The Gift of Gifting

The family-owned stationery and gifting business has been in the Valley for more than 47 years. Mother and daughter team Judy and Nancy Silver opened the store in 1978 in Scottsdale and immediately received positive feedback. Shortly before Judy Silver passed away in 1994, her younger daughter, Betsy Hendricks, joined the business.

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Since then, Nancy and Betsy have run The Paper Place, serving generations of customers and providing the community with bespoke stationery and services, including party planning and invitation-making. “I think one of the reasons we have been around so long is because we go above and beyond for our customers to add that extra touch,” Hendricks says.

Like most anyone, you’ve probably experienced frustration when your vision of a perfectly wrapped gift is marred by too much or too little paper, unwanted creases or tears. Store manager Linda Anderson gives us a tutorial on wrapping a gift perfectly every time.

“It’s more exciting when you get a beautifully wrapped gift. It increases the anticipation of what’s inside,” Hendricks says.

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We would also like to take a moment to honor the kind spirit of Nancy Silver who passed away shortly after our visit to the store. Nancy was an ICONIC figure in our community and her legacy will live on through the incredible business she began with her mother years ago and her love and dedication to helping animals, which inspired her to start the Two Pups Wellness Fund. She is survived by her loving sister and brother, Betsy Silver Hendricks, and Bob Silver. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made in Nancy’s honor to the Two Pups Wellness Fund to continue her legacy: twopups.org.

STEP 1:
Wrap the paper around your gift until the edge of the paper is in line with the edge of the gift. Tape the paper to hold it in place.

STEP 2:
Fold the remaining paper over to fully cover the body of the gift. Tape the paper down.

STEP 3:
Cut any excess paper from the sides to avoid bulkiness and unnecessary creasing.

STEP 4:
Turn the gift so the side is facing you. Put your hand in the center of the gift’s edge and push the paper down. This should give the paper the look of an “n.”

STEP 5:
From there, crease the edge of the paper and fold it into the gift.
STEP 6:
Make another crease to the unfolded part of the paper.

STEP 7:
Repeat Steps 5 and 6 on the unfolded corner.

ICONIC TIP: The less tape used during this part of the process, the better.

STEP 8:
Once both sides have been folded and creased, you should be left with excess paper in the shape of a trapezoid.

STEP 9:
Bring that piece to the already folded edge and tape it down.

STEP 10:
Repeat Steps 3-9 on the unwrapped side of the gift.

STEP 11:
Flip the bottom of the gift so it faces upward, and wrap the ribbon from the bottom of the gift to the top side of the present.

STEP 12:
Take the excess ribbon and twist it with the ribbon still on the spool until it is perpendicular.

STEP 13:
Wrap the ribbon still on the spool around the present, creating a “t” on the bottom side.

STEP 14:
Measure the ribbon to match the side that’s already cut.

STEP 15:
Tie a bow with the ribbon.

STEP 16:
Fold the end of the ribbon in half and make a diagonal cut.