Furoshiki Madness

Okay, so maybe it’s not madness, but we are mad for the Japanese art of wrapping gifts with textiles, a.k.a. Furoshiki!

It’s cool, novel, unique and beautiful!

Eco-friendlier and ever-more-elegant than typical disposable bags-and-bows, your gift is sure to be remembered and admired on a completely new level.

Furoshiki, friendly to all gift shapes and sizes, has limitless possibilities for creative beauty through simple Oriental folds and fluid knots, meaning even wine bottles and baskets filled with beauty loot need not be excluded from the wrapping festivities. Eschew boxes and bags for the odd-shaped or irregular gift; furoshiki is your friend!

Check out http://www.squidoo.com/gift-wrap#module1801159 for how-tos, and books by Kunio Ekiguchi and Chizuko Morita on Amazon for creative ideas from Japan, where presentation is as important as the gift itself…but never more important!

Then make a dash to your local discount fabric store and find fabrics that are actually cheaper per yard than fine wrapping paper in fancy art stores!

What could be cooler?

For the kitchen-related gift or home-baked offering, use a simple dish towel and holiday accessories to dress up the package. We found this most clever theme of furoshiki on apartmenttherapy.com.

What a gratifying skill and exotic craft to learn, and yet another way to separate you from the rest of the gift-givers in the world. Except Japan, of course.