Gift bag with napped filamentary surface

1. A gift bag comprising:

substantially parallel front and rear panels, each having a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, and two lateral edges; and

a pair of substantially parallel side panels, each having a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, two lateral edges, and a generally longitudinal fold having a first end adjacent to the top edge of the side wall and a second end spaced from the first end;

wherein the lateral edges of the front and rear panels are joined to the lateral edges of the side panels, and a bottom panel having two pairs of substantially parallel lateral edges, wherein the lateral edges of the bottom panel are joined to the bottom edges of the front, rear, and side panels to form a container having an interior portion defined by the front, rear, and side panels and the bottom panel, said container further having an opening width defined as the distance between the top edges of the front and rear panels; and

wherein the gift bag has an expanded width and a collapsed width, where the width of the gift bag opening is smaller when the top edge of each side panel is at its collapsed width and more creased along the longitudinal fold than when each side panel is at its expanded width;

wherein the front, rear, and side panels of the gift bag possess a degree of stiffness that is sufficient to provide a free-standing, upright gift bag;

wherein the entire outwardly facing surface of said gift bag is completely formed from a napped filamentary material, said napped filamentary material comprising at least a paper layer and a napped filamentary textile layer adhered to said paper layer to form a single sheet of napped filamentary material; and

wherein the top edges of the gift bag have a double thickness of said napped filamentary material such that the napped filamentary surface extends over the top edges of the gift bag and onto a portion of the inner surface of the gift bag.

2. The gift bag of claim 1 , wherein said napped filamentary material comprises at least a paper layer and a napped filamentary textile layer adhered to said paper layer to form a single sheet of napped filamentary material.

3. The gift bag of claim 2 , wherein said paper layer and said napped filamentary textile layer are coextensive with each other.

4. The gift bag of claim 2 , wherein said gift bag is formed such that a cut edge of said single sheet of napped filamentary material is aligned with a folded edge of said gift bag.

5. The gift bag of claim 1 , further comprising a handle.

6. The gift bag of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of handles, wherein one handle is connected to the front panel and the other handle is connected to the rear panel.

7. The gift bag of claim 1 , wherein the pile of the napped filamentary surface is short to resemble suede.

8. The gift bag of claim 1 , wherein the pile of the napped filamentary surface is long to resemble the fur of an animal.

9. A gift bag comprising:

substantially parallel front and rear panels, each having a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, and two lateral edges; and

a pair of substantially parallel side panels, each having a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, two lateral edges, and a generally longitudinal fold having a first end adjacent to the top edge of the side wall and a second end spaced from the first end;

a pair of handles, wherein one handle is connected to the front panel and the other handle is connected to the rear panel, said handles being attached to the front and rear panels by passing through a pair of holes in each of said panels;

wherein the lateral edges of the front and rear panels are joined to the lateral edges of the side panels, and a bottom panel having two pairs of substantially parallel lateral edges, wherein the lateral edges of the bottom panel are joined to the bottom edges of the front, rear, and side panels to form a container having an interior portion defined by the front, rear, and side panels and the bottom panel, said container further having an opening width defined as the distance between the top edges of the front and rear panels; and

wherein the gift bag has an expanded width and a collapsed width, where the width of the gift bag opening is smaller when the top edge of each side panel is at its collapsed width and more creased along the longitudinal fold than when each side panel is at its expanded width;

wherein the front, rear, and side panels of the gift bag possess a degree of stiffness that is sufficient to provide a free-standing, upright gift bag; and

wherein the entire outwardly facing surface of said gift bag is completely formed from a napped filamentary material.

10. The gift bag of claim 9 , wherein a card with printed information is attached to at least one of said handles.

11. The gift bag of claim 9 , wherein said napped filamentary material comprises at least a paper layer and a napped filamentary textile layer adhered to said paper layer to form a single sheet of napped filamentary material.

12. The gift bag of claim 11 , wherein said paper layer and said napped filamentary textile layer are coextensive with each other.

13. The gift bag of claim 11 , wherein said gift bag is formed such that a cut edge of said single sheet of napped filamentary material is aligned with a folded edge of said gift bag.

14. A gift bag comprising:

substantially parallel front and rear panels, each having a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, and two lateral edges; and

a pair of substantially parallel side panels, each having a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, two lateral edges, and a generally longitudinal fold having a first end adjacent to the top edge of the side wall and a second end spaced from the first end;

a pair of handles, wherein one handle is connected to the front panel and the other handle is connected to the rear panel, said handles being covered in said napped filamentary material;

wherein the lateral edges of the front and rear are joined to the lateral edges of the side panels, and a bottom panel having two pairs of substantially parallel lateral edges, wherein the lateral edges of the bottom panel are joined to the bottom edges of the front, rear, and side panels to form a container having an interior portion defined by the front, rear, and side panels and the bottom panel, said container further having an opening width defined as the distance between the top edges of the front and rear panels; and

wherein the gift bag has an expanded width and a collapsed width, where the width of the gift bag opening is smaller when the top edge of each side panel is at its collapsed width and more creased along the longitudinal fold than when each side panel is at its expanded width;

wherein the front, rear, and side panels of the gift bag possess a degree of stiffness that is sufficient to provide a free-standing, upright gift bag; and

wherein the entire outwardly facing surface of said gift bag is completely formed from a napped filamentary material.

15. The gift bag of claim 14 , wherein a card with printed information is attached to at least one of said handles.

16. The gift bag of claim 14 , wherein said napped filamentary material comprises at least a paper layer and a napped filamentary textile layer adhered to said paper layer to form a single sheet of napped filamentary material.

17. The gift bag of claim 16 , wherein said paper layer and said napped filamentary textile layer are coextensive with each other.

18. The gift bag of claim 16 , wherein said gift bag is formed such that a cut edge of said single sheet of napped filamentary material is aligned with a folded edge of said gift bag.