Posted on 23 December 2025 by Jeff Fuge | Reading time 1–2 mins
Unrolling some Christmas wrapping paper, I found a wonderfully handy grid on the back that makes measuring and cutting it a snip. Inspired, I penned a poem that celebrates this simple new idea and imagines how it came about.
At the wrapping paper company
The boss had turned red
As she barked “WE NEED NEW IDEAS!”
And the team scratched their heads
“And don’t say embossing!
Or gold-foil blocking!
We do it already
(Though the cost is quite shocking)
And we’ve a range using glitter
And one with glossy spots
One that feels just like silk
And one that does not
So, what can we do
To ensure our gift wraps
Stand apart from the rest
And roll ahead of the pack?”
The boardroom fell silent
Everyone stared into space
Then one hand went up
It was an intern called Grace
“Your wraps all look lovely
But the thing you’ve not tried
Is also printing your paper
On the inside!”
Heads turned, eyebrows raised
The boss’s chin hit the floor
“But how will THAT make us money
Not simply cost even more?!
Besides, wrapping paper
Is solely about
The side with the pattern
And that’s the side facing OUT!”
Grace agreed “Yes, on a present,
That inside will be hid
But I’m not talking fancy patterns
Just dotted lines in a grid
’Cus cutting wrap neatly
Is a real headache at times
But you could get it spot-on
With the help of these lines
No more haphazard cutting
And wrap going wonky
Where even great gifts
End up looking shonky!”
Grace knew people love things
That save time and fuss
(Or prevent them from looking
Like a gift-wrapping klutz)
So, here’s to the ideas
That you only find when
You think of your customers
And what matters to them.