Gift Wrap
How do I care for my wraps?
To maximize the life of your wrap, we recommend washing on delicate or regular cycle, cool water, and tumble dry low or even better (for longevity and the planet)- hang dry. You can iron them on a cotton setting! They have been previously washed in a non-fragranced, biodegradable, non-toxic laundry powder, so no surprise shrinking or scents!
What size do you need for gifts?
This will come with some practice! However, a general rule of thumb is the wrap should be about three times larger than the gift. If you have a large gift, just grab a sheet and get creative!
Do you have recommendations for tags?
We have used fabric strips with a fabric marker and homemade nametags cut with pattered scissors from brown paper grocery bags. I’m currently experimenting with a few other ideas! We would enjoy hearing how you upcycle items for tags!
What are some other ways you can use these?
These wraps are inspired by Japanese furoshiki wrapping. A quick google search of Furoshiki styles can lead you to endless possibilities. Some suggestions we’ve entertained include bandanas, drool bibs for toddlers, loveys for babies, reusable napkins, wrapping bouquets, table runners, place settings, fabric wall art, knotted bags to organize small items in larger bags, purses and tote bags, superhero capes for beloved stuffed animals… if you discover a way to repurpose them, please share with us so we can share with others!
Do I give the wrap with the gift or ask for it back?
That’s up to you! It can be a part of the gift, and the recipient can visit our website listed on the label for instructions on how to use! Or you can gift it within a family or circle of friends, using it over again, thus promoting memories tied with the wrap and your people. Our family’s plan is to use the same wraps within our nuclear family and gift the wraps to our children when they leave home as a way to cherish memories and continue the cycle if they wish!
Why are there imperfections?
Real life: most of these were made late at night, or between cups of coffee and mothering small children. In the peace-filled crevasses of life. We are medically trained, and hobby seamsters; but making something useful from something cast off that nourishes others’ lives brings us great joy. So, fueled on coffee and passion, these wraps are made by hand in tiny moments of grace, with my mother’s old sewing machine, on Thomas’ grandmother’s old dining room table.
Why don’t you have consistent patterns?
We only use secondhand textiles, choosing from thrift stores, hand me downs, and donations; depending on the size of the textile, we can make several wraps from each. Upcycling discarded fabric is a corner piece of what we do, therefore, each piece is unique and limited.
What does your company name mean?
The Fullness Thereof is inspired by Psalm 24:1-6, specifically verse 1, which reads, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein…” We believe in a covenantal stewardship with the earth and with each other, as evidenced when God created the earth and all that dwells therein (Genesis 1-2).
In what ways are your personal values embedded in your company?
Our motivations are to tend the earth, to treasure memories, to motivate one another to wholeness, and to honor God’s provisions.
1. Reduce single use paper and plastic
This is for both economic and ecological reasons. America spent over $3.2 billion in 2018 on gift wrap (based on research by Hallmark), and this doesn’t include accessories like cards, ribbons and tape. The vast majority of this ends up in landfills. Gift wrap is thin, full of ink and often plastic pieces, which makes it difficult to extract fibers in recycling, therefore most of it is unable to be recycled.
2. Alleviate the burden of suffering
By reducing waste, we reduce our carbon footprint. Developing nations typically have the smallest carbon footprint yet bear the brunt of economic and ecologic hardship. The Fullness Thereof wraps exclusively use upcycled textiles obtained by secondhand means to give them another life, reducing the risk they’ll head for the landfill to join their disposable gift wrap counterparts. Furthermore, we maximize the use of leftover fabric, by either making other items or turning the scraps into companies that recycle fabric.
A goal of ours is, if the Lord grows this platform, we plan to allocate profits towards alleviating an aspect of human suffering. Stay tuned!
3. Create cumulative memories
By repeatedly gifting to your families and friends with reusable wraps, the wrap itself nurtures memories. Imagine a family opening birthday presents year after year in the same reusable wrap, or a group of friends exchanging holiday gifts in the wraps they received the year before. The depth of these memories is cultivated repeatedly.
4. Nourish intentional relationships
The repeated use of wraps fosters memories and connections, causing us to intentionally consider a small action such as gifting as a larger deposit into the recipient’s life. Also, we foster a pay-it-forward mentality as we gift to the recipient both the gift and the wrap, connecting dots of intentional giving between people. A friend told me she sent a gift to Israel in a Fullness Thereof wrap! This wrap’s destination is blessing people we may never meet this side of heaven, instead of a landfill.
5. Encourage creativity
The wrapping itself encourages the gifter to think “outside of the box” with embellishments, tying or wrapping methods. A favorite embellishment at the moment is dried flowers or greenery. As our Creator is by nature creative, we’ve all been handed down a bit of creativity, and we get excited about encouraging this!
6. Honor God
Certainly, of the most importance. We believe one way we can honor God is by honoring his creation, his people, his handiwork, and walking in His Way. Loving each other through gift giving is one way to foster relationships and care for one another; it’s a practice that crosses cultures. We can honor the gift of the earth our Father has given us through a respectful heart and nurturing spirit towards the earth, by reducing single use waste and rescuing textiles from landfills.
The Fullness Thereof 