CONTRIBUTED BY KANDY
I love this time of year. Gathering around friends and family to eat, drink and exchange gifts! I always feel a little sad to see a garbage can full of once beautiful, now crumpled gift wrap. Why not save space, money and the landfills by using a furoshiki. ふろしき
Wikipedia’s definition of Furoshiki (風呂敷, furoshiki) are a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that were frequently used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods… Modern furoshiki can be made of a variety of cloths, including silk chirimen, cotton, rayon, and nylon.
Another furoshiki video in one of Kyoto’s famous Furoshiki stores.
A furoshiki cloth can be any size to wrap the contents properly, however, the most common sizes are 45cm (17.7 inch) and 68-72cm (26.7-28.3 inch). You can cut and hem your own fabrics or buy the more common sizes at department stores such as Aeon or San-A. Below is a handy chart from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, to get you started. I think I’ve found a new hobby that is actually good for the environment. There are instructional books on it as well. Before you know it, you’ll be a furoshiki superstar!
This is awesome. The ladies in my culture group always bring their potluck items in furoshiki and it is great to know I can pick some up for myself at the local stores…I’ll have to get some and maybe one or two charts so I can send them as gifts to my environmental friends….what a great alternative to wrapping paper and to plastic bags.
This is AWESOME since I NEVER have wrapping paper, or the right sized bag or even any tape or paper I can get a hold of!!! But a stack of scarves would be easy to keep around…
I also have seen furoshiki used to wrap up bento boxes that make it so pretty…also makes a good placemat in turn!