Reisterstown Native to Compete in National Gift Wrapping Contest

Just weeks ago, Reisterstown native and gift wrapping enthusiast Angela Choi had no idea competitions for her beloved hobby existed.

For Choi, wrapping gifts is a creative escape from a full-time job as a Baltimore City police officer, where “thinking outside the box” isn’t exactly encouraged.

However, thanks to a load of artistic talent and one sneaky friend, she’ll be one of eight finalists competing for a $10,000 grand prize at the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest in New York on December 2.

Scotch selected the finalists from submissions that came from across the country. Each application included sample photos of the nominee’s work and a short essay describing why that person is so unique and creative in their wrapping ability.

Considering Choi didn’t even know she was nominated, you can her imagine her surprise when Scotch came calling with the good news.   

“They just called and said, 'guess what? you’re a finalist in the Scotch Brand most gifted wrapper contest.' I was like, ‘oh, ok!’” Choi said. “I asked how it happened. They said your friend Sharita nominated you.

“I’m really excited. I never knew that there was a competition for gift wrapping. Now, I’m looking forward to it.”  

Choi’s friend, Sharita Moore, who lives in New York, said that instead of writing an essay, she wrote a poem that compared Choi’s gift wrapping to the Mona Lisa and other famous works of art.

While Moore probably figured getting her pal into the competition would be a long shot, she knew this contest would be a perfect chance for Choi to showcase what she loves to do.

“She’s always liked giving gifts to friends,” Moore said. “She’ll wrap them elaborately and she likes to give creative gifts like that. She’s very meticulous. She does everything perfect.”

In her persuasive nomination, Moore also mentioned Choi’s use of origami as something that made her gift wrapping all the more unique. Hopefully, it will also come in handy when the judges in New York determine the eventual champion based on originality, creativity and appearance.

“I always loved folding origami as a little kid,” Choi said. “I always decorate the boxes with little things rather than doing the typical bows and ribbons. A lot of my friends and family think that it’s very unique and can give a little special touch.”

One twist in the contest is that the items chosen for wrapping aren’t your typical normal-sized gifts. Instead, Scotch Brand challenges its competitors with unusually large-sized gifts like snow sleds and gumball machines.

Choi said the largest present she’s ever wrapped is a three-and-a-half foot tall toy pony she purchased for her nephew.

As surprised as she was to learn of the competition, Choi’s friends, family and co-workers are even more shocked to find out she can actually win some serious dough from it.

“They laugh at me,” Choi said of the feedback she’s received. “They’re like, ‘you’re kidding, right?’ I’m like ‘no, really’. But, they are very supportive. Every morning at work I find something unusual on my desk that they tell me to wrap. It’s been entertaining at least.”  

In just a couple weeks, however, entertaining can turn into seriously rewarding if Choi bests the other seven finalists—four professionals (who wrap gifts for a living) and three amateurs like herself—and bring home the prize.

“Everything I do, I put all my effort into,” Choi said. “So, I was surprised when I found that I was in this, but, yeah, now that I’m in it I want to win it. $10,000 is a lot of money.”