Gift wrap made me do it

It can be such a let-down to spend a lot of time and money picking out the perfect gift and then get stuck having to wrap it up in fat Santas or cartoon chipmunks saying, “Happy birthday!”

Washi, traditional Japanese wrapping paper, makes presenting a gift as elegant and tasteful as whatever is inside. (Or more so. There’s no reason you can’t show up with a 6-pack of edible panties wrapped in fancy paper.)




Styles vary from cute and girly to bold and gilded to dramatically understated. How chic is that striped one on the end?



Rolls are available for $7-$16 at Kinokuniya Japanese bookstore on 6th Ave. between 40th and 41st, across from Bryant Park.