Making paper: traditional Japanese gift wrapping gets a modern German twist

Gift giving has reached new heights with the launch of Wrappu, a one-stop shop for visual junkies the world over. Wrappu was born out of a desire to bring a renewed appreciation for paper craft into a more contemporary context, celebrating a family heritage of bookmaking in the process.
Headed by Munich-based graphic designers Ngaire Wex and Micha Kumpf – the former having specialised in book design and calligraphy for many years while Kumpf’s father and grandfather were bookbinders – Wrappu was founded when the pair were left inspired after a trip to Japan where the country’s attention to detail in both product packaging and presentation spurred them on to create their own. The name itself is a nod to these origins, a play on the Japanese word for ‘wrap’.
Wrappu papers, printed in Germany using Pantone ink
Placing itself firmly at the intersection of culture and design, Wrappu blends influences from East and West and from the old and the new. While the paper is printed in Germany using Pantone ink on 100 per cent recycled card, the varied paper designs and forms (like pyramids and prisms) find its inspiration from the world over, specifically Australia, Asia and Europe – places the duo have called home in recent years.
Available in a range of colours like apricot, slate, ultramarine and yellow, Wrappu proves that it’s not just what you give, it’s also about how you present it, serving as a gentle reminder that the tactility of paper is now more important than ever before in our fast-paced digital world. That is, if you have a special message to share.
Colourways include apricot, slate, ultramarine and yellow
Varied paper designs and forms (like pyramids and prisms) find inspiration from the world over
Wrappu proves that it’s not just what you give, it’s also about how you present it
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Wrappu website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
Creativity leaps the screen at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s record-flying roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
The modernist home of musician Imogen Holst gets Grade II listing
The daughter of the composer Gustav Holst lived here from 1964 until her death, during which time the home served a locus for her own composition work, which included assisting Benjamin Britten
By Anna Solomon Published
-
This fun and free-spirited photography exhibition offers a chromatic view on the world
‘Chromotherapia’ at Villa Medici in Rome, explores how we view colour as a way of therapy, and how it has shaped photography over the last century (until 9 June 2025)
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Johanna Seelemann and Robert Damisch use design as a tool to carve a future for the craft community of their homeland
Designers Johanna Seelemann and Robert Damisch tell us about their 'fascination for unravelling the objects that we might take for granted' and finding an answer to unite both craft and design
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
‘Nike: Form Follows Motion’ surveys 50 years of the Swoosh’s era-defining design
‘Nike: Form Follows Motion’ at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, curated by Glenn Adamson, is the first-ever museum exhibition dedicated to the sportswear giant
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
SlowMo eases digital mental health therapy into daily life
SlowMo is a new mental health support app developed by design studio Special Projects and King’s College London that uses visual prompts to combat unhelpful thoughts
By Martha Elliott Published
-
The brutalist designs of Berlin-based studio Vaust
Multidisciplinary Berlin studio Vaust digs deep into the German capital’s weighty brutalist legacy to create impactful designs and interiors
By Mary Cleary Last updated
-
Mark Dalton on helping people navigate a pandemic through design
Design Emergency began as an Instagram Live series during the Covid-19 pandemic and is now becoming a wake-up call to the world, and compelling evidence of the power of design to effect radical and far-reaching change. Co-founders Paola Antonelli and Alice Rawsthorn took over the October 2020 issue of Wallpaper* – available to download free here – to present stories of design’s new purpose and promise. Here, Alice Rawsthorn talks to creative director Mark Dalton
By Alice Rawsthorn Last updated
-
World View: Letter from Germany
Our World View series shines light on the creativity and resilience of designers around the world as they confront the challenges wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Working with our international contributors, we reach out to creative talents to ponder the power of design in difficult times and share messages of hope. In Berlin, designers have embraced the slower pace of life and developed a stronger appreciation for community and environment, writes Emily McDermott MORE FROM WALLPAPER* WORLD VIEW
By Emily McDermott Last updated
-
In memoriam: Wim Crouwel (1928-2019)
By Elly Parsons Last updated
-
V&A Museum’s new map navigates seven miles of gallery space
Anyone who has ever found themselves waylaid in the V&A will welcome the addition of a new map, and nearly 400 signs, comprising 60 totems, 130 hanging signs as well as an entirely new signage at gallery thresholds
By Elly Parsons Last updated