Sometimes it is
just good to know a little about the products we are using. When I have tried to
use plastic wrap in place of cellophane the project usually turns out
poorly. Why? Typically cello has a lot more body and is thicker than plastic
wrap, so I quickly gave up trying to improvise with plastic wrap.
Maybe it is easier to start off with what cellophane isn't! Cellophane, which is also known as cello, is not plastic kitchen wrap. Plastic kitchen wrap has been around for about 100 years but gained popularity during WWII as a substitute for aluminum foil which was in short supply at that time. Food grade plastic wrap is thin, clingy, dissolves when placed near a heat source and is usually quite narrow in width.
A little later in history Jacque Brandenberger developed cellophane (early 1900's) in Switzerland. The idea apparently came to him during dinner out at a restaurant when he witnessed a guest spill a glass of wine on the white tablecloth. He thought.... how handy it would be to just wipe up the spill rather than all the commotion of changing linens during dinner. He began working on development of a textile with a clear coating. Although that endeavor failed, it was the beginning of the transparent layer we now call cellophane which is thicker, full-bodied, not clingy, heat tolerant, and comes in some pretty wide widths.
Dupont perfected Jacque's original cellophane by improving the moisture proofing. True... cellophane may have begun as a product being developed for the food service industry, but it quickly caught on in the packaging industry because of it's bacteria, moisture and grease resistance. Cello keeps products fresher because of its low air permeability. When used as a gift wrapping it provides a layer of clear protection for your decorative paper wrappings, it is a nice filler for gift bags and gift baskets, it is a heat sealable, food safe barrier, that is widely used as the finishing wrap on gift baskets and other gift items.
Amazingly enough cellophane is made from wood and/or cotton pulp...I know...neither of these products are transparent! With further processing, washing and bleaching the finished product that we use today is created. It comes in varying clarity and thickness, and can be purchased on rolls, in sheets and even pre-made cello bags. Cellophane is a biodegradable, eco-friendly product that can be found not only in clear, but also in printed and solid colors.
Whitman's candy company was the first to use cellophane to package their candy samplers. We still enjoy using it for packaging candy and much more.
Maybe it is easier to start off with what cellophane isn't! Cellophane, which is also known as cello, is not plastic kitchen wrap. Plastic kitchen wrap has been around for about 100 years but gained popularity during WWII as a substitute for aluminum foil which was in short supply at that time. Food grade plastic wrap is thin, clingy, dissolves when placed near a heat source and is usually quite narrow in width.
A little later in history Jacque Brandenberger developed cellophane (early 1900's) in Switzerland. The idea apparently came to him during dinner out at a restaurant when he witnessed a guest spill a glass of wine on the white tablecloth. He thought.... how handy it would be to just wipe up the spill rather than all the commotion of changing linens during dinner. He began working on development of a textile with a clear coating. Although that endeavor failed, it was the beginning of the transparent layer we now call cellophane which is thicker, full-bodied, not clingy, heat tolerant, and comes in some pretty wide widths.
Dupont perfected Jacque's original cellophane by improving the moisture proofing. True... cellophane may have begun as a product being developed for the food service industry, but it quickly caught on in the packaging industry because of it's bacteria, moisture and grease resistance. Cello keeps products fresher because of its low air permeability. When used as a gift wrapping it provides a layer of clear protection for your decorative paper wrappings, it is a nice filler for gift bags and gift baskets, it is a heat sealable, food safe barrier, that is widely used as the finishing wrap on gift baskets and other gift items.
Amazingly enough cellophane is made from wood and/or cotton pulp...I know...neither of these products are transparent! With further processing, washing and bleaching the finished product that we use today is created. It comes in varying clarity and thickness, and can be purchased on rolls, in sheets and even pre-made cello bags. Cellophane is a biodegradable, eco-friendly product that can be found not only in clear, but also in printed and solid colors.
Whitman's candy company was the first to use cellophane to package their candy samplers. We still enjoy using it for packaging candy and much more.
Some uses for cellophane are.....
Gift baskets, mugs and bottles
Gift wrapping
Floral wrap
Substitute for tissue paper
Food safe barrier
Food packaging
Protective and/or decorative table covering
General crafting
Wow! Just noticed
that people are wrapping themselves in cellophane during workouts to speed up
weight loss. I think I'll pass on this use, but it just goes to show that there ARE many uses for cellophane.
