Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String (or pretty ribbon!)

Brown wrapping paper (aka Kraft paper), also used in mailrooms and warehouses for packaging, is chosen for its strength and durability. This coarse paper not only boasts strength, but is commonly chosen due to its high tensile strength – perfect for packaging and for wrapping presents. In modern society the consumer tends to choose more aesthetically pleasing wrapping paper which do not live up to the standard of the old classic brown wrapping paper. Newer more modern wrapping paper is thin, has very little tensile strength and is likely to tear after minimal handling. It is only down to clever advertising and consumerism that we have transgressed from brown paper packaging (tied up with string ) to this new flimsy substitute.

Brown paper (such as the Marland Kraft Paper featured) is stronger due to the kraft process which is also known as kraft pulping. The process involves the conversion of wood into wood pulp and the result consists of almost pure cellulose fibers. The wood chips are treated with a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, known as white liquor, which break the bonds that link lignin to the cellulose. This may all sound like a load of gobbledy gook, but it is this process combined with the materials used which makes the paper as strong as it is.

We understand how clever marketing managed to sway us; we chose pretty, yet poor quality paper over strong brown paper which can withstand heavy handling. It used to be that a brown paper package was exciting, tied up with traditional string or twine, in fact personally I still find this look far more appealing. However brown paper doesn’t have to be plain. Tie your parcels up with colourful ribbon or invest in some craft stamps and decorate the paper with all kinds of designs. I went to a children’s birthday party 2 weekends ago which was wonderful. We all felt as though we’d gone back in time; a ribbon treasure hunt in the fields, a homemade paper Mache piñata, home cooked biscuits, bread and quiche, it was fabulous and very inspiring as a parent! The icing on the cake was their party bags at the end – brown paper bags individually decorated (by the birthday boy) with a painted character! How lovely, this was then filled with a yummy slice of homemade strawberry and cream Victoria sponge!

Take advantage of our 44% saving on the Marland Kraft Paper pictured above which is also 100% recycled! Our price just £19.63!! As of 16/03/2011 - While stocks last!