A Gift for Wrapping

Vicky Mihara Avery competes in national gift-wrapping competition

SAN FRANCISCO — If your idea of gift-wrapping is a decorative paper bag, then prepare to be awed by Vicky Mihara Avery from Paper Tree in Japantown. Avery won the title of first runner-up at the 11th annual Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest in New York City on Nov. 30.

Avery, one of eight hand-selected competitors, made it to the final elimination round after wrapping, among other things, a snowboard with boots and bindings attached in eight minutes. In the third and final round, Avery competed one-on-one in wrapping a giant 2008 Yamaha Phazer Snowmobile, eventually bowing out to Janet Smith, a wrapper from Bloomingdale’s.

“I was so happy when I made it to the last round,” said a beaming Avery, who is Japanese American. Her ease and skill in paper-wrapping is clear, as she laughs freely while demonstrating various techniques and steadily cutting perfect arcs from plain paper.

Avery stresses elegant and simple gift-wrapping, utilizing a variety of Japanese techniques, such as paper angling, layering, pleating and emphasizing folds. She also promotes the use of fabric in wrapping, or furoshiki, for easy handling and beautiful presentation. “It’s also a very green wrapping technique, since the fabric is meant to be returned to the owner,” Avery said as she wrapped wine bottles using furoshiki.

Avery’s family grew up in Japantown as fourth-generation San Franciscans and continues to run Paper Tree, the family business. Paper-folding runs in her blood, as her grandfather wrote an early book on origami. According to Avery, her family is “one of a handful of second generation families to continue business here in Japantown. It’s nice to do something fun that we enjoy.”

Her family’s expertise in paper-wrapping has taken them far beyond Japantown. “My sister and I have been really lucky,” says Avery, explaining that her sister’s origami work, such as her interconnected paper crane piece, have been displayed in museums. As for Avery, she displayed her gift-wrapping technique on the Martha Stewart Show in a “Wrap/Rap” episode with P. Diddy.

And she shows no signs of slowing down, especially during this time of year. Avery will run three classes on Japanese gift-wrapping in San Diego on Dec. 7 and will then be back in New York to appear on Good Morning, America on Dec. 17.

For people intimidated by gift-wrapping this holiday season, Avery has a clear message: “It shouldn’t be stressful — it should be fun. It doesn’t have to be super creative — just add a few simple touches.”

Paper Tree is located on 1743 Buchanan Mall in San Francisco, or at paper-tree.com. Avery’s work can also be viewed at origamiworkshop.com. Her DVD, The Japanese Art of Gift-Wrapping, is available on either Web site or on Amazon.com.