Unwrapping the Future: How Rapt's Reusable Fabric Wraps Revolutionize Gift Giving with Founders Monica O'Neil and Cindy Estes

With the holidays approaching, and stores starting to stock up on all the Holiday trappings you may be feeling a little frustrated knowing the amount of waste generated from traditional gift wrapping methods, such as disposable paper and plastic bows!

Believe me, you are not alone! 

Despite your efforts to give thoughtful gifts, the result you're hoping for is often overshadowed by the waste created during the wrapping process.

In this episode, you'll hear from these amazing women entrepreneurs, just like us, who were feeling the same and decided to do something about it. 

My special guests Monica O'Neil and Cindy Estes founded Rapt, a company focused on reducing waste through reusable fabric gift wrap. Monica, having experienced an ‘aha’ moment while buying piles of wrapping paper, decided to make a change. She approached Cindy, a seasoned professional in the fabric industry and dear friend with her idea to create reusable wrapping paper. 

With their combined skills, they revolutionized gift-wrapping, offering stunning fabric that doesn’t end up in landfills after one use. Their passion for eco-consciousness fuels their endeavors in making their versatile and attractive Ralt products a household staple.

More about Monica and Cindy:

Monica O’Neil and Cindy Estes met at the playground. With 7 children between them and 15 years of birthday parties and holidays, Monica and Cindy came to recognize how much wrapping waste is created at every event. So they teamed up to do something about it - Rapt fabric gift wrap changes a small habit to make a big impact for our children’s future. 

Monica and Cindy tried many different ways to wrap with fabric - adding velcro, snap tape, attached ribbons - and found the Japanese solved it best with the art of Furoshiki. The custom of wrapping with cloth dates as far back as the 7th century and was originally called "tsutsumi." During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the tsutsumi was regularly used at the great bathhouses built by the Shogun. Feudal lords who visited wrapped their clothing in family crest-printed tsutsumi to keep track of their belongings.

Rapt is producing locally and dedicated to finding deadstock, reclaimed and remnant fabrics, yarns and ribbons whenever possible. In sourcing our fabrics it is also important that our Rapt sheets have the right feel, the right hand, the right look and the right detailing.