Before the Red Suit

The Original. The Beloved. The One Before the Marketing Campaign.

Before the red velvet suit was standardised. Before the department store grottos. Before the Coca-Cola campaign that fixed a specific image of Father Christmas in the global imagination forever. There was this — a generous, knowing old saint with magnificent white beard and warm, wise eyes, sketched in confident pencil strokes on aged parchment by an artist who understood the actual magic of the man rather than the commercial version of it. Before the Red Suit is christmas wrapping paper that goes back to the source — the original Father Christmas, drawn with the specific warmth and reverence he has always deserved, before anyone decided what colour his coat should be.

For the Christmas That Predates Everything Convenient About It

There is a specific kind of Christmas appreciation that Before the Red Suit speaks to — the one rooted in genuine cultural and historical curiosity, in the understanding that Saint Nicholas was a real and remarkable figure long before he became a seasonal marketing asset. The Victorian sketchbook quality of the illustration honours that history with genuine artistic respect — the loose pencil marks, the botanical sprigs, the faded cursive script fragments all conspiring to create premium christmas wrapping paper that feels genuinely antique rather than merely vintage in aesthetic.

Pencil on Parchment. The Most Honest Christmas Illustration.

The pencil sketch style of Before the Red Suit achieves something that polished digital illustration never can — it carries the specific warmth of a human hand making marks on paper with genuine intention. Every line in the Father Christmas portrait was drawn rather than generated. Every botanical sprig was composed rather than placed. The aged cream parchment base gives every mark the quality of something that has been kept and treasured rather than recently produced. This christmas wrapping paper is premium gift wrap as genuine artistic document — the most honest, most historically resonant rendering of Father Christmas available on any roll of wrapping paper anywhere.

The Saint. The Story. The Original Christmas Wrap.

Our design is the definitive choice for those whose Christmas is rooted in genuine tradition rather than commercial convention — who want their gift wrapping to carry the full historical and artistic weight of a figure who has been bringing joy to the world for far longer than any marketing department has been taking credit for it.

Perfect For Every Occasion

• 🎄 Christmas Gifting — The most historically resonant and artistically distinguished christmas wrapping paper in the collection — Father Christmas as he was before anyone decided what he should look like commercially.
• 🎨 Art & Illustration Lovers — The pencil sketch quality and Victorian illustration style make this an instantly meaningful christmas wrapping paper for anyone who finds genuine beauty in the craft of hand-drawn illustration.
• 📚 History & Culture Lovers — Premium christmas wrapping paper that carries genuine cultural and historical depth — for the recipient who appreciates knowing where things come from and why they matter.
• 🥂 Premium & Thoughtful Gifting — Warm, considered, and carrying the quiet authority of something genuinely old and genuinely important — christmas wrapping paper for the gift that deserves the most considered presentation in the room.

Styling Tips

🎀 Ribbon — Wide pewter or gunmetal satin introduces a cool, considered contrast against the warm parchment base — understated, sophisticated, and allowing the extraordinary pencil illustration beneath it to remain the complete and undisputed centre of attention.

🏷️ Gift Tag — A aged cream card tag with faded ink script lettering — or simply "From: Father Christmas. Before the red suit." written in a careful Victorian hand — the most perfectly considered gift tag message in the entire Christmas collection.

🌿 Embellishment — A sprig of dried holly, a small pine cone tied with natural twine, or a loop of aged linen ribbon beneath the bow — antique, organic finishing touches that honour the Victorian botanical detail already woven through every inch of this extraordinary christmas wrapping paper.

✨ Pro Tip — Before the Red Suit pairs magnificently with Père Noël and A Gilded Christmas for a gift table that celebrates the full historical arc of Father Christmas illustration — from the pencil sketch original through the crimson toile scene to the Victorian gilded tree — three designs, one extraordinary tradition of Christmas artistry told across three rolls of premium christmas wrapping paper.

Please Note: Colors may vary slightly between your screen and the final printed product due to individual monitor settings.

Key Features

• Premium 90 gsm fine art paper
• Tear-resistant wrapping paper
• Glossy or matte finish available
• Ships rolled in protective tubing

EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY

Product information: Generic brand, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC

Care instructions: Use a soft, clean, and dry cloth to gently brush any dust or dirt off from the center of the product outwards