside out. Doing so reverses the contrasting color, texture and/or material characteristics of the cuffs 26 and 28 and the pocket 46 relative to the central portion 24 (
In addition to its utility for wrapping gifts, the gift wrapping enclosure 10 addresses environmental concerns by reducing natural resource consumption. Because the gift wrapping enclosure 10 is reusable and formed of sturdy durable fabrics, the need for decorative wrapping paper and boxes within which to contain gifts is diminished. Furthermore, by reducing the amount of disposable trash created by using decorative wrapping paper and boxes, the amount of landfill space that would otherwise be taken up is diminished.
The gift wrapping enclosure 10 is adjustable in length to accommodate a variety of differently sized gifts. The gift wrapping enclosure 10 has aesthetically pleasing contrasting colors, textures and material characteristics which enhance its desirability for use, and its colors, textures and material characteristics can be changed by reversing or turning it inside out. The pocket 46 forms an advantageous vehicle to attach and enclose a gift card for the recipient.
The significance of these and other improvements and advantages will become apparent upon gaining a full appreciation of the ramifications and improvements of the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the invention and many of its improvements have been described with a degree of particularity. The detail of the description is of preferred examples of implementing the invention. The detail of the description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.