Wrap Holiday Gifts Furoshiki Style: The Eco-friendly Art of Japanese Fabric Wrapping

This holiday season, step away from your usual wrapping routine, and explore different, more exciting and eco-friendly ways to wrap gifts. This year, try furoshiki.
If you’ve never heard of it, furoshiki is an ancient Japanese practice that uses a cloth or fabric to wrap or transport items. Though primarily used to transport goods and treasures found in Japanese temples, it has turned into a popular method of wrapping goods, gifts, and merchandise among Eastern and Western cultures.
Not only is furoshiki a fun and versatile way to wrap gifts, it’s environmentally friendly and was even promoted by the Japanese Minister of the Environment in an effort to increase environmental awareness. The word “furoshiki” refers both to the craft and to the cloth itself. This decorative design is a fitting way to present your precious expressions of love and friendship!

To try furoshiki as an appealing, eco-conscious way wrap your Christmas gifts this year, all you need is a cloth of choice!  The cloth may be as small as the palm of your hand, for some gifts, while for other gifts pieces of fabric may be cut as large as the size of a car.  It all depends upon the size of an object you’re wrapping. You can creatively customize the look to suit your taste — every aspect from the pattern of the fabric to its thickness and size can be determined by you.

Invaluable created this helpful infographic that details different furoshiki wrapping techniques. Find the one that fits the size and shape of the present you wish to wrap, and dive right in!
Now it’s your turn to try furoshiki. Embrace the art and beauty of this centuries-old craft and see what you can create.

Have you tried furoshiki style wrapping?

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